Skeg repair

[SeaCatMich]

I have an opportunity to buy a Honda 30 HP outboard but its skeg is broken. I know that they can be replaced/repaired and have used something similar to the Skeggard product in the past, but Skeggard does not offer a model for the 30 HP Honda.

• Does anyone know of something that would work?
  
• How big of a deal is it to have a new skeg welded on?
  
• Any idea how much it should cost?
  
• Any suggestions of where to go in the mid-Michigan area (Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kzoo, Muskegon ???).
  

Any other suggestions?

[ekbelt]

I believe Jimbobber fixed his this past spring... may want to ask him the process.

[jimbobber]

I did do my own this spring on my I/O ,the replacement skeg was around 40 bucks , i work in a machine shop and can kinda weld alluminum but not a pro at it for sure. dont know what it would cost to have a pro do it . also dont know what it would take to do a 30 horse outboard, part cost ect. sorry

[Paulywood]

Ryan, anyone who can weld aluminum should be able to do it. There is a shop just west of St. Johns on M-21 that does a lot of aluminum and there is a machine shop in Westphalia that I have had do some welding for me before. Depending on how much is broken off they can just weld in some aluminum to fill in what is broken.

[SeaCatMich]

Here is a picture of the damage.

[pbrktrt]

Check out First Marine. They have a good number of weld on replacement skegs. Most good fab/weld shops will handle this task.

[SeaCatMich]

Check out First Marine. They have a good number of weld on replacement skegs. Most good fab/weld shops will handle this task.

Where is First Marine located? Do they have a web site?

[HONDAM]

I do not recommend skeg gaurds. They might save you in the short run but when you knock something good enough with it you will take off a lot more then just the skeg $$$. Then instead of costing you about $100 for a new skeg to be put on, it may be looking at as much as $2000 for a whole new lower unit

Having a new skeg put on is definitely the answer.

[SeaCatMich]

I made some calls today and was really amazed at the variance in costs quoted. The local "marina" here in Lansing said a new skeg would be around $30-$40 but it would be $280 to $320 to install it. A place down near Gibraltar that was recommended via a PM was $30 for the skeg and $100 to install. I can afford to drive a couple hours at that cost difference

[1mainiac]

Ryan the difference could be the cost of taking the lower apart and putting it back together. You have to remove the guts from the unit so they are welding on a empty housing, Trying to weld that much metal will require a lot of heat which will ruin the drive seals so they have to be removed and replaced. So it makes better sense to tear the drive down completely and then weld it and reassemble it after everything cools back down.

[fishsniffer]

Ryan the difference could be the cost of taking the lower apart and putting it back together. You have to remove the guts from the unit so they are welding on a empty housing, Trying to weld that much metal will require a lot of heat which will ruin the drive seals so they have to be removed and replaced. So it makes better sense to tear the drive down completely and then weld it and reassemble it after everything cools back down.

ive been welding aluminum for 20 years and jim is exactly right..aluminum requires a lot of heat..it also transfers that heat quickly so your definatly gonna smoke the seals especially with the amount of weld youd need on that

[1mainiac]

I am not gonna say how many years I have been welding but it has been close to 18 years since I did it for a living. But I still weld a bit now and then and one thing I learned back in the 70's was doing large welds like that are very time consuming because you have to wait between welds or you take a chance on warping the parts so bad the weld won't matter anymore. There actually is a advantage to welding it full assembled as you take less chance of warping it however you will have to rebuild it after it it is welded. If it were mine I would remove the guts toss all the soft parts and put it together clean before welding it. Do not sand blast the weld area clean it with a stainless wire brush.