potterhead2002
Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2004
- RO Number
- 13090
- Messages
- 80
Noticed the Skeg on the very bottom of my outboard is slightly skewed. Is it supposed to be this way to maybe offset prop walk or should it be perfectly straight?
Crooked skeg
- Thread starter potterhead2002
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2000
- RO Number
- 3238
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- 4,831
The "large" skeg at the very bottom of the O/B ( ie: below the prop ) should be straight. It is typically an integral part of the "leg" casting.
BUT the smallish "skeg" often found mounted on the "cavitation plate" ( actually anti-ventilation plate, but that is just my OCD ), just above the prop very likely will not be straight. It is adjusted to correct torque at speed. ie: if you are at cruise speed and "everything" is balanced you should need zero ( neutral ) steering input. If not that small skeg above the prop would be adjusted to correct to neutral steering input at cruise.
I hope I covered your question. If not, I hope you found it interesting...
BUT the smallish "skeg" often found mounted on the "cavitation plate" ( actually anti-ventilation plate, but that is just my OCD ), just above the prop very likely will not be straight. It is adjusted to correct torque at speed. ie: if you are at cruise speed and "everything" is balanced you should need zero ( neutral ) steering input. If not that small skeg above the prop would be adjusted to correct to neutral steering input at cruise.
I hope I covered your question. If not, I hope you found it interesting...
potterhead2002
Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2004
- RO Number
- 13090
- Messages
- 80
Thanks for the quick reply. Word to the wise… do NOT put a giant pipe wrench on your Skeg and try to straighten it.
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2000
- RO Number
- 3238
- Messages
- 4,831
In my area we have plenty of "skinny water" and it is rare to see a skeg that has not ( yet ) been "polished" due to having been driven at speed through soft mud/clay/sand/oyster reef bottoms. Obviously this also results in a few skegs with "odd geometry".
In most cases, about the only satisfactory cure is a long stream of "blue language". It does not fix the skeg, but tends to help the operator.
When the skeg is well and truly deformed, there are various "cures" none of which are truly wonderful, but many are successful, to some degree. If it is only the very bottom ( ie: lower 1/3 ? ) they will sometimes remove the offending section ( sawzall ) and repair the now missing section. In other cases, they replace the whole leg casting with a used part.
Straightening aluminum castings only rarely results in a strong, properly oriented skeg.
Good luck with that pipe wrench!
In most cases, about the only satisfactory cure is a long stream of "blue language". It does not fix the skeg, but tends to help the operator.
When the skeg is well and truly deformed, there are various "cures" none of which are truly wonderful, but many are successful, to some degree. If it is only the very bottom ( ie: lower 1/3 ? ) they will sometimes remove the offending section ( sawzall ) and repair the now missing section. In other cases, they replace the whole leg casting with a used part.
Straightening aluminum castings only rarely results in a strong, properly oriented skeg.
Good luck with that pipe wrench!
Now that the skeg is broken, if you don't care to try to have it TIG?/MIG? welded back on , there are a number of available devices to replace the missing piece.
Here are a couple ( I have not tried any.):
http://skeggard.com/
http://skegboot.com/
Here are a couple ( I have not tried any.):
http://skeggard.com/
http://skegboot.com/