outdrive skeg broke off

A

Anacapafish

New Member
Mar 15, 2009
39
channel islands ca
Boat Info
225 Express Cruiser 1980
Engines
Mercruiser 260 MR Drive
Hello boaters! I have an 80 225 express cruiser in project mode. I had the lower unit (mr drive) pressure checked and water pump assembly replaced by a local marine shop.Checked out nicely and was happy to not have to replace the lower unit. I was concerned about the skeg being broken off prior to my ownership. Mechanic said it was not nessisary? Should I be concerned further about this? Doesn't the skeg have a purpose? Torque during acceleration? I'm just a little weary and need some reassurance that he's correct. Thanks boaters.
 
Think about it..why is it there in the first place?:huh:

Of course it needs to be there. It provides structural stability for the lower unit as well as stability in the prop direction of thrust.

I am not a marine propulsion engineer...but the man that designed your outdrive is. :thumbsup:
 
Depends on who you talk to. Some say it is there to protect your prop so If you hit a rock it will "bounce" your outdrive up and over it without damaging the prop. Some say it helps you steer. I am missing a small portion of mine. You can get a Skeg Guard that bolts up to what you have left that I think would be sufficient enough. By the time you pay the labor to split the cases and reweld on a new skeg, you could have a nice chunk of the 1200 bucks it cost for a brand new Sterndrive Outdrive.

My .02
 
I checked out a few online on various sites and found lower units for even cheaper, but take into consideration, the manufacturer, warranty if any, and how well the company is doing, I'm weary of the fact that some of these co's could go under at any time and where would I be then? I know the original outdrive is good and will be good if properly maintained. Thanks for the input guys, I will proceed.
 
mwph said:
I guess Im missing something here. :huh:
Where can you get a brand new drive for $1200.
Click to expand...

drive2.jpg
 
This site is the greatest! After stiring up a few different opinions and ideas, I came up with this: the current outdrive has been tested and ok. not pretty but checks out ok! There are reputable (after further inquiry) outdrives that are more reasonable than I had inticipated. Keep you posted.
Thanks a million!
 
Most boat shops have rep. welders that do there work. There are alum. blanks out there that can be welded on without breaking the cases apart,(been there done that). Just shop around, it can be done no problem....
 
Find the welder and you can make this:

100_1184.jpg


Look like this:


100_1191.jpg


There were some blemishes areas so before I put it back together I sanded, filled, sanded and painted:

100_1185.jpg
 
I bought one of those 3 yyears ago. The only issue was that I had to change the impellar after the first season. I think that was because of the area that I was boating in and not related to the parts used in the outdrive.
Remember also that any company could decide to fold at any time. (SeaRay Furlow)
 
I purchased an outdrive from Stern drive tec. same one shown in picture....had no issues ran great on my last boat 88 Citation 350 with 5 Blade 21pitch. Shipping was fast also! This was when they first started the company.
 
The skeg does very little for steering - major steering effect comes from prop thrust. As mentioned above, the main reason is to protect the prop. Unless you like spending money, I wouldn't even consider buying a new gearcase. Either run it the way it is, have a new piece welded in or put a skeg guard on. The only bad thing about a skeg guard is that if you hit something, the "break point" of the skeg has now been changed and it (the skeg) may break off close to the prop gear housing, a.k.a. "torpedo". If the break-off point is too close the torpedo, it can't be welded.

If it was me, I'd run it the way it is, then have it welded in the off season. Do you need any other work done that can be taken care of while the drive is off? Bellows, alignment, shift cable, etc.
 
Thanks for the break point comment Lazy Daze, I had not considered that. Was about to buy a Skeggard but will not do so now. I'll live with the "shorty" until the od is off for something else-then get it welded.
 
The primary purpose of the skeg is to protect the gear case against damage. If you hit something, the skeg helps the drive unit "kick up" and ride over the object. The skeg is also designed to shear off to protect the gear case, which is why there is a big business in welding replacement skegs back on.

There are two problems with using a skeg guard that no one has yet addressed: (1) Over-protecting the skeg, which is meant to protect the gear case can result in damage to the gear case. And (2) If you are keeping your boat in the water (not trailering), you are adding another dissimilar metal which can increase corrosion to your entire lower unit.

Forget the skeg guard - Spend the few bucks and have the skeg replaced properly.
 
H2OME said:
The primary purpose of the skeg is to protect the gear case against damage. If you hit something, the skeg helps the drive unit "kick up" and ride over the object. The skeg is also designed to shear off to protect the gear case, which is why there is a big business in welding replacement skegs back on.

There are two problems with using a skeg guard that no one has yet addressed: (1) Over-protecting the skeg, which is meant to protect the gear case can result in damage to the gear case. And (2) If you are keeping your boat in the water (not trailering), you are adding another dissimilar metal which can increase corrosion to your entire lower unit.

Forget the skeg guard - Spend the few bucks and have the skeg replaced properly.
Click to expand...

Looks like you were writing at the same time I was! :grin: Not to be picky, but just to clarify - the purpose of the skeg is to protect the prop - not the gear case. Think about it this way: If the case is going to hit something, does it really matter if the skeg is there? If something is sticking up high enough to whack the case, the skeg won't offer any protection. However, if you came across a gradual incline in the bottom, the skeg could serve as an "early warning" system - so to say - in that case. You'd probably have to be at idle speed for it to be effective, though.

Good point about more dissimilar metals. Didn't think of that one.
 
Last edited:
We had one a few years ago that was broken off too far to add a skeg guard. We had a new skeg welded on for $200. You couldn't tell where the repair was.
 
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