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Can a bent skeg be straightened?

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kdhskiff

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Hi folks, Hit small rock pile while idling in gear & bent the skeg about 1/2" to port. Can it be straightened? What is the procedure? Thanks!
 
kdhskiff said:
Hi folks, Hit small rock pile while idling in gear & bent the skeg about 1/2" to port. Can it be straightened? What is the procedure? Thanks!
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The problem with aluminum is it has no memory if you are able to bend it back with heat you risk deforming the precision machined surfaces if it dont snap with the pressure.
 
If i was a business man i would tell you NO because i would be making more money selling you a new one . Ive straightened many in the past just use propane gas to heat and bend it slowly:)
 
If you use heat and bend, which is what I would do, keep in mind that aluminum is an EXCELLENT conductor and will deliver that heat quickly in all directions but especially UP. Problem here is that there are lots of rubbery, melty things just above where you will be working.
So trying your best to "heat sink" with wet rags and having the skeg up as high as possible will work in your favor.

Good luck.
 
I have bent one back without heat, depends on how bad the bend is. I used a very large adjustable wrench and closed it so it was tight against the skeg at a perpendicular angle. I just gently moved along the skeg doing this very gradually back and forth. You can feel when you should stop applying pressure and then move on to another spot. Try this before using heat.
 
Once again, I must thank everyone for their advice... great resources here! I think I am going to avoid heating, as I do not want to risk damaging the seals etc. Instead, I think I will try sandwiching the skeg between two pieces of 2x4 and compress with a couple of heavy duty C-clamps. Then "fine tune" as needed with a large adjustable wrench. I will post my results.
 
I hope that works for you. Remember aluminum castings are quite brittle and will move easier (and with lesss chance of failure) by applying some heat. Personally I would not be too worried with using a small propane torch. Wrapping wet rags or towels above the area you are working on will help act as a heat sink. To put it in perspective, many people have had skegs welded back on or repaired and welding creates much more heat on the base metal than any small torch will.
 
Mheltun said:
I hope that works for you. Remember aluminum castings are quite brittle and will move easier (and with lesss chance of failure) by applying some heat. Personally I would not be too worried with using a small propane torch. Wrapping wet rags or towels above the area you are working on will help act as a heat sink. To put it in perspective, many people have had skegs welded back on or repaired and welding creates much more heat on the base metal than any small torch will.
Click to expand...

Point taken. Since the bottom tip of skeg is about 1/2" from center, I do not have to move it very far. Perhaps warming the area first then applying the pressure with the 2x4 blocks as I described would be the best route...
 
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