NEED HELP - Bent Skeg

[Billo]

Hammering out Bribie on saturday at about 50 kph
Saw a little splash a couple of metres in front of the boat , first thought was ...DAMN ....running through a tuna school , didn't see em early enough to pull up for a flick ...then BAM , boat swings around and konks out .
nope ..not tuna ..thats for sure . Didn't see what it was , probably turtle , but a swing back past couldn't find anything

Pulled the engine up thinking i had major damage , but seemed ok so kept going .
Had a look when i got home and the bottom of the skeg has a slight bend to it

Doesn't seem to be anything major , but making the engine pull a little to the right

i have a 40HP 2 stroke yamaha MHDL i believe ...not sure of the composition of the metals !???

Only advise i have been given is remove all the oil , and take it to a welder to heat up and bend back ...but told this possibly could warp something else .
or use some blocks of wood and try belting it back into shape
or leave it ...

Has anyone got any advice as to the most appropriate method of fixing ?

[sf17fisherman]

yeh belt it with a nice big hammer or try bending it useing a shifter but don't go to hard last thing you want are stress fratcures (not that they would do anything and in fact if you lost the whole skeg it wouldn't really do anything) but most time you can belt them straght or close enoght ;)

[Chris_Riethmuller]

Billo, I have bent a Skeg on my Etec when I had It, they are really very tough I was advised by a dealer to use a lump of timber on one side and soft hammer on the other and it worked beutifully, could bearly tell except for the scratchs.
good luck
Beefa

[Spaniard_King]

DO NOT belt it with a hammer or peice of wood directly!!!

Beefa is on the right track!!!

I am straightening these for people quite regularly ::)

I use 2 hammers both 4lb, one I put on the backside of the bent skeg and the other I hit the skeg in the direction I want it to go. The hammer on the backside cussions the blow which stops the skeg from breaking off. it will take quite a few blows. It's a bit of a time type task. You can hit it quite hard as long as you hold the the 2nd hammer on the backside of the skeg.

Garry

[Y-Not]

well described Spaniard King just remeber not to be in a rush and straighten it a little at a time not try to do it with one or two hits

[Billo]

i have some high density rubber mallets ....like REALLY hard rubber ....
I gues they may be the best tool to try first ....failing that , i will go with something a bit stronger
Cheers guys