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42 | BOATINGMAG.COM | FEBRUARY 2018BOAT DOCTOR///WEEKEND WORKBOOKDRY FIT Using a
plastic or wooden mallet,
or tapping with a hammer
and a scrap of wood,
tap the SkegGuard into
place over the old skeg
and check everything for
a proper fi t. Tap it fi rm
enough to make sure it is
well-seated on the stub of
the original skeg.CUT FLUSH I used
a jigsaw fi tted with a
bi-metal blade to cut
the bent skeg off and
present a clean and lev-
el surface. A SkegGuard
requires at least 3 inch-
es of stub remaining
from the original skeg
in order to be affi xed.
Don’t cut off too much.DRILL HOLES Using
the SkegGuard with its
pre-drilled holes as a
template, drill two^1 / 4 -inch
holes completely through
the skeg. Be sure to drill
straight and square. A
high-speed steel (HSS)
bit will work, but I used
a Cobalt bit, which
dissipates heat better.PREP THE
SURFACE Use a
mill-bastard fi le and/or
an abrasive Scotch-Brite
pad to deburr the cut
edges of the outboard or
sterndrive’s skeg stub.
Use a stiff-wire brush to
clean off metal bits and
fi lings. Wipe clean with a
solvent-dampened rag.INSERT BOLTS
TheSkegGuard comes
supplied with sex bolts in
various lengths to accom-
modate varying thickness-
es of skegs. Locking sealer
is pre-applied to keep the
bolts from loosening. In-
sert the appropriate sex
bolt and use the supplied
hex tool to tighten.In many instances,
a slight brush with a
soft or sandy bottom
results in the paint
being scraped from
your outboard or
sterndrive’s skeg.
When repainting alu-
minum, it’s important
that the surface be
clean, etched with a
mild acid (white vine-
gar works), and then
primed. Old salts may
recall zinc chromate,
but the new primer of
choice for aluminum
is zinc phosphate.
This is available in
12-ounce aerosol
cans. $14.99;
westmarine.com+
NEW
PAINT
FOR A
REPAIRED
SKEGRemoving the gear case also gives you a chance to replace
the water-pump impeller, housing and gasket to ensure
max cooling performance. It’s relatively easy on most
outboards. Check your owner’s manual and do-it-yourself
videos on the Web for your brand of motor. Be sure to keep
the bolts and washers that connect the lower unit to the
midrange section of your outboard engine in a safe place
(like a large cup) so they don’t get lost prior to reassembly.Removing the gear case, while not required,
makes this job easier. Doing so requires basic
tools like a socket, screwdriver and/or wrench
set. Once removed, lay the lower unit on its
side for a straighter cut on the damaged skeg.
ILLUSTRATIONS: TIM BARKER; PHOTO: COURTESY MOELLER