Another ? for FusionKing

[Showdog75]

I've got another marina repair I thought you might could give me some insight on. It's a lower unit[foot] that has a broken piece that I'll have to make a new piece for. The piece is gonna be the area up to and around the anode and I was curious if this is something you'd have to have machined to make fit just right or do it all by hand. I plan to use a piece of aluminum that matches the thickest portion of the area and blend it with a 4 1/2" grinder with a sandpaper disc.Sorry I can't take a pic tonite but will first thing tomorrow. A pic will show you exactly what I'm talking about if you don't already.

[b-footn]

If you'd like, being an ex-captain, yachet transporter, I could show you, I've been under more bridges than I've been over, lol. The run from Nashville to Knoxville is the most impressive run that I can think of. Short list of Captains that make this run.

[Showdog75]

Show me then or tell me , give me your .02 .

[FusionKing]

I've got another marina repair I thought you might could give me some insight on. It's a lower unit[foot] that has a broken piece that I'll have to make a new piece for. The piece is gonna be the area up to and around the anode and I was curious if this is something you'd have to have machined to make fit just right or do it all by hand. I plan to use a piece of aluminum that matches the thickest portion of the area and blend it with a 4 1/2" grinder with a sandpaper disc.Sorry I can't take a pic tonite but will first thing tomorrow. A pic will show you exactly what I'm talking about if you don't already.

Just do it by hand but make it as perfect as possible and make sure there is plenty of "air" between the beveled parts when you tack it up. The hardest part is grinding the pocket where the anode sits and making it presentable.
Don't overgrind the original piece or you will either have to build it back up or use bondo.
I would recommend a decent belt sander with about a 36 grit on it for making sure it looks flat and showing up low spots.
I am doing right now (I am busy again) about 4 of these a week. That is both skegs and cav plates.
Most places that sell skegs also sell the cav plates too.
HTH

[captkipp]

Anode pocket.

Fusion: I know you and I and several others on here, have had discussions on these skeg and cavitation plate fixes before. If I can throw my .02 in: I use a die grinder and a square ended burr to shape the anode cavity after weld up. Carefully of course, as the aluminum cutting carbide burr is quite capable of chewing out some serious metal very quickly. With a bit of caution the dress up of the anode cavity usually goes well.

The skegs and cavitation plate replacement parts are available from the prop shops and they have part numbers from the engine manufacturers like Mercury, so you can get them from the outboard parts jobbers and repair shops. Recently I had a repair on a skeg from a Verado engine. One of the fellows that is a member on this forum helped with part numbers for it as none of the after market people where making them yet.

[Showdog75]

Got started today but had to pull off for a more pressing job. I think this will be a straight forward repair. A pic with my current progress. Thanks and I'll post more pics when I finish.

[Showdog75]

Some more pics.

[FusionKing]

Looks like you have gotten the hang of it.
Almost makes you wonder why you even used that piece of metal doesn't it?

[Showdog75]

If you'll look in one of those pics you'll notice that I've got sandals on. I didn't want a hole in my socks Lol. I make a living as a Boilermaker but I've got to tell you I've found a really good way to make plenty of extra cash. It's doing repair work at just one of the many local marinas. I think I've got a new hobby

[Daniel]

This is looking good. Nice build up with the tig.

[captkipp]

Lower unit cav plate rebuild.

If you'll look in one of those pics you'll notice that I've got sandals on. I didn't want a hole in my socks Lol. I make a living as a Boilermaker but I've got to tell you I've found a really good way to make plenty of extra cash. It's doing repair work at just one of the many local marinas. I think I've got a new hobby

See, you guys laughed at me when I said I wore sandals and shorts to weld in here in south Florida.

Nice work Showdog.
Is that a outboard lower unit or a outdrive from an I/O?
What did they hit? Judging from the damage to the prop, they wacked somethig pretty hard.

[Showdog75]

See, you guys laughed at me when I said I wore sandals and shorts to weld in here in south Florida.

Nice work Showdog.
Is that a outboard lower unit or a outdrive from an I/O?
What did they hit? Judging from the damage to the prop, they wacked somethig pretty hard.

Not sure what they hit. It's a outdrive off a I/O. This is a job for a gentleman that buys and sell large cruisers. Luckly I've had real good dealings with the service manager at the marina and I've fixed several things he thought couldn't be repaired.So now he's giving me all kinds of work and even turning me on to others as well. The one thing that amazed him the most was a powersteering cooler[?] that was solid copper, I silver soldered that puppy right up and must say so myself it looked good.Every since then it's one phone call after the next.Thanks to FusionKing and all you guys for taking the time to steer me in the right direction on some of my repairs.

[FusionKing]

It is actually quite simple what happened to it.
There is very little clearance between the anti-cavitation plate and the prop. All the prop has to do is draw a loose object into it's path while rotating and if it gets between the 2, something has to give.

[Showdog75]

Got er done.

[FusionKing]

Dang it!!!

I've been looking for those gloves!

Good job Did you make any money?
I've been getting $250 to do that for a long time now. That is with or without paint because I do a lot for boat refinishers. Since times are harder and I am more desperate I think I am going to charge for the paint work nowadays.
I sweat that part more than anything else anyways. I am a welder not a painter and I generally refuse to use bondo. I feel it is better to let the customer see what they are getting, metalwise.
But some places want it to look like it never happened. I am probably more worried about the price than they are. I know I am too cheap compared to the other jobs I do but if I do 2 in a day it is pretty hard to make that kinda money working for the man.
I have one to do this week if it ever stops raining. It is an old grungy TR drive on a houseboat. I've gotta whip it out using the 200 off of the Bobcat. I bid it $300 and it looks just like what you did on this thread.