Fixing a busted runner (skeg) on the Filth Hound

[Rich]

I am by no means a welder, and hiring an aluminum welder is pricey.

 

The skeg (middle runner) on the bottom of the Filth Hound is cracked. It has been since my dad gave it to me. He says it was from trailering with a motor that was way too heavy for the boat to handle (typical dad). It doesn't hurt the boat any but it does lower my top end speed and always gets caught on the truck bed.. and after launching on the beach today, it's full of sand too.

 

Basically it's a minor annoyance that I want to do away with.

 

Any ideas on cheap fixes for this? I was thinking of screwing a piece of sheet metal over the crack, then using epoxy to seal around the sheet metal.

 

My other idea was the simplest, to simply use Mega Metal and fill it in. I wasn't sure if the Mega Metal will bond to aluminum though.

 

I'll try to put a pic up tomorrow to show what the damage really is. Like I said, it doesn't really hurt anything.. it's been running like that for 8 years now, but I'm in a "fix up the boat" mood lately and it's something I'm definitely going to fix if I can. If it's gonna be an expensive fix I'll just leave it. The boat's probably not worth as much as the repair in that case, lol

[Fisherman]

Ya sort of lost me on the explanation, a skeg is the lower most part under the outboard lower gear unit, it appears you are talking about something on the boat? The center keel perhaps?

[Rich]

That'd be it. Dad called it a skeg. lol

[Fisherman]

Okay, center keel, all depends how much flexing is going on down there. I'll wait for the pics. Going to bed, might go fish in the morning.

[CLofchik]

Mega Metal=JB Weld knockoff?

 

If it's an area that doesn't flex much it will bond to aluminum fine. Helped a guy out earlier in the year who had dumped his bike and broke a chunk out of the tranmission cover, JB Weld'd it up on the side of the road and it held oil for the 200km ride back. Saved a big tow bill.

 

How big a crack are we talking about? If the largest gap is less than 1/4" it should work fine on a riveted keel.

[bassjnkie]

Rich how about a pic or two.