Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

Q: how critical is the back edge/bottom of this lower fin?
It didn't take chunks out of it or anything, just took some
metal off of the bottom, and the back edge just as it start
to slope up. I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Also, and when I took it out for the first time, I noticed
some vibration when in gear and when going real slow
(engine at 1750-1800 RPM), and wondering if I did
something. I kinda doubt in since it seems to run fine.
I ran it for 2 hours - full speed, 45 Mph, first outing
excitement, high-excitement, second year with new boat
and all seems fine, and fun, etc.. But..., like I said,
when I slowed down, I "did" notice this semi-vibrating
at 1600-1800 RPM, and its hard to tell if its engine, or
U-joints, or just normal exhaust bubbles/resonance etc.
Could I have done somehting to the drive unit by draging
the fin accross the sidewalk? Is the rough square edge
causing this at low RPM? And/or is there some annual
maintenance item of greesing the Ujoints that I was
susposed to do? 1.5 year old boat, can't emagine that
I need to lube the Ujoints so I? How do I get to them?

Thanks!, little worried (semi-brand new boat and all).
But like I said, first time out this year, so maybe noramal
stuff that I forgot about over the winter.

"Mr Wizzard" wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Yes, round it back off with a file and spray paint it = good as new.
I doubt you harmed anything else.

-W

Mr Wizzard wrote:
Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

Q: how critical is the back edge/bottom of this lower fin?
It didn't take chunks out of it or anything, just took some
metal off of the bottom, and the back edge just as it start
to slope up. I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Also, and when I took it out for the first time, I noticed
some vibration when in gear and when going real slow
(engine at 1750-1800 RPM), and wondering if I did
something. I kinda doubt in since it seems to run fine.
I ran it for 2 hours - full speed, 45 Mph, first outing
excitement, high-excitement, second year with new boat
and all seems fine, and fun, etc.. But..., like I said,
when I slowed down, I "did" notice this semi-vibrating
at 1600-1800 RPM, and its hard to tell if its engine, or
U-joints, or just normal exhaust bubbles/resonance etc.
Could I have done somehting to the drive unit by draging
the fin accross the sidewalk? Is the rough square edge
causing this at low RPM? And/or is there some annual
maintenance item of greesing the Ujoints that I was
susposed to do? 1.5 year old boat, can't emagine that
I need to lube the Ujoints so I? How do I get to them?

Thanks!, little worried (semi-brand new boat and all).
But like I said, first time out this year, so maybe noramal
stuff that I forgot about over the winter.


If the vibrations at 1600-1800 RPM are a new thing that didn't occur
last year, it probably bears looking into. Any chance you wacked your
prop as well as your skeg going across the sidewalk? A lot of prop
shops will do a free inspection of your prop, (hoping of course that
they can recommend some service).

wrote in message
oups.com...

Mr Wizzard wrote:
Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

Q: how critical is the back edge/bottom of this lower fin?
It didn't take chunks out of it or anything, just took some
metal off of the bottom, and the back edge just as it start
to slope up. I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Also, and when I took it out for the first time, I noticed
some vibration when in gear and when going real slow
(engine at 1750-1800 RPM), and wondering if I did
something. I kinda doubt in since it seems to run fine.
I ran it for 2 hours - full speed, 45 Mph, first outing
excitement, high-excitement, second year with new boat
and all seems fine, and fun, etc.. But..., like I said,
when I slowed down, I "did" notice this semi-vibrating
at 1600-1800 RPM, and its hard to tell if its engine, or
U-joints, or just normal exhaust bubbles/resonance etc.
Could I have done somehting to the drive unit by draging
the fin accross the sidewalk? Is the rough square edge
causing this at low RPM? And/or is there some annual
maintenance item of greesing the Ujoints that I was
susposed to do? 1.5 year old boat, can't emagine that
I need to lube the Ujoints so I? How do I get to them?

Thanks!, little worried (semi-brand new boat and all).
But like I said, first time out this year, so maybe noramal
stuff that I forgot about over the winter.


If the vibrations at 1600-1800 RPM are a new thing that didn't occur
last year, it probably bears looking into. Any chance you wacked your
prop as well as your skeg going across the sidewalk? A lot of prop
shops will do a free inspection of your prop, (hoping of course that
they can recommend some service).

Well thats just it - I don't "remember" the vibration last year,
but things were a little different - this time I was by myself,
quiet part of the lake, and once I noticed it, I became really
anal about it, so I may have been being ultra sensitive to it.
Funny thing is, its at a very specific RPM, and slightly more
pronounced when turrning the out drive one direction or the
other, thus what made me think it was U-joints. But I tend
to think its ok - is something were wrong, it would do it at
all speeds (lower, idle-ish, as well as high speeds).

I did check the prop, and its fine - its higher up than the
fin, and like I said, I didn't think I whacked the fin on the
sidewalk "that" hard - I didn't whack it off or anything like
that. But I might take your suggestion on getting a free
prop inspection, thanks. Is prop balancing a maintenance
item that one should look at every couple of years, or
something that should be looked at only when need of
service (getting gouges, chunks, big nicks fixed etc)

Thans for all the info!

"Clams Canino" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Mr Wizzard" wrote in message
...

I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Yes, round it back off with a file and spray paint it = good as new.
I doubt you harmed anything else.

Cool, thanks, that makes me feel better (and what I thought)
I got a can of the Merc Phantom spray paint last year just in
case I needed it (and now I do).


-W

Scrapping off a little bit of the skeg is not a big deal. You can
"loose" 20 to 30% of the skeg without really any effects on handling or
performance. Just file or sand the rough edges, paint it and continue
enjoying the boat.

However if you feel vibration, you may have bent the prop or the prop
shaft. Are you sure that your did not scrape the prop against the
sidewalk when you had the incident? If you did, there would be easily
visible marks on the prop. If the prop did touch the ground, check if
the prop shaft or the prop itself are not bent. If you are using the
stock aluminum prop, they are pretty soft and can be bent quite easily.
An bent prop or shaft will eventually damage the bearing and the gears
- an expensive fix.

So if there is evidence that you scrapped the prop against the
sidewalk, take it to a mechanic have it checked.



Mr Wizzard wrote:
Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

Q: how critical is the back edge/bottom of this lower fin?
It didn't take chunks out of it or anything, just took some
metal off of the bottom, and the back edge just as it start
to slope up. I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Also, and when I took it out for the first time, I noticed
some vibration when in gear and when going real slow
(engine at 1750-1800 RPM), and wondering if I did
something. I kinda doubt in since it seems to run fine.
I ran it for 2 hours - full speed, 45 Mph, first outing
excitement, high-excitement, second year with new boat
and all seems fine, and fun, etc.. But..., like I said,
when I slowed down, I "did" notice this semi-vibrating
at 1600-1800 RPM, and its hard to tell if its engine, or
U-joints, or just normal exhaust bubbles/resonance etc.
Could I have done somehting to the drive unit by draging
the fin accross the sidewalk? Is the rough square edge
causing this at low RPM? And/or is there some annual
maintenance item of greesing the Ujoints that I was
susposed to do? 1.5 year old boat, can't emagine that
I need to lube the Ujoints so I? How do I get to them?

Thanks!, little worried (semi-brand new boat and all).
But like I said, first time out this year, so maybe noramal
stuff that I forgot about over the winter.

"katekebo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Scrapping off a little bit of the skeg is not a big deal. You can
"loose" 20 to 30% of the skeg without really any effects on handling or
performance. Just file or sand the rough edges, paint it and continue
enjoying the boat.

Yup, did just that - dressed it up, some Phantom Black, and wella.


However if you feel vibration, you may have bent the prop or the prop
shaft.

Are you sure that your did not scrape the prop against the
sidewalk when you had the incident? If you did, there would be easily
visible marks on the prop.

No, no, on the Merc Alpha 1 (or almost any stern drive),
you'd have to darn near lop off the fin to get to the prop.


If the prop did touch the ground, check if
the prop shaft or the prop itself are not bent. If you are using the
stock aluminum prop, they are pretty soft and can be bent quite easily.
An bent prop or shaft will eventually damage the bearing and the gears
- an expensive fix.

No, prop is fine. Also, in the situation that you describe,
you'd have vibration at almost all speeds/RPM's, no ?



So if there is evidence that you scrapped the prop against the
sidewalk, take it to a mechanic have it checked.

I would have done that if I saw visable prop damage, but
as it turns out, it was just the fin accross half the width of
the sidewalk.



Mr Wizzard wrote:
Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

Q: how critical is the back edge/bottom of this lower fin?
It didn't take chunks out of it or anything, just took some
metal off of the bottom, and the back edge just as it start
to slope up. I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Also, and when I took it out for the first time, I noticed
some vibration when in gear and when going real slow
(engine at 1750-1800 RPM), and wondering if I did
something. I kinda doubt in since it seems to run fine.
I ran it for 2 hours - full speed, 45 Mph, first outing
excitement, high-excitement, second year with new boat
and all seems fine, and fun, etc.. But..., like I said,
when I slowed down, I "did" notice this semi-vibrating
at 1600-1800 RPM, and its hard to tell if its engine, or
U-joints, or just normal exhaust bubbles/resonance etc.
Could I have done somehting to the drive unit by draging
the fin accross the sidewalk? Is the rough square edge
causing this at low RPM? And/or is there some annual
maintenance item of greesing the Ujoints that I was
susposed to do? 1.5 year old boat, can't emagine that
I need to lube the Ujoints so I? How do I get to them?

Thanks!, little worried (semi-brand new boat and all).
But like I said, first time out this year, so maybe noramal
stuff that I forgot about over the winter.

Mr Wizzard wrote:
: Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
: the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
: the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
: and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

If it makes you feel any better, I'll tell you my story.

I bought my 1982 I/O new. When departing my uphill gravel driveway
for the first time, I left the outdrive down and plowed a furrow
up the driveway. That was 1982. The boat's still working just
fine.

b.

wrote in message
roups.com...
Mr Wizzard wrote:
: Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
: the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
: the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
: and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

If it makes you feel any better, I'll tell you my story.

I bought my 1982 I/O new. When departing my uphill gravel driveway
for the first time, I left the outdrive down and plowed a furrow
up the driveway. That was 1982. The boat's still working just
fine.

Geesus - so what did it do to the fin? Course, gravel is
a little easier on aluminun than solid concrete. But yeah.


b.