John U Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 On Friday it was in the 70's here in Charlotte and I decided to take the boat for ride. Hit a submerged log and this was the result. Has anyone ever seen a cav split crack like that before? I assume the lower unit is trash, but thought I would see if anyone has an opinion before I speak with the insurance company. The Mark on the prop was so small it would not show up in the picture. Engine is a 300 Yamaha. Has app. 60 hrs on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeviam Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Wow! I'm surprised that the prop hub would not sacrifice itself before that kind of damage could occur. Or, did it blow the hub too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John U Posted January 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Not sure on the Hub, I was able to run the boat home without issues. I was planning to have it rebuilt or push insurance company for new prop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Not sure the lower unit is trashed, you could put some muffs on it and run it, shift it etc... It looks like the prop slung whatever you hit into the bottom of the plate and snapped the corner off. Kinda hard to tell the extent of the damage but it could probably be welded (skegs are welded all the time) and maybe less than your deductible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 If the hub is ok and the prop is not bent....you can have a local weld shop clean it up, weld it back together, grind down the weld and re-paint it. I've seen a couple done that way.... i guess it depends on how much $ it cost to replace if insurance doesn't cover it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lap it Up Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 I would look into insurance first. If that doesn't work I would spin that prop and make sure the prop shaft isn't bent. If it's straight have a good welder repair it and have a paint shop color match it. I'd then reseal it and throw it back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROZEN Posted January 17, 2017 Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 John U, I owned a prop shop for many years in Florida and cavation plate / lower unit weld repairs were a staple of our business. That's a bad one, but from your pictures, it looks repairable. We could have done it and you could have never known it was damaged after painting. BUT 1. Talk directly to the Yamaha warranty department about their warranty considerations if you repair. Do not let the dealer do this for you. To repair, the fluids need be drained, and all parts removed and inspected. After welding, reassemble and GO. Problem is, someone is betting all seal and bearing fits are in the same place, still round, and concentric with each other, as originally manufactured. You don't want that person to be you. I have never heard of any OEM sanctioning a weld repair of a LU that would not void the entire motor warranty. I have seen dealers weld LU's to sell a boat, or they damaged it on test drives. The OEM would not stand behind those repairs, which is exactly what you want. That simply means that the dealer now has the motor warranty if problems arise in the future. 2. With only 60 hours on the engine, I would insist the insurance company buy you a new replacement LU case at a minimum. Better would be with all new guts. Reuse the shaft, bearings, seals if they are OK'd by a Yamaha technician AND OK'd by Yamaha factory warranty department. Get it in writing by both. If they insist on welding to repair, have Yamaha send it to the shop of their choice. They probably won't make that recommendation. It's not as easy as it looks and needs to be done by someone who has done a lot of them. Our repairs over the years were problem free. Usually done for people who had no insurance, no money, no warranty, or the casings were obsolete and could not be purchased new. Stuff happens. You are fortunate you have insurance. Pay the deductible and do it right for the next 2000 hours on your new boat. Just my Two cents. Please let everyone know how this process works out. It should be interesting and informative for all. It happens more often than you can imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulligan Posted January 17, 2017 Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 Well put Frozen. I hit something a few years ago and did not think anything about it. I had no visual damage and the boat ran fine... for a few hours. Turned out that my gears were toast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted January 17, 2017 Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 ... and there you have it. I would definately take his advise over mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John U Posted January 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 Update, Lower Unit is off. Prop shaft is straight... However, insurance company seems to be willing to replace. Dealer contacted Yamaha stated that if a dealer completes the repair and certifies that the gear are good. Then warranty is intact. interesting that dealer told me that he has never seen a lower unit fail from Yamaha without a harsh impact. He couldn't say the say for some of the competitors...We hope to have a response from insurance company today on path forward. Min scope will be new gears and case.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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