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GEL CRACKING


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I have spider cracking in my gel coat around my shaft strut. They are really fine cracks, hard to even see but some are up to ten inches long. Has anyone else had this issue and if I leave them will they cause any further problems?

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I have spider cracking in my gel coat around my shaft strut. They are really fine cracks, hard to even see but some are up to ten inches long. Has anyone else had this issue and if I leave them will they cause any further problems?

Did you steal my boat? I've got the exact same potential problem!! Good question!!

Edited by Ndawg12
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I have spider cracking in my gel coat around my shaft strut. They are really fine cracks, hard to even see but some are up to ten inches long. Has anyone else had this issue and if I leave them will they cause any further problems?

Did you steal my boat? I've got the exact same potential problem!! Good question!!

Have you ever hit the prop on anything? That usually does it that and running a damaged prop. :unsure:

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I would grab the strut make sure there is no play. I have seen a few times where guys hit sandbars islands etc and broke up the floor. Which required pulling motor rebuilding area . If it is just cracks you may want to consider getting fixed especially if boat stays in water alot.

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Prop was bent and had a vibration at one time. will the spider cracks be ok or should

I have them repaired

e

Very slightly skinned the prop, very light vibration above 25mph. Had it fixed but I am also concerned about the spider cracking. I thought awhile back someone said that as long as they aren't deep (1/16th" or greater) then it shouldn't be a problem. It's more of a cosmetic issue rather than a compromise to the structure of the hull and since it's on the bottom it's not really an issue. Anyone agree or disagree with that?

OP, not trying to hijack, just working with yuh on this :)

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I'd fix it. It may not be a big deal to you now, but it could hurt your chances of selling the boat some day. If someone looks closely at the running gear and sees the cracks, they will probably walk away or want a serious discount.

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  • 2 months later...

I'd fix it. It may not be a big deal to you now, but it could hurt your chances of selling the boat some day. If someone looks closely at the running gear and sees the cracks, they will probably walk away or want a serious discount.

Get them fixed! I worked for Malibu Boats in Tennessee for almost 8 years and became friendly with 5 or 6 dealers which I started doing insurance and warranty work for. I have fixed about 50 Malibu's with gel cracks due to damage. The cracks will continue to "grow" and expand if you don't stop them where they are. Water gets in the cracks and eventually de-laminates the glass beneath. Your insurance will cover this as I have had most every boat I worked on taken care of by insurance. They usually don't argue with you about paying for it, because the evidence is seen where usually you have a bent prop and possibly a slightly bent shaft. The vibration is coming from the fact that when you hit something, it knocked the shaft loose and you need and engine allignment. I was told by a warranty person at the plant that when I was fixing the damage it was best to put all new hardware on to insure proper allingment and an insurance the the new shaft won't wobble out the transmission housing in the future. Kind of a prevenative measure for me to not have the problem arise after I did the original repairs. These are typically not cheap repairs. The glass work alone is very time consuming due to the fact that your on your back for the whole repair process. There is time to take out the old gear and time to put the new gear in, and lake test and depending on if you have a v-drive or direct drive, you can have damage to the waterbox also..It dosen't take to hard of a hit to do alot of damage. Finally, the new gear is not cheap. Either way, another reason to keep up the insurance on your boat.

I currently have 3 Malibu's in my shop with strut pad, and fin damage, all covered by insurance. Check with your provider if you want to get it fixed. If you need help with an estimate, I could possibly help you with that also. Hope this information helps!

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