While Im thinking about it....... I notice that my geasrcase was probably one of the last ones to be made with a straight skeg. Are there any rules of thumb about the length of taper, and the angle?

It appears to me that if I were to change the shape, I should make the bottom edge protrude down the same distance from the center of the propshaft to the cavitation plate (7.5" or so)

I notice that one side of my skeg seems to be flat, and the other is rounded.

I also notice that there is a small ~3/16" hole below the 4 water inlets. There is no mention as to it's purpose in my service manual. Que'st-ce que c'est?

Also, there is a passageway for intake water that leads directly to the exhaust. In this drawing, it shows it. Can someone explain what's happening here?