Cracked Pro XS Mid section

[jbgambler]

Has anyone seen or heard of any problems with cracking mid-sections. Mine is cracked about 3/4 way around from back to front. I have not hit anything and don't remember parking where I could have been hit.

[EuropeanAM]

This would be VERY, VERY uncommon (at least without the exertion of some serious external force).

Pictures would be very helpful....

I'd be planning to contact your insurance carrier asap. Think about it this way.... your engine exerts enough force AT THE PROPSHAFT to propel your boat at whatever your WOT top speed is.... literally lifting 90% of the hull up and out of the water.

If there was a problem there that would cause it to "snap off".... you would likely have known it LONG ago.

More than likely, you hit something submerged, or, as I've seen a few times, were in shallow water- waves picked the boat up and slammed the engine down laterally against the bottom in "shallow water".

[jbgambler]

Thanks for the info, I can not remember having anything strange happen throughout the day. However it happened it must have happened from the back of the motor because the crack stops at the front of the mid section, and there does not to be any critical looking damage on the lower unit. A friend thought that I may have gotten wacked at the ramp, but if that happened I can't tell where the contact happened on the lower unit.
I have pictures on my phone but can't load them on the computer. If you have a phone that accepts pics I will send them to you.

[trimman01]

friend of mine had the same thing happen.While his was at the shop,another one come in for the same thing.Merc took care of it.

[EuropeanAM]

IM sent....

[jbgambler]

Hey Don it was good talking with you today and thanks for the help.

Mercury is taking care of the claim... Per Mercury and my repairing dealer, the problem is with the "harmonics" of the motor coupled with the solid motor mounts and the motor torque is what creates the cracking situation. They said they have seen the problem before and accepted the claim pretty quick... new mid already on the way big to Mercury.

Thanks again

[btsmbass]

Out of curiosity, I have never seen nor heard of this. Is this something where a particular run of assemblies is in question or are these isolated unique instances. Lastly but highly doubt, is this something anybody owning a 250hp+ 20in mid motor needs to worry about.

[ssimpala71]

I have seen it twice and both instances we found that the owners were trimming "down" their engines onto the transom savers too hard--actually not transom savers but the ones that go down over the lower motor mounts

[JayLaw]

YEP I have seen it happen personally to mine, motor was only 6 months old, and Merc said I must have backed the boat into something casuing a stress fracture, dam was I pissed. This thing let loose at 62 MPH and broke the drive shaft where it meets the lower unit, the motor immediatley went into gaurdian mode, it cracked all the way around about 5 inches below the cowling on the mid section. Insurance covered the bill then dropped me 6 months later. I wish i could find the pics I would post them for ya. I posted them on here back in Jan 2007 but dont think they are still in the archives.

[EuropeanAM]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by btsmbass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Out of curiosity, I have never seen nor heard of this. Is this something where a particular run of assemblies is in question or are these isolated unique instances. Lastly but highly doubt, is this something anybody owning a 250hp+ 20in mid motor needs to worry about.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I got the opportunity to see some pictures of this engine.

Never seen this particular problem before.... and I wouldn't expect it likely to see it again.

Glad to hear they're getting it taken care of.

Jason: I recall yours. The pictures I saw were VERY different from yours.