last nice weekend of the summer and 1/2 hour out, this happens

can this be fixed and if so how much?
case has crack/cut on both sides.
what causes this to happen?
could i have done something to prevent it?

thanks!

I doubt that case can be repaired.. Didnt that lower nut have lock tabs bent behind it?

honestly dont know. first outboards ive ever owned.
300 pro maxs

ITS DONE, with the hole in the side cheapest fix is just to replace it !!!

do you have an idea what one cost

i replaced a lower on my 2003 300x...left hand counter rotation 1.62:1 20" sportsmaster was a little over $4000.00 Steve where are you located ?

It's not very clear in the picture but from what I can see it doesn't have a locking tab ring in it. If this is the case and you have hed someone go through the lower I would take it to them exactley as it is now, don't even take the prop off.

just bought the boat a few weeks ago. was going to have the lowers serviced before putting it to bed for the winter.

bernie, i live in the kansas city area.

welding it up wont work? i dont want to spend a bunch of money trying that if its a doubtful situation?

I have two housings from 250 xl merc racing Id have to check for cross over ect

With the prop shaft rifing where it is right now it more then likely mualed the machined surfaces for the bearing and retainers so even after you weld the holes you still have welding and machine work to do inside and to get to the foward bearing area is a serious blind machining job, if it can be fixed it will still be cheaper to get a new one. You may even want to look for a complete lower, the gears and bearings are probably trashed to and possiblily even the prop shaft itself, sorry to be so negative about it but I'm just telling it like it is.