Sea Ray

Had a really bad day on the water last week. Our Alpha One leg hit a deadhead square on at about 25 knots. Busted the bell housing and gimbal ring in half, and the leg was hanging by the hydraulic rams. Started taking on water through the gimbal bearing. We managed to save the hull through a quick response over VHF and a tow to a nearby marina that had a sling lift.

The drive itself is in good shape. The only visible damage is to the bell housing and gimbal ring - none whatsoever to the transom shield. I though we might get away with only having to replace the bell housing and gimbal ring, but my shop is telling me they want to replace the transom shield as well due to potential issues with the clearances in the upper and lower gimbal pivot points due to the impact. This adds another 5 grand (CAD) to the job because of the cost of the new transom as well as the cost of pulling the motor.

I get it - it was obviously a big impact, and there could be damage not visible to the naked eye. Don’t want to risk bringing an invisible issue out on the water with us. But my question for those more experienced than me is: is this really necessary, or can we get away without replacing the transom shield? They also mentioned they’d have to pull the motor anyway to change the gimbal ring, but I was almost certain you could do it without. Am I wrong here?

Appreciate any advice you may be able to offer…