2000 Johnson 150 hp

[luckystiff]

Help,
I have a 2000 Johnson, 150 hp engine with approx. 400 hours on it. Here is my question, 2 years ago I hit a rock with a stainless steel prop, and broke the skagg off of the motor. Everything seemed to work fine, except for a little vibration when I put the engine in reverse.
Since this incident, I welded a new skagg on the motor and refinished the stainless prop.
I have also had 3 plastic link shift levers break on me that put the engine in gear.
I finally took it to a mechanic and he told me the gears were stripped and the clutch dog needs to be replaced to the tune of over $ 1700.00. I'm pretty sure that I must of bent a rod or did some sort of damage to the engine the day I hit that rock.
Has anyone had any simular experiences, or is this normal wear and tear on an engine with less than 400 hours on it.
Insurance doesn't seem to think this problem is related to the rock.
Thanks!

[Big G]

If insurance doesn't cover it..........I would go hit another rock.............Then they will cover it...........

[marknamy]

An old wise man told me that afer hitting a rock with the lower unit, put the boat back on the trailer, lower the motor and pull it over a curb at about 30 mph.
His philosophy was that a guy sometimes think that his lower unit will be ok after tangling with a rock. A guy would never put the boat in the water again after hitting a curb.
I also like to think that the rock hits me, I don't hit it.

[kjgmh]

Anytime we get a boat in with gearcase damage with a stainless prop it automatically gets new gears. Have had many ins. companys fight us with this, but it is the only way to make sure what happened to you is prevented.

[luckystiff]

So what I'm reading is that I'm basically screwed.
Does anybody know what is normal for hours on a motor before the gears go out on them.
400 hours doesn't seem like a lot to me.
Has anyone ever challenged their insurance adjustor over a situation like this.
I'd be interested to hear others stories.
Thanks!