Serial side plate failure does not sound normal to me. My boat was launched in 1979 and still has the original side plate on its RWC engine.
This would be a good time to attempt to discover if there is an under lying cause of the side plate failures. Replacing the side plate will fix the problem but does not address the root cause of the problem - if one exists.
I'll start the bidding by suggesting that there is a galvanic incompatibility between the side plate and the T fitting or the bolts that hold the side plate on the engine. The side plate is the sacrificial metal. This is a guess since we don't know where and how the side plates are failing. A picture of the failed side plate would be helpful.
TRUE GRIT
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