Turning it around doesn't change things a whole lot because the damage is close to centre.
Thanks for the offer Brent, but to ship it to Western Canada (looks like you"re in NB) is not something I'm not interested in, but thanks for the generous offer. Too kind. Didn't know Craftsman had a similar configuration - maybe even the same dimensions - like washing machine manufacturers, they share tooling/maybe even one bought out the other.
Going to experiment with Tig welding the gap and then whittling away with my mini files. Have also discovered today that when I remove the pinion adjusting bolt and simply replace it with a 1/4-20 bolt (what original bolt is), tighten it, the clamping collet around the base router motor does secure the motor from moving up and down so this may be an option too - minus fine movement with the threads on the pinion.