Aligning the Engine Need help

[Mike_Maranto]

Crownline 21ccr 94 Mercruiser 5.0 with alpha 1 gen2, I need to properly align the engine, the aligment tool goes into the coupler with little force, used the grease on tool and found less grease on top and more at bottom, by reading the threads it seems that engine needs to be dropped from front if less grease on top(correct me if I am wrong), now few question on proper procedure:
(sorry if I ask stupid questions)

1) Should I loose the rear engine mounts bolts a bit before I drop the engine down from front.

2) How to drop the engine from front mounts, (step by step), is there a lock that holds the nut on which the engine sits. There are 2 nuts, one at top and the other one at bottom.

3) The thread on front engine mounts had rust when I bought the boat I wire brused it clean, then ragged the thread with some oil, any precautions I should be taking?

4) does any one know the size of front mount nut, non of my wrenches fitted the nut,(the socket that fitted the top nut was may be 29mm, the bottom should be the same size? I used the socket to get an idea of nut size; should I use an adjustable wrench to adjust, please guide me through

Many Thanks.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Aligning the Engine Need help

You are correct on the marks, heavier marks on top, lower the front of the engine.
Don't know the proper procedure, but this is the way we did a 4.3. Retorque rear engine mounts to spec. loosened the top nuts 1/2 turn. dropped the bottom nuts 1/4 turn on both sides, checked alignment, repeated till we got it right. Actually went a little too far, and had to bring it back up 1/8 turn at a time. When right snugged down the top nut, and rechecked. I believe we used an adjustable wrench. I think we wound up lowering it about 1/2 turn, so if you are close it will not take much adjustment. Good luck.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Aligning the Engine Need help

As said if the grease trakc are heaby on the top from the spilnes you need to lower the front of the engine an if there heavier on the bottom you need to raise the front of the engine. after the grease tracks from the spine is even then you should rotate the crank 90 deg, and check again then rotate it in 90 deg incriments until you have completed 360 degree rotation to ensure ist's perfect. if it's out on any of the rotation incriments then your gimbal bearing needs set so it's square with the coupler by iserting the alignment bar and tapping it with a dead blow hammer in the opposite direction of the grease tracks from the rotation incriments.

 

[Mike_Maranto]

Re: Aligning the Engine Need help

Thank you guys I will be taking the boat out of water this Thursday and update with the progess as I make, hopefully if I get it right I will be in water over the weekend trolling for Rocks in chesapeake.

 

[Mike_Maranto]

Re: Aligning the Engine Need help --Update

Re: Aligning the Engine Need help --Update

I tried two days of adjusting the front mounts, no matter how much I adjusted, I did not got to the two finger push for alignment tool. I read some where in iboats a thread by Don S that if the rear mounts is missing the spring washer, the alignment will always be off, based on his scenario I took out the engine and guess what, I was missing the spring washer that snugs into the fiber washer.

While I had the engine out I examined the mounts beds on stringers and one was showing excessive rot, I cut the fiber glass around stringer and pulled it out, replaced with a pressure treated 2x4 and made a bed for mount with 4x4, made sure it is in level with the other, fiber glassed it and checked the level, had to sand the new fiber glassed bed to be in same level as the other one, and then painted the bilge area.

I also used one new front mount, adjusted the nut at the same level as the older mount, slapped the engine back, made sure that the fiber washer is cemented to the transom, snugged both the spring washers into the two fiber washers, torqued the rear mounts after putting the engine back to 30-40 ft lb and to my disbelief the alignment was perfect, I did the rotation at angles listed in Don S several posts for alignment.

This is the first time ever that I have NO vibration at all in my boat. I have one slight problem though, on slight lift of drive, I hear a noise; reading different posts here it tells me it is the u-joints, at staright down it is quite, I think in October I will be searching on how to replace u-joints. the fun never ends. I have some pictures that I can post but I don't think I can post them here, they show how I did the stringer.
Oh BTW the other bed for mount had slight rot, I drilled holes and injected liquid Epoxy from west marine, and it worked.

Happy Boating to all.