Alignment question

[PS94]

So, after an unfortunate incident last summer, I did major repairs on my boat. Gimbal ring, Bearing, steering arm, lower leg, blah blah (http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=340328) I finally decided to check the alignment...and, as one would expect, WAY out.

To get it close to aligned, the front mounts are pretty much bottomed out(all the way down)...is this normal, or should I be checking for other maladies in the boat? It runs fine, with no unusual NVH, floats, and is alot of fun!

As an aside, my alignment bar won't be done until monday, so I'm using an old shaft off a ruined outdrive and 'feeling' how it slides in and out.....Is this too, ok?

 

[solar7647]

Re: Alignment question

So, after an unfortunate incident last summer, I did major repairs on my boat. Gimbal ring, Bearing, steering arm, lower leg, blah blah (http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=340328) I finally decided to check the alignment...and, as one would expect, WAY out.

To get it close to aligned, the front mounts are pretty much bottomed out(all the way down)...is this normal, or should I be checking for other maladies in the boat? It runs fine, with no unusual NVH, floats, and is alot of fun!

As an aside, my alignment bar won't be done until monday, so I'm using an old shaft off a ruined outdrive and 'feeling' how it slides in and out.....Is this too, ok?

No if your mounts are all the way down, its not normal.

An old shaft from a bad drive really isnt to be trusted.

You will most likly have to do a lot of adjusting when you get your alignment tool. Only use the tool when doing this, there is to much room for error with anything else.

Every turn on the bolts makes a very big diferance, one turn on the mounting bolts makes a big differance when aligning and is all it takes to be way out.

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: Alignment question

Are the rear mounts good and assembled correctly?

 

[Don S]

Re: Alignment question

What are we working on here ????????

 

[bucnon75]

Re: Alignment question

Just a reminder, the bearing will pivot as well. With the alignment tool just inside of the bearing, I hit the end of the tool with a rubber mallet (L or R or Up or Down) to set my bearing to be close to in-line with the coupler by line of sight.

 

[PS94]

Re: Alignment question

Sorry Don, 1995 4.3LX Alpah One Gen2 OF294870

The old shaft was fine, the gears on the parts upper went.

The shaft slides in and out now like silk....but the front mounts are almost all the way down...

 

[cr2k]

Re: Alignment question

The shaft you are using may be worn more than the one your drive has and could give you a false sense of alignment. The alignment bar is machined to tighter tolerances ensure precise alignment.

As asked before are your sure your rear mount "stack" is in correct order?
Has the engine been out before?

 

[PS94]

Re: Alignment question

I, have never had the motor out. My assumption (I know I know) is that the transom mount got heaved upwards during "the event"(which, smashed the gimbal ring, in two, broke all sorts of related parts) and placed the motor out of alignment, thus making it necessary for the motor to sit like a cat in heat...

I'd ran it for a year now, with the motor out of align, thinking the last inch of resistance I felt when installing the leg was the O-rings hanging up..Aiee...I was on my way to a squeal with no go!

The splines on the used shaft aren't too worn, meaning they're not bad at all...and, there's no force needed to install the shaft now...before, it took some rammy...and some effort to get out too...

 

[Bondo]

Re: Alignment question

Ayuh,... Again,.. An old driveshaft can NOT be used for alignment,... Period...

My Guess is,... The trip down the ditch has torqued stuff Severely....
Only with an Alignment Bar can you begin to find the reasons/ where it got torqued outa shape...
Cracked/ Rotten transom,..??
Cracked shifted transom assembley,..??

Whatever it is, you Need the Right Tool...

 

[PS94]

Re: Alignment question

Still waiting on my tool, my machine shop guy is a bit anal, rather than just lathe it to size, he's precision grinding it.

So, I took the Sea Ray to a local shop, with a 12 pack of Canadian set on the swim platform...and asked the shop foreman to come have a look...and bring his alignment bar....He told me to book it in...they were booking 2 weeks...I told him to COME LOOK...he then realized what I wanted (leg off, motor exposed, beer as payment) and he took about 22 mins to flange it up. I was, as you all said, way out. the bolts are fairly centered. The leg was a fight to get in though...

 

[solar7647]

Re: Alignment question

Still waiting on my tool, my machine shop guy is a bit anal, rather than just lathe it to size, he's precision grinding it.

So, I took the Sea Ray to a local shop, with a 12 pack of Canadian set on the swim platform...and asked the shop foreman to come have a look...and bring his alignment bar....He told me to book it in...they were booking 2 weeks...I told him to COME LOOK...he then realized what I wanted (leg off, motor exposed, beer as payment) and he took about 22 mins to flange it up. I was, as you all said, way out. the bolts are fairly centered. The leg was a fight to get in though...

Well first off the fact you got a marine shop to do such a thing for a 12pk......you must be comended.

As far as the drive being a fight to get in, yes they can be a pain, trying to keep the u-joint right and keeping the shifter from moving while trying to get it on and all that makes it a pain. I have only did it once and it was a pain, sure its easier with experiance It better with two people, thats what I ended up doing.

Once you got it started did it slide in smooth.

 

[PS94]

Re: Alignment question

No, once it was started, it slid in, until the last inch or so, where it took some wiggling, just like before... But, the fellow, and his magic bar, say it's aligned, I'm not going to argue with someone who does this stuff for a living, not out of shade-tree necesity. Now onto the Roswell tower I bought while waiting on my Alignment.........