Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

[OMCEd]

Hello Group,
I pulled my 91 OMC Cobra (2.3L) outdrive a few weeks ago for servicing and have not been able to put it back on. I bought the Heartland tool on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370476688403&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

The tool will only go into the splines about 3/4 of an inch. I moved the engine up in the mounts equally on both sides in half turn increments of the nut for 3 full rotations. No difference in tool advancement. I figured if anything the engine would have settled in the rubber mounts or there would be sagging in the stringers.(?) Grease coatings show usually more rubbed off at 12 o'clock position but I can get rub off at 6 also depending how I apply pressure to the tool. I AM LOST. JUST CANT DO IT. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? I have tried taping the tool to adjust bearing, like in videos, even though I have read here its not a good idea to do so. Any help will be most welcome. Thank You, Ed

 

[nikon]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

have you tried adjusting one side at a time? I had to pull my motor recently and needed new motor mounts as mine were rusted to the point of being no longer adjustable....sat there for hours going up/down with an engine hoist and only the rear bolts snugged down...finally put the adjuster arm for the engine hoist lengthwise and got her dialed in...then another 10 min or so to adjust the mounts properly right/left.....c'mon you didn't think it'd be easy did you?

 

[telstar1]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

Im not familiar with your drive but I think its similar to Mercruiser. For m/c, I recommend getting ahold of a 1 inch bar, very straight, insert it in splines. 1 inch is a snug fit in m/c. ,yours may take another dia.?You want as snug a fit as possible.Anyhow it will go in because there is no shoulder to jam up at the gimbal brg.Once bar is all the way in splines, eyeball it to see how it is oriented compared to the inner race of gimbal bearing. You will quickly see which way you need to move engine to get it centred, which of course is the objective.Once you are close to being centred,alignment bar should go in, maybe a bit reluctantly,and you will be able to finish off the alignment fine tuning with the alignment bar.

 

[Don S]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

I have run into many drives that I pulled that hadn't been off for some time, that the grease was old and hard as a rock. Had to be scraped out of the grooves of the splined shaft and the coupler. Before this old dried grease was removed, the alignment bar would only go in a small amount. After cleaning, the alignment bar went in easily, like it should.

 

[OMCEd]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

Thank you all very much. When I pulled the drive off the grease on the splines WAS very hard and dry. It was like baked on food on a pan from the oven. I had to take a knife and scrape it off. Very hard glaze, needed safety glasses to keep it from flying into my eyes but it was not rusty. I will try to clean the coupler out but not sure yet how I will yet. I will also give the 1 inch bar a try. Thanks for the help!! Ed

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

If you do have dried grease in the coupler try using a pc, of coat hanger with a slight bend on the end of itto pull out the old crud ! Hope this helps good luck.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

I had the same problem with the same alignment bar on my Cobra.. I don't think they cut those alignment bars back far enough

 

[Don S]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

I had the same problem with the same alignment bar on my Cobra.. I don't think they cut those alignment bars back far enough

That's easy enough to check.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

would that be the same for merc and OMC?

 

[Don S]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

would that be the same for merc and OMC?

Yes, the bar is the same for Merc, OMC, and Volvo

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

I went and measured mine.. Doesn't seem right

May take it to a machine shop and have it turned down some more at the end of the summer..

I have the same alignment bar and it's not cut like your picture

My engine didn't get removed and all went back together gravy...

 

[OMCEd]

Re: Cannot Align Engine. HELP!

Good news! I dropped my engine mounts 2 1/2 turns before it would accept the alignment bar. I cleaned the coupler splines with the coat hanger and a large wire shotgun bore brush. However the splines would not let the bar pass until I used a rubber mallet to make it bottom out. Once the bar scrapped the spline edges off and I found the right engine mount position, I can push the tool in with one finger. I also had to "set the bearing" to make it smooth, it did make a difference. A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL AND THIS GREAT WEBSITE!!!! Ed