Engine aligning

[navis]

I was wondering if it is essential to get your engines aligned, apparently if you don't your splines will get ground off, is this true? We are putting a couple rebuilt 350 mercs in and are wondering if this is just a myth to get your money?
Thanks for any input!

 

[legoman67]

Re: Engine aligning

first off, this should go in engine and outdrive section, second it is absolutly important to align them, i have already told you this!

 

[oops!]

Re: Engine aligning

ditto to all of the above.....please post the question in the approate forum.....

if your engine is out of alignment......it will cost you a gimbal berring....2 k worth......

so if you want to keep the 2 grand........i say its important

 

[Bondo]

Re: Engine aligning

I was wondering if it is essential to get your engines aligned, apparently if you don't your splines will get ground off, is this true?

Ayuh,.... That is a Fact.....

Get yourself an Alignment Bar,+ do it yourself....

 

[ziggy]

Re: Engine aligning

yep, i'll go ditto on all the above too.
get yerself an alignment bar now. i procrastinated for a while. in the end. it should have been the first tool i got. at least if your gonna work on yer drive. and ya don't have much choice there. the drive needs to be removed for service once a year. checking alignment is on the checklist of year end service too... it's a must have tool. it'll be money well spent...

 

[asdasc]

Re: Engine aligning

So, why would you check it each year? It seems that it would be important during engine installation, but why each year? Does it move/change?

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Engine aligning

Motor begins to sag from rottting stringers or transom bracket moved from hitting a stump or something just quessing I don't realy know, I took my outdrive off last winter and it slipped right back into place easily in the spring. I have it off again and I'm sure next spring it will slide right back into place, if I have any trouble at all aligning the driveshaft then I'll buy an alignment tool or make one. I may be totally wrong but I'm with you if it didn't move how can it be out of alignment, now if had to change the gimble mount or had the motor mounts loose for some reason then I can see needing alignment done.

 

[meesh]

Re: Engine aligning

Over time mercruiser monts sag and you need to check this every year. I just learned this when my gimbal bearing went for that very reason and That led to a new coupler as well.

 

[asdasc]

Re: Engine aligning

Good to know, thanks.

Apparently, I have been a bad boat owner. I went 18 years without ever removing my outdrive. It went bad this summer (another post). I think the reason is that I may have forgotten to drain the outdrive last winter, and it froze and leaked this summer. I really should tear it all apart, just to confirm what failed.

When I put it together again, I will do everything my manual tells me to.

I also have never replaced the lube screw seals, and I take them out every year.

Now I know better. Expensive lesson.

 

[gman90706]

Re: Engine aligning

I was wondering if it is essential to get your engines aligned, apparently if you don't your splines will get ground off, is this true? We are putting a couple rebuilt 350 mercs in and are wondering if this is just a myth to get your money?
Thanks for any input!

I wouldn't NOT do it ... Aligning is not that difficult, just gotta have the alignment bar. I rented one for $20 from a local boat shop, then had a buddy that owns a grinding shop make one for me so I had my own....

 

[legoman67]

Re: Engine aligning

what actually sag's on the mercruisers? isnt in solid steel? the mounts are the same as any small block GM engine. Is the engine heavier then standard 305's?

 

[bomar76]

Re: Engine aligning

The stringers sag.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Engine aligning

what actually sag's on the mercruisers? isnt in solid steel? the mounts are the same as any small block GM engine. Is the engine heavier then standard 305's?

Except in a car those mounts are attached to a steel frame, in your boat they are supported by wood and fiberglass.

 

[cimy3]

Re: Engine aligning

My front engine mount became loose this summer and I did not know until it was to late.....had to pull the engine and replace the coupler.

Get an alignment bar and check each fall.

Good luck.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Engine aligning

Stringers sag. Bolts vibrate loose. Some types of Mercruiser mounts are notorious for the lower height adjusting bolt to get past the locking tab and back off from bouncing across the waves and engine vibration. One of the first things I did when I bought my 2003 Crownline last year was check the alignment. Drive was tight to remove. Turned out that the left motor mount had backed way off. In the pic below you can see that the upper nut is still at the original height, the lower one had backed off and dropped that side of the engine an inch and a half. The upper side of the motor mount should be touching that nut.

Get the alignment tool, do it right, check it regularly, or be prepared to replace couplers (pull the motors) and gimbal bearings much sooner than you should have to.

 

[legoman67]

Re: Engine aligning

oh, well we are dropping these in to replace crusaiders and are using the crusiader mounts

 

[navis]

Re: Engine aligning

I have been reading on a few threads that people have been making the engine alignment tool. I definatly know my way around a machine shop so doing so should be easy. Has anyone done so before and does anyone know the specs on it? Thanks!

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine aligning

Machinists make them all the time. Not rocket science if you know how to run a lathe.

 

[navis]

Re: Engine aligning

thanks! I will turn that tomorrow!

 

[asdasc]

Re: Engine aligning

Are these really the same for OMC and Mercury? From the eBay adds, it sounds like it.

Navis, you may want to take a look at the ones on eBay just to see the handle. They look pretty long, maybe 18-20 inches overall?

Also, can you simply use a shaft that was removed off a spare outdrive?

Thanks,