the idea is to leave the top nuts loose, make all your fine tune adjustments, with 90 degree engine turns. when you have it right. Then tighten the top nuts. the alignment (ease of insertion and removal of alignment bar) should not change. If it does change, it means one side of the bottom nuts is not the same height as the other. loosen top nuts, raise or lower one bottom nuts so they are both lifting the same, then go back to your alignment procedure, get the bar going in and out easy, check 90 degree turns. tighten top nuts, and again, the aligment should not change.
I'm working on the fine tuning now...I think the port and starboard nuts being unbalanced is the culprit. at 12 o'clock its butter..When I rotated 90% it got a little more snug...when I rotate to 180% the bar is super tight...marks on the bottom so I turn 4 flats up. comes out now but not like butter...rotate back to 360%(12 oclock) It's like butter.
I'm thinking tomorrow do a test tightening on the mounts and see if I can fix any highs or lows on the adjusting nuts, then rotate again and see if I can zero it in.
Whats interesting to me is 12 o'clock is still butter even after coming up 4 flats in the 6 o'clock position. I'll see what tomorrow brings...
Thanks for the feedback
example: if the port side lower adjustment nut is 1/8th inch lower than starboard side. you might have the alignment seemingly right with easy bar insertion/removal with top nuts loose. then you tighten the top nut on starboard side. check alignment: no change, still smooth. then you tighten port side top nut. as you tighten the nut to specs, it pulls the front port side of engine down, and now your alignment bar is not going in as easy. remedy by loosen top nut, raise port side bottom nut, then repeat alignment, tighten top nuts again until no change in alignment. (if you had both bottom nuts lifting equally earlier in your alignment process, and you made equal adjustments to each nut during alignment, there will be no change when top nuts tightened.)
