Install a used engine from one seller and outdrive from another not a matched set

[karayj]

Not getting gear marks on alignment shaft. I bought a 90 3.7 and a Alpha 1 Gen for the same time period

So I’ve done this before on a 4.3 years ago, but I’m having trouble for some reason this time I’ve purchased a outdrive used rebuilt and a engine and I figured what the heck let me put in a new engine and new outdrive before the season starts.

Now I dropped in the engine. It lined up pretty quickly, but I’m having trouble with the outdrive alignment shaft no matter how much I align the engine whether it’s all the way up or all the way down from the adjustment upfront I never get those perfect grease marks on the alignment shaft.
Now, I looked at the old front engine mount and it was about quarter of an inch gap so I’m trying to mimic that on the installed engine. The alignment shaft goes in OK but I’m just not getting those grease marks on the shaft and I’m having a hell of a time getting this outdrive in

I am about 1inches off now from perfect seal. I know if you turn the prop and you can feel the engine spinning so I am in . When I look at the back of the output you seen the shaft going in so I feel I am at the point where it’s OK to kick it cause I’ve seen some videos where the guy says well if you turn the prop and it kinda pulls it forward,

One more issue is when I put the alignment shaft into the other engine it does NOT make shaft marks on the alignment tool so I don’t understand what’s going on why it would not make marks on the shaft...
I do see a wear mark on the bottom of the alignment tool but even if I make a 5 turn adjustment it does not help

 

[karayj]

I heard that you should be able to spin it with 2 fingers and I cannot I have to grip it . That being said should I have a person spin it while I adjust the front engine mount ? Once it spins freely stop and forget about the grease marks on the shaft system.

 

[Bt Doctur]

There is no need to kick a drive on, properly adjusted you can push the drive on to within a 1/8th inch. do you have the old mount with the double wound washer or the newer mount with the thin flat washer?

 

[nola mike]

I heard that you should be able to spin it with 2 fingers and I cannot I have to grip it . That being said should I have a person spin it while I adjust the front engine mount ? Once it spins freely stop and forget about the grease marks on the shaft system.

I have always had a hard time with mine. Never perfect witness marks. When I first fit my new engine I used the hoist to raise the front in small increments until the rotation of the tool was easiest. Seems more sensitive than in/out or witness marks. That said, my drive goes on easy (usually). The point of adjustment is to align the shaft to the coupler, not produce witness marks