Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

[NHGuy]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

If you have the rear mounts in correctly then you need to PIVOT the gimbal bearing enough to allow the tip of the alignment bar to enter the coupler. Does that clarify it at all? Once you have the bar end started you need to figure out which way to raise or lower the front mounts to allow the bar to slide in smoothly.
If you can't get the front mounts low enough get a farmers wrench, they are very thin. Or get a cheap combination wrench, cut it short and then grind it thin so the front mounts can come down as low as necessary.

 

[CableGuy1978]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

I had a hell of a time the first time I did an alignment after changing out my gimbal bearing. Your problem sounds like it may be similar to what I was experiencing.

I couldn't get the bearing to index with the coupler, and hitting the bar with a soft mallet didn't help it at all. The specific problem I had was that the bar was actually bottomed out on the edge of the coupler, and I couldn't pivot the bearing to index it. So I pulled the alignment bar back out a "hair" or so until it wasn't making direct contact with the coupler, then I could index it by hand, no mallet necessary, and the bar slid in to the coupler splines easily, then with some fine tuning of the front mounts I had it perfect.

Just my two cents there. Every alignment since has been a snap since I got it the first time.

Good luck!

 

[toolman4]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

Yep that clarifys it better. I'm definitely going to try that cable guy. We had it started a bit I think because it stuck if I gave it a good whack with the hand and then tried adjusting the mounts to get it to pull back out easy but no luck. What about grinding those alignment tool edges down a bit? My fuel fill hose is directly below my fuel water seperator and when I lower it too far there is no where to go so the fuel seperator starts hitting that hose. That is where it was when I bought it. That is when the front of the motor is dropped way down. The fill hose sits on the motor mount shelf there but I could remove the motor mount and put it on the other side of the motor mount I think and just tie it up to the mount. It is closer to the motor there and would be under it more but that might be where it has to sit. How high can I lift the front of the motor without hurting anything in back to move that hose. Should I loosen anything like the manifold clamps? Are those double washers put on the rear mount bolts (1 each side) of the transom holding it up more or could I take those out?

 

[rathole]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

Any chance it is the engine coupler? Anybody know how you can check it. Having the excat same problem. Tryed for the last two days with the excate same results. Had my wife helping now she wont talk to me anymore. Might have yelled at her couple to many times.

 

[Don S]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

Welcome to iboats rathole, if the information in this thread didn't help, then you need to start your own thread with your problem and not hijack someone elses thread. It gets really confusing when two people are asking questions, you never know who is answering who's question.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

Any chance it is the engine coupler? Anybody know how you can check it. Having the excat same problem. Tryed for the last two days with the excate same results. Had my wife helping now she wont talk to me anymore. Might have yelled at her couple to many times.

I think many of us have had that issue with our first mate from time to time. Hopefully she'll get over it. Rathole, if you cant find what you need in this thread (or a search of others), please start a new thread so you can get the right help and it is easier for you to follow (since it is "your" thread). Welcome aboard!

 

[rathole]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

Sorry
Thought it was the same. Cant get the alignment tool in the coupler. Didnt mean to hijack anything.

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

Sorry
Thought it was the same. Cant get the alignment tool in the coupler. Didnt mean to hijack anything.

No prob! It just keeps things organized.... Like I said...Typically you can find much of what you need in previous threads... when you can't and you are stumped, then get a new thread going under your name and get good, direct help.

 

[toolman4]

Re: Need help aligning engine to sterndrive

Finallly! Tonite I finally got it to slide in. I found a mecruiser bulletin that stated they changed the hardware for the rear motor mounts in 2003 getting rid of the double lock washers and a few other things because of alignment problems. Go figure. I took the double washers out and then took the fuel fill line hose and repositioned it more out of the way so the fuel water seperator wouldnt come in contact with it at all. I had to lower the front motor mounts quite a bit more than original which doesnt make sense but I guess thats where the alignment is. Pulling the bar just a titch back and using the soft hammer to more aggesively move the alignment bar in the direction I needed finally made it slide in. I will rotate the motor tomorrow 180 degrees and tighten things up then check the alignment again. Thanks to everybody that helped me out!