New I/O engine alingment tool

muc

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I see a lot of posts about I/O engine alignment. From doing this job I know it can be a little tricky to tell if the engine has to go up or down, or even side to side. Mercruiser has come out with a new alignment tool part number 8M2001017. It really makes this job much easier. Its MSRP is a little under $70.00. It works on all the same products that the old tool part number 805475A1 works on except the TR/TRS drives. It is an inner bar with an outer sleeve. Every mechanic that has used it say?s ?why didn?t I think of that?
If you?re thinking about buying some aftermarket crap off of e-bay I really think you will be much happier with the real thing from Mercruiser.
Good Luck Muc
 

Don S

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Interesting, got a picture of one of these? I sure can't picture the outer sleeve in my weak mind.
 

muc

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Sorry but I don?t know how (or really want to learn how to post pictures) but it is in the latest special tool catalog. Don?t know how long it?s been out (the shop I started working at a year ago had one when I got there. The inner rod goes into the coupler and the outer sleeve slides into the gimbal bearing.
Muc
 

Don S

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

AHHHHHHHHH, now I understand completely. That is a cool idea.

Why didn't I think of that ;)
 

lowkee

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Wierd, I only found 5-6 places on the net that even had them. Google barely returned any results at all. The price is certainly cheaper than the $100 rip-off they charged for the orig hunk of iron. For something that is supposed to slide in with no effort, why don't they make a plastic one-use version? I've been secretly mad about that since I had to remove my engine. I'll only ever use it once, and $100 can buy me a fishfinder. :mad:
 

Don S

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

I've been secretly mad about that since I had to remove my engine. I'll only ever use it once,

Only ONCE?????? The alignment needs to be checked every time the drive is off. And the drive should be pulled at least yearly for ujoint, gimbal bearing and splines being lubed. All you would need is an engine mount to come loose, and soon you would be replacing a dead coupler all because you never checked your alignment.
 

Bondo

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Ayuh,... Sorry 'bout that,... All fixed....

My bar is Just a Bar,... That 1 looked pretty Fancy......:redface:
 

Don S

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Bondo, That's the standard alignment bar from Merc, with the additional attachments.
 

JustJason

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Hmmm.... does that bar fit everything or is it just for Vazers?
 

Rocky_Road

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Somethings not looking right...I think that this is what he is talking about...part #91-805475A
 

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Bondo

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

Nope,... That's the picture that I posted,...
Don says it's the standard Merc bar, with some extra attachments...
or is it just for Vazers?

From my short google search,... It appears that the new Vasers use a totally Different alignment bar...
 

Mischief Managed

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

That is so weird, I dropped an aligmnet tool off at a friend's machine shop on Wednesday of last week specifically so he could measure it and make me a two-piece tool with a sleeve. I was not going to post anything until I tried it.
 

muc

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

I was worried when I first started using this tool. Especially when I saw how far out of alignment some of the engines are when the old bar felt just a little tight.
Our service writer was also worried because 1 out of 5 alignment checks need a call to the customer to OK $ to realign.
So I also called tech support and the guy I got had to check on it. When he called back he said that this new bar is listed in the special tool catalog as an ?aid to alignment? for the alpha and bravo drives and as the only tool for the Vazer ?go ahead and use either one?.
My guess is that the Vazer coupler might have been a little wimpy and needed to be right on?
This new tool has generated some extra revenue this winter but I feel in the long run it will be in the customer?s best interest and result in longer coupler life.
Good Luck Muc
 

bhammer

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

I caught this just in time. Have an auction for one on ebay ( http://tinylink.com/?ZfOsHZq2SH ) that I was just getting ready to up the bid on. Albeit, cheaper than the new one, but I'd rather have this one.
 

Rocky_Road

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Don S

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Re: New I/O engine alingment tool

I just ordered one today. When it gets here, I WILL post some pictures of it so everyone know what it looks like and how it works.
 
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