removal of bottome motor mount nut (engine alignment question)

[capeshore]

I have read the threads,watched videos etc. I have the alignment tool with heavy ridges in the grease on top and also get a rough scrape of the coupler splines when pulling out....BUT, my bottom nut (shown in picture) is all the way down to the bottom of mount? The top nut is not in use for me in this process as it goes on top later? (my first inboard,new engine.) I need to lower engine as I read.I tested up and it gets worse.

Can I remove the nut and put a thinner one on?

I should note I have not turned the engine over "by hand" yet and rechecked alignment as I understand this might help? When I do turn it over a little and if it scrapes or has heavy wear on the alignment tool is the coupler bend?

Any thoughts?

 

[craze1cars]

Re: removal of bottome motor mount nut (engine alignment question)

You can try loosening the mounts where they bolt to the side of the engine block and see if the motor settles a little bit at that location...sometimes there is a bit of movement available here, but not much. Then re-tighten those bolts and re-check and see if it's enough.

If indeed it still needs to go lower, and you are already adjusted as low as possible, then certainly I see little harm in a thinner nut if you can find one. Can't be TOO thin as it needs to support the weight of the engine...needs enough threads to do this job.

Overall it sounds like you have a motor that is not designed to fit the mounts of this particular boat. Need more details or photos of your actual setup to confirm. Is this a repower from an entirely different design of engine?

 

[capeshore]

Re: removal of bottome motor mount nut (engine alignment question)

You can try loosening the mounts where they bolt to the side of the engine block and see if the motor settles a little bit at that location...sometimes there is a bit of movement available here, but not much. Then re-tighten those bolts and re-check and see if it's enough.

If indeed it still needs to go lower, and you are already adjusted as low as possible, then certainly I see little harm in a thinner nut if you can find one. Can't be TOO thin as it needs to support the weight of the engine...needs enough threads to do this job.

Overall it sounds like you have a motor that is not designed to fit the mounts of this particular boat. Need more details or photos of your actual setup to confirm. Is this a repower from an entirely different design of engine?

Thanks for the tips, and i actually wound up stumbling on that "mount movement" and it did help..I tightened the nuts down hard another 1/4 turn..that helped. The alignment rod is feeling pretty good now. smooth, 1 hand. Just wondering if I need to go down even again it's new nuts.

To answer your question, its an Indmar built to fit my volvo transom and lower unit.The mounts came with the engine..of course it slipped my mind to think I could just change the mounts out.Overall I'm good for now..will be putting the drive in so well see how she fits!
Thank you for the reply and good ideas !

 

[craze1cars]

Re: removal of bottome motor mount nut (engine alignment question)

Presumably you still have your old mounts available? This is the more conventional way to handle an engine swap...you should have put the old mounts on the new engine, (assuming they are still good and of a different style than the new mounts that came with your motor.)

But if it's aligned now you're good to go. You'll never need to lower it farther...gravity and wood compression will always draw the front of the engine down further over time...it'll never go up. So if you were able to get it to work with your mounts bottomed out, you're in good shape. With age you just might need to raise them a bit someday.

 

[capeshore]

Re: removal of bottome motor mount nut (engine alignment question)

Presumably you still have your old mounts available? This is the more conventional way to handle an engine swap...you should have put the old mounts on the new engine, (assuming they are still good and of a different style than the new mounts that came with your motor.)

But if it's aligned now you're good to go. You'll never need to lower it farther...gravity and wood compression will always draw the front of the engine down further over time...it'll never go up. So if you were able to get it to work with your mounts bottomed out, you're in good shape. With age you just might need to raise them a bit someday.

thanks , nice post. I do have the original ones and they are different...and didn't know about using them.Thanks for that info though. It could stand to go a hair down..being picky. But as you said that's the only way it can go ever go on its own so I'll leave it for now,check it in the fall after the season.