Very War Drive shaft, Engine Align issue ??

[canufixit]

Hi,<br /><br />2.5L 1987<br /><br />I'll try to summarize; <br />Changed Gimbal bearing this Spring. <br />Took for a short drive. Drive shaft was a little hot. <br /><br />Pulled the boat, pulled the Sterndrive - The align tool was NOT going all the way in!! (I believe this was the case BEFORE I changed the original bearing as when I checked the original bearing with the align tool - I did not know how far it should have gone in !!). <br />I Went to adjust the front of engine align - I noticed that it looked like the front engine mount arm dropped on the adjust bolt /mount ?? The metal washer under the of the top of shaft nut was - (to my memory) pretty much touching the the fiber washer and mount insert for many years - now I see 1/4" between the top metal washer and the engine cross arm ??? (This is on the top end of the adjustment shaft - the adjustment for alignment is done at the other end. where I'm takling about is the top where the engine mount attaches to the rod and the engine support bracket ....)<br /><br />Two Questions If I may ... <br /><br />The nut is tight - So I "assume" the rubber in the mount failed (Slid or compressed/broke) and needs to be changed ??? Am I right ?? ( If So, Support the engine, pull the arm and press out/in a new mount, re-assemble, then re-align the engine ???)<br /><br />2nd Question - I assume that the original problem I had (hot drive shaft) was caused by the drive shaft coupling (rubber) "gimbling" and causing the heat ... as everything else looked OK .... <br /><br />Thanks All !!!!!

 

[jeff13601]

Re: Very War Drive shaft, Engine Align issue ??

I dont believe that you have a problem with the mount. I went through the same thing and that top is not tight. It could just be a case of your bearing not being centered. Put your align tool through the bearing but not into the coupler. Move the end in your hand in a circular motion, until it seems centered. Then take some heavy grease and put a coating on your align tool and carefully put it through and into the coupler. Carefully remove it and read the marks in the grease and it should show you where it is tight and whether the engine needs to go up or down. As for the shaft being hot, motors get hot and I would think that the heat from the engine could move onto the shaft

 

[canufixit]

Re: Very War Drive shaft, Engine Align issue ??

HI JJR - Thanks - I will try that...<br /><br />However, I do see that that the front motor mount appears to have dropped approx 1/4"... It Looks like the rubber sagged and the mount's in side tube vs outside tube has moved.<br /><br /> Now .. to your point - the motor "may" be in the correct position anyway - but I did not have 1/4" space betweeen the top adjusting rod washer Just under the nut) and the top of the mounting arm when I bought this 19 years ago. Also, the Nut here is tight... <br /><br />As the Mount is trapped between the top nut, the washers and the seating sholder in the mounting rod - the only place that can give here is the rubber between the outer and inner walls of the mount..<br /><br />As you said I'll double check the bearing line up with the rod - but the engine was in and run - so it (The bearing) should have lined up after startup ... <br /><br />My thinking here is that the front mount has been slowly sagging and I just see in now. I had teh enigne in winter of 2002-4 for a bellows change at the MerC dealer - they may ave missed the sagging mount and just did a re-align ... nut it sagged some more - it is 19 years old now (but in great shape ...)<br /><br />Thanks !!<br /><br />SteveC