Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

[Boaterguy65]

How in the world do you get a SM-DP shaft to spline back up after replacing the gimbal bearing. Its that last couple inches the spline just wont go in no matter how much I wiggle and turn the shaft with it in gear. Is there a trick to get this thing back together? I tried it level then tilted up with another guy turning the shaft as I wiggle and push and bounce the drive. MY BACK IS KILLING ME.....

Whats the secret? how do you get this floppy double U jointed thing to LINE UP?

 

[robjen1019]

Re: Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

Don't you need to use an alignment tool first?

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

Get the shaft and ujoints in as far as they will go. While pushing on the drive, have someone else turn the flywheel pulley with a breaker bar. This should get the splines on the coupler aligned with the splines on the drive shaft.

 

[300sflyer]

Re: Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

Don't you need to use an alignment tool first?

Good question... I suspect he did not.

 

[Boaterguy65]

Re: Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

There is no mention of an alignment tool in the manual...

 

[robjen1019]

Re: Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

I know the older swedish drives didn't have a bearing to align inorder to get the upper back on. But the sx drives are like the mer-cruisers. From experience, if that bearing isn't just right, you can push all you want and it wont go in.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

There is no mention of an alignment tool in the manual...

Which manual are you reading? Of course you have to use an alignment tool! For one thing you need it to get the angle of the gimbal bearing correct and you also need to check the engine alignment. Once you do this, it will go in easy.

 

[mikeneal]

Re: Volvo penta won't spline up or line up!!

Ditto on alignment tool. The g bearing can get misaligned and you can center it with an alignment tool.