Alignment. Is this a symptom of a bigger issue?

[HalfFish5087]

Well this is quite embarrassing..
I was trying to loosen my motor mounts and they were not budging. Working on this boat is the worst. No access what-so-ever. Everything I do is hanging over the bench seat.
In one last attempt to see why my alignment was off, I totally misaligned the gimbal and then worked my bar slowly till it just barely went into the coupler. I could fill it nick the bottom of coupler before it went totally in, so I adjusted the bearing a little and the sucker slid right in and I have the same marks as before. Just a tad heavy on the bottom. (I can push and pull the bar with my thumb and index finger.)
I can't tell you how many time I banged on the bar 4-ways to try and align the gimball properly. I don't think this alignment bar does a very good job of that when it's all the way in. (ebay alignment bar) My advice with this bar is to slide it in until it just touches the coupler, then pull it up,down, side-to-side, while slowly pushing in and about half way in, smack it like you would normally.

I still don't feel any better about not really having any threads to raise the motor in the future or why they are so different in height or how the heck I'm even going to adjust the motor mounts (I may have to pull the whole mount out) but I think I'll taker her for a spin and worry later. I just hope the vibration/horrible noise is fixed by this new driveshaft.

bruceb58, I get what you're saying and I agree that if the alignment bar would hit the bottom of the coupler off the bat then the front of the motor does need to go up. But, I thought he was saying that the alignment bar hits/scrapes the bottom of the coupler once its already in the coupler e.g., his first post said that the alignment bar had no grease on the bottom and starboard quadrants of the bar. Yeah, the picture wasn't the best.

 

[RCSConstruction]

Thanks for the discussion!
I made a crude drawing of what I'm dealing with.
Let me know how you would start adjusting. Like I said, it's a PITA to get to these bolts and they seem to be frozen. Have PB on them now.

 

[RCSConstruction]

Well.. I wrenched up the starboard side and I'm close... still heavy marks on side but got a lot more on top, not "dinging" the coupler going in at all, smooth transition,

 

[RCSConstruction]

Can't for the life of me get splines even all the way around. Still heavy on starboard side. I can push and pull the alignment bar with two fingers though. New complete u-joint assembly, new gimbal and STILL the same exact thing..!!!
No change what-so-ever besides less vibration in the boat.
I will get video when wife is home. Sounds just like a bad gimbal, except only at full turn above 1500rpm, worse when in gear.
It does change when I trim up and down but it justs get's louder or starts making noise later or sooner than 1500 rpms.

 

[RCSConstruction]

Video of different RPM's and trim.

 

[RCSConstruction]

I really doubt you have a side to side issue unless you need to repair/replace your rear mounts or you have MUCH bigger issues.

I posted this on my other thread.. I even replaced my rear motor mounts for the heck of it. What would "much bigger issues" be?

Ok... Update time.. Pulled the motor. Coupler seemed fine. Put a new one on and am back to square one. Heavy marks off to one side. so... We moved the motor over.. No dice, bar was way too tight, moved it the other way, same thing. Tried to align best we could and got it pretty dead on and then we spun the motor and the marks on alignment bar were off again. Turned the motor some more and it was hard getting bar in. I have a hard time believing the new coupler is bad and can only think that the transom plate is crooked or the back of the crankshaft is bent??? I am at a loss.. We plan on pulling the motor and running a dial indicator on the crank and check out the coupler. Any other things I could check? I am at my wits end.

 

[bruceb58]

Hard to imagine why it would still have issues.

Is your alignment bar true?

 

[Hard12find]

1979 bayliner with VP AQ140A, and 280 OD, my mounts are unequal, almost exactly as you described. If you need to go up later, you can add a wood spacer under the mount, just make sure to weather proof it first.

 

[RCSConstruction]

Hard to imagine why it would still have issues.

Is your alignment bar true?

I have two, one I use to install gimbal and other for alignment only. Both show same marks.

 

[RCSConstruction]

Update number two..

Brand new coupler is off center by 1/4"!
Trying again with my new OEM coupler. (SCREW Sierra parts!)

 

[RCSConstruction]

Ok... Update
Put new coupler in and had better marks but still kind of tight on starboard side.


Pulled front of the motor up and forward, then let it drop and the mounts are off to the port side by 1/2" I can't reuse the old lag holes. Good part is that I now have spline marks all the way around. It's almost perfect! Slides in like butter.

After messing with it, it seems like the factory screwed the lags at too much of an angle and it pushed the motor back and to the side.
Old coupler was out of round from the engine being cocked I suppose.
Anyway, we are making some 1" thick aluminum plates and lagging the plates to stringer and then use threaded bolts and lock washers on the mounts-to-new aluminum plate (we are tapping and threading the plate).That gives us more room on the adjuster bolts and we wont be lagging so close to the old holes.

 

[bruceb58]

Sounds good.

BTW, I know the Sierra part wasn't the issue but I almost always use OEM parts.

 

[RCSConstruction]

Drive is in!
Still have a grinding/bearing noise but only when fully turned to port with the trim a little up, not near as bad as it was, I would say 75% improvement.
When the trim is all the way down it has the slightest of noise.
No noise when the drive is straight, trimming up and down. I have the engine at about 1800rpm, at idle I hear nothing at all turned or not,
I'm going to take it out this weekend and then pull the drive and see where alignment is.
I think I'm there! Thanks again!