proper use of an alignment bar

In the picture below what is the point in which the bar should bottom out. When bottomed out will the bar touch the gimbal bearing?
Also how do You read the alignment bar to know if every thing is perfect ,or if somthing has to move one way or another?

Re: proper use of an alignment bar



Your alignment tool is made up of three precisely sized shafts. The smallest fits exactly into your coupler. The next is sized small enough to pass through your bearing with room to spare, and is long enough to allow the first shaft to engage the coupler 1/2 inch before the larger shaft, sized to exactly fit the gimbal bearing contacts the bearing.

You should feel it bottom out when you slide the bar in. You want the alignment bar to slide in with very little effort and you want spiline marks to be equal all the way around the tip if the bar.

First thing you need to do is make sure your gimbal bearing is set.

Using your alignment bar insert it through the gimbal bearing and just so it starts to go into your coupler. (approx. 1/2 inch)

Using the palm of your hand, give the alignment bar a couple of "whacks" on the top,bottom and both sides of the bar. This will ensure that the gimbal bearing is at the correct angle to your coupler.

Coat the 1st 2 inches of your alignment bar evenly with grease.

Put a mark on your alignment bar near the handle so you can keep your bar in the same orientation when inputting and removing it from the coupler.

Slide the bar into the gimbal bearing and into the splines of the coupler and without twisting the bar pull it out.

You should see spline marks evenly around the end of the bar.

Are the even?

Yes.

Turn the engine over 90 degrees and check again.
Keep turning engine over in 90 deg. increments. This ensures that your coupler is centered and true.

No

Are the spline marks heavy on the top or the bottom?

If they are heavy on the top you need to Lower the front motor mounts half a turn and check again. Keep doing this step until you achieve the results listed above.

Put marks on the motor mount nuts to make sure you turn them both in the same increments.

If the heavy spline marks are on the bottom you need to Raise your front motor mounts half a turn and check again. Keep doing this step until you achieve the results listed above.

Here are some videos to help you along.

This one is showing you when its not aligned. Notice how he uses his hand to smack it in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA5ExlPVz2w

This one shows you when everything is just right. Notice how easily the bar slides through the gimbal bearing and into the coupler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYwnK8mjHdw

Re: proper use of an alignment bar

Thank You Alpheus. That is exactly the kind of explination that I needed.
I worked on aligning the engine for hours yesterday.Man what a chore that was. I could get it one of two ways. I could get it to where it had even grease tracks all around and still a little hard to push in ,or I could get it to where it is very easy to push in ,but the grease tracks were not so even allaround. I seyyled fot the easy to push in.
I dont know, but when I started with adjusting the engine, I discovered that the starboard side mount locking nut was backed off all the way and there is considerable difference, maybe 1/2" in mount hights from port to starboard. Is the height differnce ok.
I hear talk of the coupler being off center. How do You know if it is off center , and how would You correct it ifd it was....Thanks....Hal

Re: proper use of an alignment bar

The only other thing I can add is this.
The bar should slide in and out like buttah. As in using just a thumb and your first 2 fingers there should be NO resistance to the bar sliding in and out.

Re: proper use of an alignment bar

I hear talk of the coupler being off center. How do You know if it is off center , and how would You correct it ifd it was...

Click to expand...

If you get everything lined up. Spline marks good,bar slides in easy as pie then you turn the engine over 90 degrees and nothing lines up any more. Chances are you have a bad coupler. They can go bad from being ran out of alignment or I have been told of some bad from stock new ones.

If this happens you have to change out the coupler...

Re: proper use of an alignment bar

Alpheus said:

If they are heavy on the top you need to Lower the front motor mounts half a turn and check again. Keep doing this step until you achieve the results listed above.

Put marks on the motor mount nuts to make sure you turn them both in the same increments.

If the heavy spline marks are on the bottom you need to Raise your front motor mounts half a turn and check again. Keep doing this step until you achieve the results listed above.

Click to expand...

Isnt that backwards?

Spline marks on the top of the tool and none or lite on the bottom means raise the front and visa-versa.

The rear mounts are between the Gimble bearing and Coupler. Making the mounts a fulcrum point. Thus if you have more contact on the top of the tool the front of the engine must go up.

Or am I totally off base?

Re: proper use of an alignment bar

bifflefan said:

Isnt that backwards?

Spline marks on the top of the tool and none or lite on the bottom means raise the front and visa-versa.

The rear mounts are between the Gimble bearing and Coupler. Making the mounts a fulcrum point. Thus if you have more contact on the top of the tool the front of the engine must go up.

Or am I totally off base?

Click to expand...

No its not backwards. Dont think of the rear motor mounts as a pivot. I have done lots of research on this issue here on this forum and it seems no one can agree, but what I said is the correct way...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=421602

Re: proper use of an alignment bar

you are tilting engine so if marks are on top you lower, marks on bottom you raise i never remember exactly which but i always seem to do it right . i am always thinking opposites is what works.

Re: proper use of an alignment bar

Ok I finnaly got the engine aligned. The starboard side engine mount lock nut was loose for who knows how long so the two mounts might not have been the same. It took a while, turning the engine over after I thought it was right ant worked all the way around. The tool slid right in smoothly and easily. I put the drive back on and it slid right on smooth as silk. Thanks for all the Help....Hal