SX Drive Alignment Question

Hopefully someone can give me some guidance!

Boat is a 2006 Glastron MX 175 with the 3.0 GLP-C and SX drive. I bought the boat used and decided to perform the routine maintenance tasks to ensure they are complete and to have a fresh start point. As such I replaced the gimbal bearing, seals etc. In preparation to get the drive back on, I am attempting to perform the alignment but having a difficult time.

In the picture you can see where the end of the alignment bar is making contact with the front face of the engine coupler. It is not possible in any vertical position of the front engine mounts to get the tool to enter the coupler. The tool always makes contact with the starboard side of the coupler, maybe 1/8" off the ID of the spline, the contact point simply moves up and down as the front of the engine is adjusted.

My questions are....

Would a differential adjustment of the left to right engine mounts help? I was going to try and lower the port side of the engine mount to try and force the coupler to the starboard side in hopes of getting the bar into the coupler.

Is a side to side adjustment required? It seems that side to side adjustment is not something that would be required as part of the alignment.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. If I can't get it done with the front mounts I think I will take it to the dealer and have him align it and replace the drive to make sure its done right.

Chad

View attachment Doc1.pdf

Re: SX Drive Alignment Question

You have to align the gimbal bearing to the coupler first. The inside of the gimbal bearing gimbals, that's why they call it a gimbal bearing and not a ball bearing.
See if this thread will help. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=2971085

Re: SX Drive Alignment Question

Hi Don,

Ok that makes a little more sense now. The other thread references that the tool is inserted into the splines prior to doing the gimbal alignment, should I just insert my tool until it bottoms on the spline face and try to do the gimbal alignment until it will enter the splines?

Chad

Re: SX Drive Alignment Question

Try this, then you will understand. With the alignment bar backed away from the coupler a little bit, move the alignment bar up until you move the inside of the bearing. Then you see what it's doing. It moves very stiff.
Once you get the alignment bar into the coupler a little bit, then you bump the bar with your hands or the rubber mallet to set the gimbal bearing. If the engine is way out of alignment, you may have to go through the bumping process several times until you get it right.

Re: SX Drive Alignment Question

Thanks Don! Took a good tug to get the bearing loose, then a light bump with my hand and in went the alignment bar. Set the bearing then a minor adjustment on the engine mounts had the bar going in as it should.

Thanks again, without resources like this these jobs would take a lot more time!

Chad