Aligenment ??

[mike456]

1992 Mercruiser 5.7L Alpha One Gen II, Just replaced the gimble and all went well. Having alignment issues. I have the tool and checked it to be sure it would fit before I installed the new bearing. Front end of tool went all the way into the splines on the engine side and the bearing fit correctly on the thick side of the tool. When I insert the tool through the bearing it makes contact with engine splines but only goes about 1/2 inch (or so as evidenced by grease marks on end of tool). I've tried tilting the bearing slightly up/down and sideways but no help. This is a first for me so I'm not sure how much I should do that before I start moving the engine mounts. Please advise. If its time to start adjusting the engine mounts where should I begin? Front or rear and should I go up or down first? How many turns of the bolts should I do at a time (unfrotunatly I will be doing this without a helper). FYI - When I removed the outdrive it was a real bugger. I had to shimmy and pry it 1/4 inch at a time for about 2 inches till it came off. The spline had dry black crap on it(just like Don S suggested in a prior post) so clearly it had not been removed in a while. The teeth look good so I'm not concerned about them. As always, THANKS FOR VALUABLE advice.

 

[Don S]

Re: Aligenment ??

It's normal for the gimbal bearings inside section to need alignment to the coupler after installing the gimbal beaaring. Once you have the bar in about a half inch. Tap the bar sideways, up, down, and all around with a mallet (don't whale on it with a sledge hammer) then push it in some more. Make take several attempts.<br />Once you have it aligned, put grease on the bar, push it straight in the coupler, and twist it while you are pulling it out. This will put some grease on the splines all the way in.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Aligenment ??

What if it wasnt the dried grease? Could the rear bushings have gone bad and you caught it just in time so save the coupler?

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

I hope I don't have bushing issues. Don S has been right on everything else he has ever advised me on so I'm off to try his advice. I'll let you know.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Aligenment ??

Being hard to remove may be caused by <br />dried grease<br />no grease<br />water in boot at some time(rust)<br />engine bed changed(sag/rot)<br />rear bushings bad(engine squats on inputshaft,removing drive allows engine to drop down)<br />Follow Dons advice with the alignment tool,the bearing will rotate 360 deg. in the race.

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

Following Don's suggestion I got the bar in another 1/2 or so (total about 1 inch now)but its still really tight and difficult to remove the bad. I had lightly tapped on the end as well.<br />Should I keep trying this? Will it go little by little or should it be all at once after the bearing becomes aligned?<br />There was definetly dried grease and no grease on the spline when I removed outdrive. There was no evidence of rust. I think the engine bed is good, it's a fiberglass boat and everything seems stable. Here is a picture of one rear motor mount. The other looks the same. How would I tell if a bushing is bad? I could take a better picture if needed. Given that the bar is in 1 inch does that rule out aligning the engine as a fix? Thanks for the help. I would be lost without you guys!<br /> http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g121/mikenoonan456/?action=view&current=motor_mount.jpg

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Aligenment ??

A bit lower is a fibre washer. some glue them in place but i leave them loose so theyll turn. If the lower part of the mount is compressing the fibre washer ,could be a sign that the rubber mount collapsed.<br /> Igotta learn how to post pics!!!!

 

[Don S]

Re: Aligenment ??

I have the tool and checked it to be sure it would fit before I installed the new bearing. Front end of tool went all the way into the splines on the engine side and the bearing fit correctly on the thick side of the tool.

Let's clarify this statement you made in the beginning.<br />I assumed you meant you checked the alignment BEFORE you removed the old gimbal bearing to make sure it was OK to begin with. Is that correct???<br /><br />IF that is the case, it should have realigned ok. If you did your check AFTER removing the old gimbal bearing then you have alignment issues. It doesn't necessarily mean the rear mounts are bad, it just means you need to align it. Who knows, it may have always been off just a little. Now is the time to get it right.<br />You should be able to adjust the front of the engine to get the alignment ok, then turn the engine to 90°, 180°, and 270° and retest, should be the same, if not, that would be a coupler off center. If it checks ok all around, then your rear mounts are ok. If you can't get the alignment anyplace by moving the engine up or down, then the mounts have probably sagged and need replaced.

 

[Don S]

Re: Aligenment ??

Originally posted by Bt Doctur:<br /> A bit lower is a fibre washer. some glue them in place but i leave them loose so theyll turn. If the lower part of the mount is compressing the fibre washer ,could be a sign that the rubber mount collapsed.<br />

Not exactly, that fiber washer just prevents metal to metal contact due to the rubber mounts flexing when the engine moves. Either from torque, vibration or whatever. Many housings actually contacts the fiber washer even with new mounts.

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

Don.<br />Sorry for the confusion. I did remove the old bearing BEFORE I checked to see if the tool would fit. So I assume I have an alignment problem and I will now move the front mounts. Any suggestions on whether to start be going up or down? and how many turns I should do between checking the alignment? <br />Also, how do I move the engine 90, 180 and 270?<br />You guys are an amazing help. THANKS<br /><br />BtDoctur - Go to Photobucket.com. Its a free serice that lets you post pictures there. Once a picture is posted you highlight the HTML address, copy it and past it into the forum message. Its real easy but I had to ask as well and Don (as usual) explained.

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

Also, To adjust the engine it looks like I straighten the metal stops, loosen the top nut and adjust up or down using the bottom nut. Once finished I tighten the top nut and bend the metal stops back. Correct?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Aligenment ??

What Don means is to rotate the crankshaft to see if the coupler has a wobble to it

 

[Don S]

Re: Aligenment ??

Also, how do I move the engine 90, 180 and 270?<br />

You don't MOVE the engine, you turn the crankshaft. You can only move the engine up and down.<br />As far as which way to go, look at your alignment bar. Put some grease on it and see where it's hitting the hardest. If it hits on the bottom of the bar, raise the front of the engine. If it hits on the top, lower the engine.<br />Try to keep equal weight on each front mount. After you get it where you think it's adjusted, tighten everything down and recheck it. It shouldn't change unless you have less weight on one front mount, then it will twist the engine when you tighten the mounts down.<br />If you are doing it by yourself, it's a LOT of getting in and out of the boat.

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

Well I moved the front of the engine up maybe an 1/8 of and inch or so and the bar still only went into the splines about and inch. Then I lowered it about an 1/8 of an inch the other way. (i'm guessing at the distance based on the top bolt of the mount) and the same thing happened. The tool went into the spine about one inch then it stops. I know what you mean about keeping equal weight on each side. Should I try to move it a bigger distance up or down? I'm still confussed as to why it goes into to the spline about an inch. If the alignement is off why does it go in at all? Should I try anything with the rear mounts? By looking at then it would seem that they are pretty much all the way down. I'm starting to feel a little defeated here. Any suggestions on other thing to try or ideas on what I maybe doing wrong are apprecaited. I could send pictures of anything if that would help.<br />Thanks. <br />Thanks

 

[Bondo]

Re: Aligenment ??

There is No Adjustment to the Rear mounts......<br /><br />It's All done with the Front mounts......<br /><br />The Bar(tool) goes only part way because it's Out of Alignment.......<br /><br />All the Answers are Already here in this thread......<br />All you've got to do is Read it......<br /><br />Did you Grease the end of the tool as Don says,.... That's how you SEE which way to adjust it.......

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

I'm about to start day 2 of this fix. If I can't figure out whether the alignment bar is hiting top or bottom my plan is to lower the engine most of the way and then slowly raise it checking as I go. Is that an OK thing to do? I'm concerned about how much to raise it between checking it (i.e.:how fine is the adjustment?). How many full turns of the adjustment nuts should I do between each check of the tool (1,2,3?) I would hate to adjust past the correct point an not realize it. Thanks

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Aligenment ??

Going up by an 1/8 then down by an 1/8 has put you back to where you were initially. Try now going down another 1/8.

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

SUCCESS!! I had to lower the engine about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from where it was but the bar now goes all the way in. There is a little bit of resistence. Is that normal or should I be able to slide the bar in an out with one hand? how fine is the adjustment?

 

[mike456]

Re: Aligenment ??

now i need to check it at 90, 180 and 270. What is the process for cranking the engine that way? <br />I have the outdrive, bell housing and shift cable off. The shift is in forward. <br />Do I put it in neutral, pull the ignition wire from the distributor and tap the ignition? How do I know how far it has turned? Does the ignition wire need to be grounded? Thanks again. You guys are amazing.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Aligenment ??

should I be able to slide the bar in an out with one hand?

Yes,...... You're Close,... But Not there Yet......<br />

What is the process for cranking the engine that way?

Pull the Spark Plugs Out,.... Then Turn the motor with a socket,+ Ratchet from the Big Bolt in the front of the Crankshaft.......