dwheeler7676
Cadet
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2007
- Messages
- 14
I had to pull my lift-kept 1990 Merc 5.0LX/Alpha1 this spring to replace a leaking gas tank (which may have have been hastened by water leaking into the bilge (while running?) over several low-hour seasons in the brakish waters of the upper Chesapeake Bay). While the engine was out, I also pulled off the inner/outer transom plates to replace the lower (anodic) through-bolts, transom seal, bellows, manifolds, water pump, etc. Other than time (it ultimately took all summer), everything went smootly until re-installing the transom plates and engine itself. (The transom plate seal, transom plate itself and all glass/wood/stringers/etc. looked great - the persistant leak appeared to be due solely to the water pump.) Then;
A) With time (summer) running short, I cracked the inner transom plate while torquing those bolts to the proper spec (too much anti-sieze?). After a liberal dose of cussing (which, not surprisingly, had no effect), I resigned myself to continuing on, leaving the now properly torqued but (hair-line) cracked inner transom plate in place, and reinstalling the engine/outdrive.
B) After re-installing the engine, an initial visual check of the aligment revealed the engine splines to be centered (left and right), but 'low' with respect to the gimbal bearing - no amount of adjustment by the front engine mounts could fix this. I do not have an "official" alignment tool (yet), but was using a friend's (aluminum and plastic) home-made tool which agreed with my visual assesment, though it would nonetheless seat fully. A drive shaft from an old outdrive confirmed the problem, as did a fitted rod seated deep into the engine splines. (The centerline of the engine splines point or run about 1/4" above the lower inner edge of the gimbal bearing, instead of running through the center of it.)
With time (and warm weather) running out, I reinstalled the outdrive despite the misalignment (after a little extra 'persuasion' - rocking, shoving and bumping - but not more than I've used in the past to reinstall the outdrive after it's yearly maintanance) and brought the boat home for the winter. (I am assuming, with the engine centerline sitting "low" wrt the gimbal bearing centerline, that the gimbal bearing is now supporting the rear on the engine to some degree, significantly increasing wear on the bearing, likely resulting in early and immintent failure.
Question(s):
-Since the rear engine mounts sit directly on the inner transom plate (properly atop the fiber and coiled washers) how can the alignment be off (low) so that the 'holes' (engine splines and gimbal bearing) don't line up? The front engine mounts can adjust for the "tilt" of, but not (centerline) "position" of the engine splines, correct? (The rear engine mount washers, fiber and coil, *are* in place.)
-Is this amount of misalignment 'gross', or 'typical', in a practical sense? (Obviously it is not "preferred".)
-Despite the inner transom plate being cracked, the through-bolts securing it to the outer transom plate shoud 'fix' the alignment of the two plates (hence the gimbal bearing position), correct? I don't think hairline cracks in the iner transom plate (located below the rear engine mounts) should be the cause this misalignment. Do I really need to replace the inner transom plate for hairline cracks below the rear engine mounts?
-Comments/Recommendations? (I am fully resigned to having to pull the enine/outdrive again before putting boat back into full service... next year!)
Thanks in advance.
A) With time (summer) running short, I cracked the inner transom plate while torquing those bolts to the proper spec (too much anti-sieze?). After a liberal dose of cussing (which, not surprisingly, had no effect), I resigned myself to continuing on, leaving the now properly torqued but (hair-line) cracked inner transom plate in place, and reinstalling the engine/outdrive.
B) After re-installing the engine, an initial visual check of the aligment revealed the engine splines to be centered (left and right), but 'low' with respect to the gimbal bearing - no amount of adjustment by the front engine mounts could fix this. I do not have an "official" alignment tool (yet), but was using a friend's (aluminum and plastic) home-made tool which agreed with my visual assesment, though it would nonetheless seat fully. A drive shaft from an old outdrive confirmed the problem, as did a fitted rod seated deep into the engine splines. (The centerline of the engine splines point or run about 1/4" above the lower inner edge of the gimbal bearing, instead of running through the center of it.)
With time (and warm weather) running out, I reinstalled the outdrive despite the misalignment (after a little extra 'persuasion' - rocking, shoving and bumping - but not more than I've used in the past to reinstall the outdrive after it's yearly maintanance) and brought the boat home for the winter. (I am assuming, with the engine centerline sitting "low" wrt the gimbal bearing centerline, that the gimbal bearing is now supporting the rear on the engine to some degree, significantly increasing wear on the bearing, likely resulting in early and immintent failure.
Question(s):
-Since the rear engine mounts sit directly on the inner transom plate (properly atop the fiber and coiled washers) how can the alignment be off (low) so that the 'holes' (engine splines and gimbal bearing) don't line up? The front engine mounts can adjust for the "tilt" of, but not (centerline) "position" of the engine splines, correct? (The rear engine mount washers, fiber and coil, *are* in place.)
-Is this amount of misalignment 'gross', or 'typical', in a practical sense? (Obviously it is not "preferred".)
-Despite the inner transom plate being cracked, the through-bolts securing it to the outer transom plate shoud 'fix' the alignment of the two plates (hence the gimbal bearing position), correct? I don't think hairline cracks in the iner transom plate (located below the rear engine mounts) should be the cause this misalignment. Do I really need to replace the inner transom plate for hairline cracks below the rear engine mounts?
-Comments/Recommendations? (I am fully resigned to having to pull the enine/outdrive again before putting boat back into full service... next year!)
Thanks in advance.