mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

[bolo78910]

hello again guys . today i tackel my first engine alignment as am tiping right now i got pain all my body , i must have climb in and out off the boat about a thousand times. i started out with with the tool not going in the coupler after searching this forum and watching youtube videos i manage to get the tool in and it was going in like butter. now i turn the engine over a bit and it gets tight again i adjust it antil it nice again. i now turn the engine over by hand again it did change a bit again. i to mk a long story short with all the turn over off the enging the problem is am getting heavy spline marks not direct on top but slightly starboard side. the heavy matks is about two o clock . which front mount is too high or too low. thanks much.

 

[achris]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

You need to ensure the front mounts are both carrying the engine weight evenly. I start by taking the engine weight using the front lifting eye (Usually across the top of the thermostat housing), then dropping the lower mounting nuts all the way down. I then use the chain block (or whatever you're using to lift the front of the engine) until the alignment looks reasonable (looking through the gimbal bearing, using a flashlight). Then I run the lower nuts up until they just touch the bottom of the mount (top nuts turned all the way up so they don't interfere). Then I start checking with the alignment tool. When you need to lower or raise the engine, turn both lower nuts exactly the same amount. I count flats as I turn them.

If you still have problem with it being good in one place but way out when you turn the crank, you may have a bent coupler, or crank. In either case, engine out.

Chris.....

 

[alldodge]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

hello again guys . today i tackel my first engine alignment as am tiping right now i got pain all my body , i must have climb in and out off the boat about a thousand times. i started out with with the tool not going in the coupler after searching this forum and watching youtube videos i manage to get the tool in and it was going in like butter. now i turn the engine over a bit and it gets tight again i adjust it antil it nice again. i now turn the engine over by hand again it did change a bit again. i to mk a long story short with all the turn over off the enging the problem is am getting heavy spline marks not direct on top but slightly starboard side. the heavy matks is about two o clock . which front mount is too high or too low. thanks much.

Agree with Chris, if you can get it to go in like butter and the turn the engine and it's tight, you probably have a bad coupler. Could be it was way out of adjustment for a long time and now it has taken a set at that angle

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

wow just the news i was afraid off, engine out, am going back there in the morning i will post back. going to bed in a few min i got a real work out today. lol thanks guys
wait if amy thinking is right when both front top nut was torq down starboard side has a more shorter stud sticking out the top . u guys ring a bell , that means starboard side need to lower a bit to even with port . thats why i get heavy mark starboard two o clock. ok got it . thanks

 

[achris]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

wow just the news i was afraid off, engine out, am going back there in the morning i will post back. going to bed in a few min i got a real work out today. lol thanks guys
wait if amy thinking is right when both front top nut was torq down starboard side has a more shorter stud sticking out the top . u guys ring a bell , that means starboard side need to lower a bit to even with port . thats why i get heavy mark starboard two o clock. ok got it . thanks

Could just mean the pads for the mounts are not even. If you adjust the lower nuts like I said, doesn't matter how much it sticking out the top....

Chris.....

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

up date here guys i think i got me a bent alignment tool i perchase off ebay. at 12 oclock i stick the tool in five times, five times it goes in and come out nice and smooths. i have a mark on the tool i i could read top or bottom. now without turning the engine i fili the tool in from the oposite angle it now tighter and have heavy marks at the bottom. its like the tool is bent or something. ur thought guys is ti possible to have a bad alignment tool.

 

[Bondo]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

up date here guys i think i got me a bent alignment tool i perchase off ebay. at 12 oclock i stick the tool in five times, five times it goes in and come out nice and smooths. i have a mark on the tool i i could read top or bottom. now without turning the engine i fili the tool in from the oposite angle it now tighter and have heavy marks at the bottom. its like the tool is bent or something. ur thought guys is ti possible to have a bad alignment tool.

Ayuh,.... Roll it on a flat surface,... If it's bent, ya oughta be able to see it,...

 

[Volphin]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

I've never seen one bent, but I guess it's possible... if you used it as a pry bar regularly. LOL My alignment bars are pretty beefy.

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

thanks guys yea i just perchase it off ebay first time using it .i will do as you say and rool it dont see why the tool goes in smooth at 12 oclock and at 3 oclock it gets tight . i contact the seller he stated to put a straight edge on it and let him kno. or i can ship it back for a replacement. am going to barrow one from the yard mechanic and see . thanks

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

up date with a video to watch on youtube . i dont kno how to post the video here but i post it on youtube . please tipe the name bolo78910 please let me kno if i have a bad tool thanks much

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LqFuc8CxZJg

 

[alldodge]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

I understand your frustration, never seen anything like it my self. How does the gimbal bearing feel when you turn it with your fingers?

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

Thanks yea the bearing feels great . You see the puzzel i got on my hand here. Why the tool goes in easy one way and not the other. Maybe don might have a clue. Am about to head back to the bost this morning hope i can barrow a tool.

 

[alldodge]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

Thanks yea the bearing feels great . You see the puzzel i got on my hand here. Why the tool goes in easy one way and not the other. Maybe don might have a clue. Am about to head back to the bost this morning hope i can barrow a tool.

If the tool was bent turning in any direction much less 180 degrees it would not go in easy. If the coupler was damaged I don't see turning the tool being able to change the insertion angle. The only thing I noticed that may cause the issue your seeing is the gimbal bearing, but you say it's good.

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

alldodge thanks man, about the bearing i just spins it with my fingers and it is not rough it turns smooths. is there any test i can do to mk sure the bearing is good.

 

[alldodge]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

alldodge thanks man, about the bearing i just spins it with my fingers and it is not rough it turns smooths. is there any test i can do to mk sure the bearing is good.

Just so me are talking in the same terms, the bearing shouldn't spin, the grease should keep it from do that. If you can turn it all the way around with your fingers in the center and ii should feel real smooth. There should be no grit type feel. You should not be able to pivot the inner part of the bearing with your fingers. The inner part of the bearing should be tight, but not so tight you could not put the alignment tool just inside the bearing and pivot it (not in so far as to be inside the coupler).

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

update , i was at the boat all day again , from 11;am to 7:00 pm climb in and off the boat about one k lol. I try everything i even rule out the alignment tool is the culprit. i stick the tool in another boat with a alpha drive bellows and the tool slips in and out with no problems. at the end off the day i gets a piece off wood used it as a mallet and slap the hek out of it in 90 degree order. i then make a few more adjustment on the front mounts the tool slid in quite nicely, by this time i have no more energy and was about to leave when my friend shows up. i climb back in the boat and turn the engine 90 degree the tool slid in nicly in all the degree turn. i ran out off grease and got so tired . so tuesday i will go back and put the greast on the tool do another 90 degree turns and see whats up. wow so it seems by hitting the tool to alighn the bearing was the culprit. will post back tuesday. thanks alldodge.

 

[alldodge]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

update , i was at the boat all day again , from 11;am to 7:00 pm climb in and off the boat about one k lol. I try everything i even rule out the alignment tool is the culprit. i stick the tool in another boat with a alpha drive bellows and the tool slips in and out with no problems. at the end off the day i gets a piece off wood used it as a mallet and slap the hek out of it in 90 degree order. i then make a few more adjustment on the front mounts the tool slid in quite nicely, by this time i have no more energy and was about to leave when my friend shows up. i climb back in the boat and turn the engine 90 degree the tool slid in nicly in all the degree turn. i ran out off grease and got so tired . so tuesday i will go back and put the greast on the tool do another 90 degree turns and see whats up. wow so it seems by hitting the tool to alighn the bearing was the culprit. will post back tuesday. thanks alldodge.

Hey Bolo, been working hard at it I can see. Been working on another's boat today and my knees and back are tired. You slapping around the tool in 90 degree areas all around. Doing this moves the gimbal which I'm suspecting is the main issue of your problem.

 

[bolo78910]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

i surely hope so bro lo,l will be at it again tues it almost striper time out here in brookllyn. thanks again helping me out bless.

 

[MarkSee]

Re: mercruiser 454 alignment kicking brain

...wow so it seems by hitting the tool to alighn the bearing was the culprit....

Have you already read this thread in the stickies on how the gimbal bearing is suppose to be aligned by whacking it in various directions??? Scroll down just a little bit.
http://forums.iboats.com/mercruiser...utdrives/engine-alignment-how-tos-443992.html

Mark