4.3 engine alignment

[MATMAN29]

99 4.3 alpha gen 2 I am trying to line up my engine The tool went in very hard so I adjusted front mounts got it so tool goes all the way in but stiil takes a good push to get it in.Manual says it should slide in easy when properly aligned so my question is how easy ?should there be no resistance at all?Also is this common for an engine to go out of alignment like this the stringers are good and the back mounts look good to. the boat is only 7 years old.any advice would be appreciated.

 

[achris]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

Mat,<br /><br />The tool should go in reasonably easy. Check the grease pattern on the tool for indications of which way to move the mounts. Also be aware that the gimbal bearing influences the direction the tool travels, and if you moved it it could be causing a slight mis-alignment of the tool. What I do is to push the aligning bar in until it just starts to enter the coupler, then move it around to centre the bearing.<br /><br />Good luck.<br /><br />Chris.........

 

[garycinn]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

When I did mine, I could push it in with my thumb pretty easily and use a thumb and two fingers to remove it.<br /><br />Work with a helper -- one in the boat and one doing the adjusting. Go slow in 1/4 or 1/8 turn increments. As Chris says, look at the pattern on the tool after you put grease on it and insert & remove. The pattern should be even.

 

[bigbrownbuku]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

index the tool matt. draw a line on the end you hold and always make that up. thinly grease the other end or wipe the grease on it smooth before every insertion.

 

[MATMAN29]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

OK I Had to put in new front motor mounts mine were rusted and would not adjust.Ive got it so the grease marks on the alignment tool are even all around but it still takes a good push to get it in and out its not sliding easy.Ive been up and down with this engine and have it in the best spot I can get it.The front of the engine is about a half inch lower now than it was when I started(seems like alot to get this back in alignment)once I got it in the best position I could get it I then turned the engine 180 and tryed it again. It went in noticably harder.So is my coupler bad?The splines look good but do these things warp?My rear mounts look good and there is no rot as the boat is only 7 years old.I also had the gimble bearing done last year at a local marina.I dont think they checked the alignment at that time because this year my drive came off very hard.Now ime dealing with it.So am I missing something any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks,Matt

 

[garycinn]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

Are port and starboard at an even height? Just because thread count on each side are even doesn't mean stringers aren't at different heights. See if one side is scraping harder than the other. If so, adjust one side.<br /><br />How much of a turn are you adjusting it when you are fine tuning?

 

[MATMAN29]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

Yes they are at the same height. Ime turning a quarter turn at a time.

 

[garycinn]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

I would take it to a pro for their opinion before you call it good and install the drive.<br /><br />Shouldn't be too much tech time to do the alignment with the drive off.

 

[MATMAN29]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

Any body else had this problem.Is the coupler bad?Do they go bad with out stripping the splines out as the most common failure?

 

[Bondo]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

Did you use the bar to Slam the gimbel bearing around in it's cage ???<br /><br />Couplers Don't just go off center,.. No....<br />

I also had the gimble bearing done last year at a local marina.I dont think they checked the alignment at that time because this year my drive came off very hard.

Alignment is a Major Part of the Gimbelbearing replacement.....I Can't Believe it was Skipped.......<br />I'd sooner think that Something has shifted over the last season......<br />Is the Hardware at the rear mounts in good shape ??<br />If You're Now at 1/2" from where you started,..... You've got a Problem.... You're doing SomeThing Wrong.......<br />Try Tilting the Gimbelbearing Up to the motor or something......

 

[MATMAN29]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

rear mounts look good drive came off and went in very hard before I got the bearing replaced also.I did use the bar to move the gimble in its cage but I didnt hit it very hard.How hard should I be hitting it?

 

[tommays]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

matman<br /><br />i am guessing that boating in fresh water and a littel suprised that your front mounts would be that rusted that a littel soaking in your favored brand of liquid wrench would not have alllowed them to adjusted ??<br /><br />tommays

 

[MATMAN29]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

Its a salt water boat one mount freed up with pb blaster the other was very rusted and spun in its base so I replaced them both.You cant adjust them if the whole stud turns with the adjusting nut.anyways thats not my problem now now I need to know if I need a new coupler.

 

[tommays]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

sometimes noing more of the history of a problem helps to solve the problem<br /><br />did you gimble bearing get wet somehow or it just died ? a bad aliment for a long time would be hard on it and the whole drive line<br /><br />tommays

 

[MATMAN29]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

bought the boat last year and I took the drive off and noticed g-bearing was bad so I had it done.Drive came off very hard at that time.It was not wet

 

[garycinn]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

Originally posted by MATMAN29:<br /> rear mounts look good drive came off and went in very hard before I got the bearing replaced also.I did use the bar to move the gimble in its cage but I didnt hit it very hard.How hard should I be hitting it?

I was a little timid to be tweaking the GB in the carrier with the alignment tool at first. I thought I was doing something, but I was not. It wasn't until I rotated it so that my end of the tool was rotating in a 2-3 inch circle that it had an impact. <br /><br />You aren't hitting anything, just put the tool in until the shaft is at the max OD and not touching the coupler. Then rotate it around the 2-3 inches, then rotate it in a smaller area until you are back in the coupler.<br /><br />Then start adjusting the engine mounts.<br /><br />This is what worked for me. The pros may chime in and give a better explanation.

 

[boanut]

Re: 4.3 engine alignment

you can also see if the coupler is bad by looking inside through the gimble bearing. see if the splines are peaked. they should be flat.And also slide the alignment bar in and note how hard it goes in! then try to roll the engine 180Degrees see if it the same?