Can't align outdrive to engine

[bowhuntrrl]

I just replaced a gimbal bearing, driveshaft bellows, exhaust bellows, shift cable and bellows for a friend of a friend. We went to put the outdrive back in and it would hang up about an inch from being all the way in. It was hard to get it back out, kind of bound up a bit, whacked it out with a big dead blow hammer. I looked through the gimbal and thought I could see some misalignment, so I went and rented a Mercruiser alignment tool thinking I needed to turn the gimble to align it. After 2 hours of "trying" to align it, I gave up. I can't even get the tool in as close as the shaft was in. I have the Mercruiser manual, but it says nothing about how to align the gimbal brg to the coupler. The guy who owns the boat says his son "did an engine job", but I don't see any signs of it being out recently, just a new fuel pump, dist cap and wires. Anyways, if I look at the splines, it seems that the front of the motor needs to come up so the back can come down. AM I correct that there is no sideways adjustment ?? Help, I'm getting frustrated and need to finish this job. I've done a few of these before but have never encountered this before.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Can't align outdrive to engine

Aligning the gimble bearing with the alignment tool some times takes brute force.....in the form of a BFH (large soft faced mallet). If you have not messed with the engine alignment bolts you should be able to align the new bearing with the tool.

 

[Don S]

Re: Can't align outdrive to engine

To align the gimbal bearing, get it started in the coupler. Then with a rubber mallet, tap the end of the AB (Alignment Bar) up, down, left, and right. Then push it in some more and repeat.
If it doesn't align, then the engine is out of alignment or the coupler is bad.

There is no sideways adjustment.
Try turning the engine 90°, check the alignment, then 180° and check, then 270° and recheck the alignment and see if the same thing is happening at all places.
Put some.
Put a layer of gease on the end of the alignment bar before checking. Then you can see where the coupler is hitting the bar the most.