OK, here's the basics:
I bought my '99 Regal in 2011; I know the PO had pulled the engine at least once.
Pulled my 3.0 engine for the first time ever (bad harmonic balancer).
Replaced my gimbal bearing for the first time ever (15 year old boat; don't know if it was ever done).
I've pulled the drive 3x; never had an issue getting it on or getting it off.
Never previously checked alignment (I know, not good, kicking myself).
So now for the good stuff:
Pulling the front motor mount w/ the engine took some small chunks of resin with it.
I filled those w/ epoxy when reinstalling, so slight chance of a tiny height difference.
So, I need to check alignment, and it needs to be done annually anyway.
Put new gimbal bearing in; checked that the OUTER ring of bearing is squarely in the housing w/ a micrometer.
I CAN get an alignment tool through the bearing, into the coupler, and spin freely w/ one hand.
HOWEVER--I can only do this if the gimbal is tweaked way off center and pointed nearly all the way down.
(I have taken a rod and pushed the gimbal to all four of its limits. I know about where "center" should be.)
This is confusing; I read ALL of the alignment posts I could find.
I looked up the alignment dimensions, and bought a 1.010 shaft to put in the coupler.
It goes through the gimbal, into the coupler, but points down at 6 o'clock as compared to the gimbal, after centering the gimbal w/ the alignment tool. (as in the shaft has 1/4" clearance to the top of the gimbal, and 1/8" to bottom).
So I'm thinking, OK, front mount needs to come down to "properly" center gimbal and coupler.
I pulled the rear mount bolts and washers; the square nuts are lined up, but one is about 1/8 higher than the other.
Rubber on both sides looked good.
I loosened the TOP bolt of the front mount. There are three more nuts on the mount.
The highest one is recessed under the top bolt, and holds a washer against the rubber mount.
I can actually get to this one and turn it, but I see ZERO change in how my 1.010 shaft goes thru the gimbal.
Is there ANY height adjustment when backing this nut down, or does it just hold the rubber mount in place?
Second, I attempted to get to the 2nd highest nut to adjust the whole threaded rod downward.
I even attached a come-along to take tension off the front of the engine. Not budging. Will get longer wrench.
the 3rd, and lowest nut, on the threaded rod at the base of mount, has virtually ZERO clearance to get to w/ a tool.
The mount only sits about 3/4" from the lateral "stringer" surrounding the gas tank.
So in a nutshell, I guess the real questions are:
1. How far can a gimbal be off-true from the bore (not the coupler) and still be "aligned"?.
2. Is there any vertical adjustment from the highest nut on the front mount?
3. Anyone have any tricks for the other two nuts?
4. Is there any adjustment on the REAR mounts? Looking at pic's, it looks as if tightening/loosening the bolt
from the bottom would provide some adjustment by compressing the rubber. As stated above, there is a 1/8 height difference side to side, but everything I read says "no adjustment".
Thanks for your time!!!!!!
I bought my '99 Regal in 2011; I know the PO had pulled the engine at least once.
Pulled my 3.0 engine for the first time ever (bad harmonic balancer).
Replaced my gimbal bearing for the first time ever (15 year old boat; don't know if it was ever done).
I've pulled the drive 3x; never had an issue getting it on or getting it off.
Never previously checked alignment (I know, not good, kicking myself).
So now for the good stuff:
Pulling the front motor mount w/ the engine took some small chunks of resin with it.
I filled those w/ epoxy when reinstalling, so slight chance of a tiny height difference.
So, I need to check alignment, and it needs to be done annually anyway.
Put new gimbal bearing in; checked that the OUTER ring of bearing is squarely in the housing w/ a micrometer.
I CAN get an alignment tool through the bearing, into the coupler, and spin freely w/ one hand.
HOWEVER--I can only do this if the gimbal is tweaked way off center and pointed nearly all the way down.
(I have taken a rod and pushed the gimbal to all four of its limits. I know about where "center" should be.)
This is confusing; I read ALL of the alignment posts I could find.
I looked up the alignment dimensions, and bought a 1.010 shaft to put in the coupler.
It goes through the gimbal, into the coupler, but points down at 6 o'clock as compared to the gimbal, after centering the gimbal w/ the alignment tool. (as in the shaft has 1/4" clearance to the top of the gimbal, and 1/8" to bottom).
So I'm thinking, OK, front mount needs to come down to "properly" center gimbal and coupler.
I pulled the rear mount bolts and washers; the square nuts are lined up, but one is about 1/8 higher than the other.
Rubber on both sides looked good.
I loosened the TOP bolt of the front mount. There are three more nuts on the mount.
The highest one is recessed under the top bolt, and holds a washer against the rubber mount.
I can actually get to this one and turn it, but I see ZERO change in how my 1.010 shaft goes thru the gimbal.
Is there ANY height adjustment when backing this nut down, or does it just hold the rubber mount in place?
Second, I attempted to get to the 2nd highest nut to adjust the whole threaded rod downward.
I even attached a come-along to take tension off the front of the engine. Not budging. Will get longer wrench.
the 3rd, and lowest nut, on the threaded rod at the base of mount, has virtually ZERO clearance to get to w/ a tool.
The mount only sits about 3/4" from the lateral "stringer" surrounding the gas tank.
So in a nutshell, I guess the real questions are:
1. How far can a gimbal be off-true from the bore (not the coupler) and still be "aligned"?.
2. Is there any vertical adjustment from the highest nut on the front mount?
3. Anyone have any tricks for the other two nuts?
4. Is there any adjustment on the REAR mounts? Looking at pic's, it looks as if tightening/loosening the bolt
from the bottom would provide some adjustment by compressing the rubber. As stated above, there is a 1/8 height difference side to side, but everything I read says "no adjustment".
Thanks for your time!!!!!!
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