BossHogg
Cadet
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2011
- Messages
- 20
So, I have been drinking beer, goofing around with this thing for a little over a week. You know, the standard act, I have to take off three or four parts to get to the part that I need. Of course, in the process, I manage to break a part or two and that leads to another ebay/marina shopping adventure.
Allow me to document what I have learned -- when new rookies show up, it might save them some pain. Feel free to chime in with any offerings of technical advice along the way because what I don't know, well, I am making it up.
1. Last week I broke off the oil reservoir fitting that goes through the transom plate. I have turned plenty of wrenches on cars, but cars aren't usually submerged in corrosive substances -- boats are... The oil line hose/fitting ladies and gentlemen -- just cut that damn hose, then slice longitudinally at the top and rip it off -- buy a new one. It is not worth breaking that through the transom POS plastic part. I had to take out all of the seats and a half dozen other things back there to get that c-clip off and a new one on.
2. I started the magical "alignment" process. Here is what I have learned about aligning this thing in no particular order. I had the sense to caliper the motor mounts and record the original height before adjusting -- make sure you do that in case you get off the fairway like I did. I put the alignment bar in the "glory hole" so-to-speak before touching or adjusting anything to see if it was aligned to begin with. It wasn't. The alignment bar had what I would call "excessive friction." So, I attacked the motor mounts, which by the way, unless your boat is in rough shape -- you probably shouldn't have to go more than a turn or two from the original position -- glad I recorded mine because I found this out the hard way.
No matter how I adjusted these motor mounts (and I spent hours) I could not get the alignment bar to slide in like "buttah." My grease tracks would be even on the top and bottom, none on the left side, and heavy on the right or starboard for you seafaring types. I rotated the engine in 90 degree increments with much of the same results. Then I remembered that I was supposed to whack this bar so-to-speak with a rubber hammer. Well, I have learned that few things improve with a hammer, so I used my hand. I was able to get this bar to slide in like buttah now. The grease tracks were better but still light on the left side. I rotated the engine 180 degrees and the bar doesn't slide in like buttah. It has some drag so I spend another 2-3 hours adjusting, hitting, etc... I get it close but no cigar.
I check the rear motor pin mounts to the inner transom. I can see no abnormality. I tightened down the motor mounts rechecked the alignment and still the same thing. Buttah on one position of the crank and a little off on another. I ordered a new gimbal bearing but I didn't put it in. I don't think the boat had been used much, hence, why the rubber was giving up the fight for the bellows. The old gimbal bearing looks newer than the one I bought, no rust, no play, and rolls smoothly. I think the coupler is obviously a little out of round. I think I will hold off on putting the new gimbal bearing in because when the coupler fails I don't want it ruining my new 50 dollar bearing. I also checked all the obvious stuff -- the old bearing is seated correctly, etc... I had no gimbal noise/problems before this adventure, as I really only started this witch hunt to replace all the rubber back there because the shift bellows failed. I think I am going to put the new rubber on and go boating. I have towing insurance and I can still fish/fun tube if the tow boat goes fast enough.
On a side note: I have come up with two names for my boat -- bear in mind before I started this surgery it was trying to sink on me.
1. SS Nautilus
2. SS Minnow
3. Red October (The boat is red)
Allow me to document what I have learned -- when new rookies show up, it might save them some pain. Feel free to chime in with any offerings of technical advice along the way because what I don't know, well, I am making it up.
1. Last week I broke off the oil reservoir fitting that goes through the transom plate. I have turned plenty of wrenches on cars, but cars aren't usually submerged in corrosive substances -- boats are... The oil line hose/fitting ladies and gentlemen -- just cut that damn hose, then slice longitudinally at the top and rip it off -- buy a new one. It is not worth breaking that through the transom POS plastic part. I had to take out all of the seats and a half dozen other things back there to get that c-clip off and a new one on.
2. I started the magical "alignment" process. Here is what I have learned about aligning this thing in no particular order. I had the sense to caliper the motor mounts and record the original height before adjusting -- make sure you do that in case you get off the fairway like I did. I put the alignment bar in the "glory hole" so-to-speak before touching or adjusting anything to see if it was aligned to begin with. It wasn't. The alignment bar had what I would call "excessive friction." So, I attacked the motor mounts, which by the way, unless your boat is in rough shape -- you probably shouldn't have to go more than a turn or two from the original position -- glad I recorded mine because I found this out the hard way.
No matter how I adjusted these motor mounts (and I spent hours) I could not get the alignment bar to slide in like "buttah." My grease tracks would be even on the top and bottom, none on the left side, and heavy on the right or starboard for you seafaring types. I rotated the engine in 90 degree increments with much of the same results. Then I remembered that I was supposed to whack this bar so-to-speak with a rubber hammer. Well, I have learned that few things improve with a hammer, so I used my hand. I was able to get this bar to slide in like buttah now. The grease tracks were better but still light on the left side. I rotated the engine 180 degrees and the bar doesn't slide in like buttah. It has some drag so I spend another 2-3 hours adjusting, hitting, etc... I get it close but no cigar.
I check the rear motor pin mounts to the inner transom. I can see no abnormality. I tightened down the motor mounts rechecked the alignment and still the same thing. Buttah on one position of the crank and a little off on another. I ordered a new gimbal bearing but I didn't put it in. I don't think the boat had been used much, hence, why the rubber was giving up the fight for the bellows. The old gimbal bearing looks newer than the one I bought, no rust, no play, and rolls smoothly. I think the coupler is obviously a little out of round. I think I will hold off on putting the new gimbal bearing in because when the coupler fails I don't want it ruining my new 50 dollar bearing. I also checked all the obvious stuff -- the old bearing is seated correctly, etc... I had no gimbal noise/problems before this adventure, as I really only started this witch hunt to replace all the rubber back there because the shift bellows failed. I think I am going to put the new rubber on and go boating. I have towing insurance and I can still fish/fun tube if the tow boat goes fast enough.
On a side note: I have come up with two names for my boat -- bear in mind before I started this surgery it was trying to sink on me.
1. SS Nautilus
2. SS Minnow
3. Red October (The boat is red)
