I have a 1991 500B S/N 4100130727 with a DP-C drive S/N 3102121005 installed in a 75? houseboat permanently moored on the water. The primary shaft bearings in the flywheel housing are howling at me and I?m going to have to replace them. Can this be done with the boat still in the water?
I have a removable hatch directly over the engine and about 10? of forward clearance. I have an engine hoist and have read the ?Instructions for replacing the primary shaft bearing? sticky. It looks like I have the 13? cover with the dual bearings, as I have a grease fitting installed on top.
My biggest concerns are alignment after reinstall, and whether the coupling on the drive side will stay centered after the engine is removed so that they will slide together again during reinstall. I?ve read the thread on alignment, but I?m hoping that 21 years of operation shows the existing alignment is okay. The hull and stringers are aluminum.
I have replaced the gimbal bearing on a Mercruiser Alpha One Gen II several years ago, but this was on dry land and required the alignment tool and a drive removal. The Volvo setup looks much different.
The drives were serviced 3 years ago in a boatyard; new boots, repacked trim cyl, gear oil, props,etc. Pulling the boat out of the water would be an expensive ordeal and the engine would still have to be pulled to get the housing off to replace the bearings. The water barrel trick on the front deck probably won?t work on a 75 footer.
Is there a trick to holding the drive side coupler in place? Thanks. BTW, Don, I read the EF installation manual from another thread. You wouldn?t happen to have one for the earlier engines, would you? It might help
I have a removable hatch directly over the engine and about 10? of forward clearance. I have an engine hoist and have read the ?Instructions for replacing the primary shaft bearing? sticky. It looks like I have the 13? cover with the dual bearings, as I have a grease fitting installed on top.
My biggest concerns are alignment after reinstall, and whether the coupling on the drive side will stay centered after the engine is removed so that they will slide together again during reinstall. I?ve read the thread on alignment, but I?m hoping that 21 years of operation shows the existing alignment is okay. The hull and stringers are aluminum.
I have replaced the gimbal bearing on a Mercruiser Alpha One Gen II several years ago, but this was on dry land and required the alignment tool and a drive removal. The Volvo setup looks much different.
The drives were serviced 3 years ago in a boatyard; new boots, repacked trim cyl, gear oil, props,etc. Pulling the boat out of the water would be an expensive ordeal and the engine would still have to be pulled to get the housing off to replace the bearings. The water barrel trick on the front deck probably won?t work on a 75 footer.
Is there a trick to holding the drive side coupler in place? Thanks. BTW, Don, I read the EF installation manual from another thread. You wouldn?t happen to have one for the earlier engines, would you? It might help