UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

[Friscoboater]

Ok, so I am installing the outdrive. I am REAL paranoid about the alignment. I have a genuine mercruiser alignment tool and when I smeared grease on the tool and inserted it and had for the most part lines all the way around, with a tad more on the top. I tried to ajust that out and then got heavy lines on the bottom. So I just installed the drive and it did not want to go on at all. It would slide in and them stop with about 3/4 to one inch from home. I used my dead blow hammer and it slid on ok, but I do not remember it being this hard.

There are new O-rings and I had lots of lube on the shaft.

Here is a video of me using the alignment tool. Should I have to push on it to go in, or do I still need to do some work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA5ExlPVz2w

 

[Don S]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

You need to drop the engine down some more. The heavier lines on top and how hard it is to push in tells the story.
Try about 1/2 turn on each front mount, it should go easily all the way in, no bumping and pull back out easily.

 

[Don S]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

Also, if 1/2 turn doesn't do it, keep going and keep checking till it does. Then turn the engine 180? and make sure it's the same. Then do 90 and 270?

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

Once you get you adjust your mounts a little more and get the bar to slide in/out easier, you do have your shifter in forward position and the shift shaft ligned up? just a thought.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

Don, that was it. It was a full four turns too high. Once I got there the tool slid in and out real easy.

Tell me this. I measured the old mounts that came out and matched these new ones. How can it be that far off.

Thanks

 

[oops!]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

it doesnt take much........but grease on the alignment tool tells the full story.

when new mounts or isolators are exchanged....there are a multitude of minute differences that can occure.

 

[Don S]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

I have no idea what all you have done, a quick look appears a different engine? was there any work on the stringers? Did you get the rear motor mounts hardware installed correctly? Any of these could account for 4 turns. That's only around 1/8 to 3/16" Anything I mentioned above could cause that small amount of change.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

Just a new engine and replaced the rotten transom. i do not care what it took, but it is done.

Here is a new video after the adjustment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYwnK8mjHdw

 

[Don S]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

Now that's the way it should be.
But you still need to turn the engine 90-180-270 degrees to make sure the coupler isn't off center. It shouldn't change the alignment at all.

As far as the grease tracks go, when the coupler slides in and out that easily, the tracks in the grease mean nothing........ It's good.

Good job, I plan on linking to your videos and your post if you plan on leaving those on youtube.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

I did rotate the engine three times and checked and it was perfect. Yes I am going to leave them up for all to see. So feel free to link it up.

 

[Don S]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

Great, just make sure you have all the motor mount adjustment and lock nuts tight, THEN recheck the alignment one last time.
You would be surpised how many times I have trained new guys in the shop, they get them just as easy as yours is, and didn't realize one of the front mounts didn't have weight on it. When they tightened the lock nuts the engine twisted and the alignment went away again.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

Thanks again Don!

 

[rad1026]

Re: UUUUUUUGHHHH! Outdrive alignment woes! Input needed

that is really great! Guess that means that I have to go back and do some more work on mine. I just replace the engine coupler and I couldn't get it aligned that nice.