Yikes. My boat's shak'in.

[denoid]

I've missed a good chunk of boating this summer because my boat has been in the shop for repairs. The needed work required pulling the engine out of the boat (its a smooth running 5.7 merc).
I picked it up today and the boat has a new (and fairly heavy) vibration that almost feels like cavitation. Mainly at low/medium speed. I realize this isn't much to go on. But I'd really appreciate your thoughts on what might have happened to this smooth running boat in the process of taking the engine out and replacing it in the boat. Is the engine alignment a big factor? Thanks a million in advance for your ideas. Dean

 

[hullofalottatrouble]

Re: Yikes. My boat's shak'in.

what were the repairs that required them to pull the engine out?

 

[denoid]

Re: Yikes. My boat's shak'in.

I originally brought it in to have the remote control replaced. While working on it I got a call saying that they'd discovered worn splines and that they needed to be replaced. By the way, I've also gotten a second call that there's a lot of slop in the gimbel, and that should be replaced too.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Yikes. My boat's shak'in.

Is the engine alignment a big factor?

anytime the drive is removed, alignment should be checked. surely whoever did the replacement of the splines (coupler i assume) would have checked for alignment. how were the male splines on the drive shaft? seems to me that if one side(coupler) is bad. it'll start to take out the other side(drive shaft). now that the drives back on the tell ya ya need a gimble brg? ya'd think they'd have told ya that while they had the drive off so they could service it then. i'd think if it had slop, that could be a cause for vibration....or u-joints or how's yer prop. any nicks? anything other than a pristine prop could cause vibration...

 

[Don S]

Re: Yikes. My boat's shak'in.

Have you checked all the plug wires and made sure one hasn't been knocked off or not on all the way? Or maybe a broken spark plug? Maybe a couple of plug wires got crossed????
Easy to do while doing an R & R or the engine.

I've also gotten a second call that there's a lot of slop in the gimbel

What's a gimbel???
I know what a Gimbel ring is, a gimbel bearing, or a gimbel housing, but what is a gimbel????