Alignment concerns

[RenkenII]

Second year owning this 1987 Mercruiser 470 and still learning. Alpha one is off, new gimbal bearing is installed. When I insert the alignment tool - it is hitting the outside and top of the splines - the tool will not enter the splines at all. I have taken the front engine adjustment up and down and cannot get the tool to go in - the same marks appears on the tip of the tool in the grease? Is there a rear adjustment? It did not look like it to me - but I'm learning. The gimbal bearing is seated all the way back and where it should be. I did not check the alignment before I took the old bearing out and I have never had the engine out.

Thanks or the help.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Alignment concerns

Lift up a little on the alignment tool to see if you can get it to mate with the coupler opening/splines. It won't go in all the way unless the engine is aligned.

 

[RenkenII]

Re: Alignment concerns

I've tried up and down with no success. Not sure what's next.

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Re: Alignment concerns

If your alignment tool is starting part way into the coupler you can coat the tip of the alignment shaft with grease and it should give some indication in the grease marks when removed.

I have also roughed things in with a 1.0 inch OD section of solid rod as it allows you to see which way it has to go when compared to the 1.375 ID of the gimbal bearing. Its also a great way to see if the coupler has excessive runout when the motor is turned.

This may be old news but the gimbal bearing inner race pivots and needs to point at the coupler. If the tool wont start into your coupler this is likely the cause.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Alignment concerns

Do not, repeat do not try to mess with the rear mounts! You move the inside of the bearing to align it with the coupler opening. Never move the front mounts until you get the bearing pointing exactly at the opening of the coupler. They WILL line up you just have to use the leverage of the tool to align the bearing with the coupler. Most of the time NO adjustment of the front mount is needed, unless some significant event has taken place. Look at the driveshaft, and if the splines are in good shape chances are that it was already pretty well aligned. I would suggest that you return the mount to as close to the original position as you can and try again. Good luck.

 

[RenkenII]

Re: Alignment concerns

So I insert the tool into the bearing and move the bearing up or down to line it up with the coupler? Then once that's aligned, move the front mount to fine tune it? That makes sense to me, but did I just echo that correctly?

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Alignment concerns

You got it. Once you get it to go into the coupler keep working on aligning the bearing until you get the best you can, then check the spline marks on the tool to see which way to move the mounts IF they need to move at all. Check out this thread: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=2971085 Just keep working on it you will get it. Good luck.

 

[CableGuy1978]

Re: Alignment concerns

Hello Folks. Not trying to hijack this thread, but I seem to be in the same pickle here.

It seems as though I can't the the end of the alignment bar to go into the coupler at all. I replaced the bearing, and it went in fine, aligned the outer race to the grease channel.. But for some reason, I cannot get the bearing aimed at the coupler properly. The bar goes in what feels like an inch or so before it stops dead. There are no spline marks at all because I believe it isn't entering the coupler. This being my first time replacing the bearing itself, I have moved the front mount all the way up and all the way down with no luck at all in getting it to line up. I have tried to tap on the bar, and I can get a lot of movement out of it, but I am afraid I may be hitting it too much. It seems very difficult to get it to pivot. Many posts describe it as a tap on the bar in all directions will index the bearing, but I almost have to whack the $#!t out f it to get it to move.

My question is, how difficult is it usually to get the bearing to pivot and aim at the coupler? I am thinking about replacing this new bearing I have, at this point. I'm sure once I finally get it then it will be a snap in the future, or so I', hoping... Fortunately the last alignment I did was after I pulled the engine out for some work, but the bearing I left in place, and it was very easy to align when I reinstalled the motor.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Alignment concerns

Hello Folks. Not trying to hijack this thread, but I seem to be in the same pickle here.


My question is, how difficult is it usually to get the bearing to pivot and aim at the coupler?

Wicked easy . . . I don't even have to put my beer down to do it . . .

 

[CableGuy1978]

Re: Alignment concerns

Thank you for that missing piece of the puzzle! I'm assuming that my bearing is pooched or maybe not greased up enough then...

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Alignment concerns

A new bearing can be pretty tight, but it will move.

 

[CableGuy1978]

Re: Alignment concerns

I finally got my bearing to line up. This was my first gimbal bearing replacement and looking back now, I realize what my problem with getting the bearing indexed properly was. After installing the new bearing, I put the alignment bar in until it bottomed out then tried to index it by tapping the bar from top & bottom and both sides.

When I finally got it tonight, I instead bottomed the bar out, then pulled it back out slightly and then moved the bar by pulling and pushing it from side to side and top & bottom to index the bearing until it 'magically' slid into place. I think the problem all along was the end of the bar contacting the coupler... I assume, or at least hope that this is one of those things that the next time around will be a lot less of a headache.

Also, I'm not sure how, but I think this may have made it easier too was the engine happened to be adjusted to the correct height as well. Funny because I have had it in all positions during this ordeal. When I finally got the bearing aligned the bar slid very easily into place. Of course my next step is to fine tune it with some grease on the end of the bar and rotating the engine in increments. For me a major road block has been overcome in a task that seems so simple.

Hope this helps out anyone else caught in this predicament.

Thanks to everyone as well for the input through the various posts here in iboats!