Is it unusual or an indication of some kind of problem for engine alignment to change somewhat after install? I had to replace the upper outdrive after a ujoint let go. When I reinstalled the outdrive, the alignment was a little off. I had to lower the front of the engine 1/2 - 3/4 turn of the adjusting nuts on each side.
Other relevant information: merc alpha one, 1988 vintage, new small block engine build install / upgrade from 4.3; 8-10 hours running time. Replaced / fabbed structure under front mounts (deep lag bolts into pillars made of mahogany boards layered with epoxy resin and glass cloth). Rear mounts, transom and hull core all checked carefully for integrity before repower by tapping and filling drilling pilot holes. Everything that didn't check out as solid (stringers and some of the floor) was replaced. Rear mounts were new on install, everything feels very solid / nicely rigid.
The only reason it came apart is that i lost a retainer clip from the rear ujoint. It sounded ugly when the bearing cap slipped far enough out to hit the retainer rinng on the front og the drive and looked worse when I got into it that night. I found the bearing cap retainer clip amongst the mess of chunks of bearing cap, retainer ring and needle bearings with the grease in the bellows. It looks like we managed to catch it before it touched the bellows and I think I got all the metal out of the bellows. Thank God we weren't going fast when it came apart. If the bellows were shredded in a situatution like that, the boat could possibly sink before we would have been able to beach it, no?
Other relevant information: merc alpha one, 1988 vintage, new small block engine build install / upgrade from 4.3; 8-10 hours running time. Replaced / fabbed structure under front mounts (deep lag bolts into pillars made of mahogany boards layered with epoxy resin and glass cloth). Rear mounts, transom and hull core all checked carefully for integrity before repower by tapping and filling drilling pilot holes. Everything that didn't check out as solid (stringers and some of the floor) was replaced. Rear mounts were new on install, everything feels very solid / nicely rigid.
The only reason it came apart is that i lost a retainer clip from the rear ujoint. It sounded ugly when the bearing cap slipped far enough out to hit the retainer rinng on the front og the drive and looked worse when I got into it that night. I found the bearing cap retainer clip amongst the mess of chunks of bearing cap, retainer ring and needle bearings with the grease in the bellows. It looks like we managed to catch it before it touched the bellows and I think I got all the metal out of the bellows. Thank God we weren't going fast when it came apart. If the bellows were shredded in a situatution like that, the boat could possibly sink before we would have been able to beach it, no?
