Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

[larspeterson]

I have a 1991 Wellcraft 192 Sport with a 4.3 motor and a alpha one drive. When I bought the boat the y pipe was rusted through and this in turn had rotted the transom and the wood motor mounts. I had a mechanic remove the engine and drive. I cut out the inner transom leaving the outer glass shell. I replaced all the wood in the rear of the boat and glassed it. Since I had the old outer shell still in place, I followed the old pattern for the transom assembly and cut the hole through my new material (which should have placed the transom assembly back in its original location).

My mechanic installed the motor and drive and replaced many old parts on the drive including the gimbal bearing.

When I tested the boat I noticed the flex plate, or engine coupler, was producing heat (hot to the touch). After only a few hours on the water it blew. I replaced the engine coupler with a new one, and asked my mechanic if the engine alignment could be off and he assured me it had been set correctly. With the new coupler in place it too started to get hot, so I brought my boat back to the mechanic and had him align the motor. After I got the boat back it was still getting hot.

Now I have removed the drive and by eyeballing the alignment it looks like the coupler is sitting way to high. When I adjust the motor mounts evenly the right rear (when at the back of the boat) motor mount is sitting significantly higher than the left rear mount (which is sitting flush on the transom plate). To get the right rear mount to match the other one I must raise the left front mount to its limit and lower the right front mount extremely low.

To me this doesn't seem right. Could this mean the transom assembly is not level? And if so how would I correct this? Any help would be great!

Thanks for reading.
Lars

 

[Bondo]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

Now I have removed the drive and by eyeballing the alignment it looks like

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,....

You need an Alignment Bar,... No if's, an's, or but's....

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

I replaced the engine coupler with a new one, and asked my mechanic if the engine alignment could be off and he assured me it had been set correctly. With the new coupler in place it too started to get hot, so I brought my boat back to the mechanic and had him align the motor. After I got the boat back it was still getting hot.

YOU NEED A NEW MECHANIC!!

Could this mean the transom assembly is not level?

The transom assembly is self leveling/self aligning etc........ (BUT only assuming you have the correct washers in the flywheel housing etc.....)

The front mounts of the engine is another matter. (Like Bondo said) It MUST be adjusted using an alignment bar! No other way to do it!


Welcome to iboats!!


Rick

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

One other reason you need an alignnment bar. New couplers can be bad right from the beginning. Without the alignment bar, you have no way of knowing until your new coupler goes out. Then you have to pay for a new one not knowing the other one was bad.

Might also look at some of the alignment information up in the adults only sticky.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=2971085#post2971085

 

[larspeterson]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

Thanks fro the reply
I have one on the way. We'll see how it goes.
Is it common to have the horizontal alignment that far off, to where one rear mount is agood 1/2 above the transom plate?

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

Is it common to have the horizontal alignment that far off, to where one rear mount is agood 1/2 above the transom plate?

If one of the front mounts is way low, and the weight is on that front mount, the opposite side rear mount will be high.
You must have equal weight on the front mounts.

If the coupler has already gotten hot from misalignment, I doubt it will last very much longer. you must have had one heck of a time getting the outdrive back on.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

You need more than the alignment bar. You also need to make sure the transom is the correct thickness, the transom plate is level, the rear motor mounts are assembled correctly, the stringer heights are correct and the front mounts are at the correct height.
To me it sounds like your transom thickness could be uneven or wrong. It's also possible your rear motor mounts aren't assembled right. Check where everything is supposed to be, check it with the motor out.

 

[larspeterson]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

This is all great info. Thanks gentlemen!

Once I have the alignment tool Ill give it a shot.

I believe you are correct Don, I sure the couple is about gone, but I wanted to correct the alignment, run it, and make sure i had fixed the issue before dropping another $300.00 coupler in 'er just to smoke that one too...

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

If your present coupler is damaged now, and I suspect it is, you may not get the engine aligned at all with it.
I have learned when installing an engine, the first thing you do is tighten the rear mounts then adjust the alignment. Once you are sure of the alignment, go ahead with the rest of the engine install. Saves a lot of time if you have to pull the engine again because the new coupler is bad.

 

[larspeterson]

Re: Engine Alignment Alpha One 4.3

FOLLOW-UP:

It trned out my motor wasn't level. When I build up the glass on the motor mounts I had one lower than the other. leveled the boat with a level placed on the inner transom ***. and then leveled the motor on the mounts---once this was done I just had to align the vertical. It did take some time, but the bar worked well.

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP.