Engine alignment help

[mlpaskett]

I bought a brand new boat with the Volvo 5.0Gxi 2 seasons ago. In the middle of last season I thought I noticed a very slight vibration at slow (wakeless) speeds. The engine has roughly 120 hours of run time. I pulled the drive off for the first time last fall to inspect and store the boat in garage for winter. I am now trying to reassemble the unit and have the tool to check the engine alignment before installing the drive. I have read many threads regarding the engine alignment. It seems that my alignment is way off...I can not even get the alignment tool inserted into the coupler. At this point I know that I will have to be making some adjustments but I do not know which way to move it nor how many "turns" on the engine mounts to start with. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your help.

--Mark

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine alignment help

If you can't even get the alignment bar started into the coupler, then you need to adjust gimbal the gimbal bearing in the outer ring in order to align the gimbal bearing to the coupler. Once you get the alignment bar started into the coupler a half inch or so, bump the end of the alignment bar up and down, and side to side with your hand. That will set the gimbal bearing and should allow it to go in further.
You also need to put grease on the bar. You may have to force the bar a bit after two years of use just to get the hard crud loose from the coupler splines.

Not sure what you you have been reading about alignment, but you really need to read this one and watch the videos.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=2971085

 

[mlpaskett]

Re: Engine alignment help

Thanks Don...that is what I have read and I did watch the videos made by the gentleman from Texas...he has provided a wealth of info to this forum.

"you need to adjust gimbal the gimbal bearing in the outer ring in order to align the gimbal bearing to the coupler"

How do I do this?

engine model 5.0Gxi J

Thanks

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine alignment help

Pry the alignment bar around until you get it to go into the coupler. They are stiff to move, but not that hard. If you can't figure it out, take it to a dealer and have them show you. It's just not something you can explain with a keyboard.

 

[Ga Farmer]

Re: Engine alignment help

Let me take a stab at this. Having run into the same problem recently. The end of your alignment tool needs to move about one and a half to two inches from center. In every direction. You will see what Don is talking about once you do it. Once you get it to move then you can center it up and it will slide in. Mine probably took about the same force as if you were lifting 15 to 20 lbs on the end of the bar to get it to move, and it was a new gimble bearing. Your "old"bearing may be harder to move. That is why most people hit the bar with a rubber hammer.

 

[mlpaskett]

Re: Engine alignment help

Thanks. I got the alignment bar in... I guess that the existence of "crud" was a bigger factor than I thought it would be. It took a few taps with a mallet to go in once started and now I can push it in buy hand. Alignment is off as there is too much drag on the bottom of the tool. I Will adjust front mounts up to correct.

Thanks again Don. You are a gentleman and a scholar!

--Mark

 

[mlpaskett]

Re: Engine alignment help

After trying to adjust motor mounts, it is now too tight on the starboard side. I have tried bumping the alignment bar in all directions to align the gimbal bearing yet there is no change. Does this mean that my coupler is bad? I have not yet rotated the engine but I can only imagine two possible results. One being that there is no change and therefore I would need to somehow move the motor toward starboard (can that even be done?) the other being after rotating, the alignment bar would be tight on the port side.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

--Mark

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine alignment help

Rotate the engine and see if it's still off to one side.

 

[mlpaskett]

Re: Engine alignment help

Don, I rotated the engine 180 deg and it is still tight on the starboard side. Is there some other (lateral) adjustment that can be made?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine alignment help

The engine may have been pushed to one side in the process of bolting the engine to the stringers.

 

[mlpaskett]

Re: Engine alignment help

So...do I just make it as good as I can up and down and live with it, or do I need to do something to try and move it sideways?

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine alignment help

I would take the lag bolts out of the mounts, center the engine, turn the mounts, re-drilll and re-bolt it to the stringers.

 

[mlpaskett]

Re: Engine alignment help

I was afraid you were going to say something like that. :facepalm:

 

[mlpaskett]

Re: Engine alignment help

Will I have to do anything with the rear mounts? Can anything be done with them?

--Mark

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine alignment help

Impossible to say, without actually being there and seeing how things put together.