engine alignment problem

[steelerone]

just finished putting new 7.4 long block with a new coupler in my formula 29 pc. It seems that the the alignment tool will not go in because the engine needs to move sideways in the back about 1/8 inch. We have moved it in the front side to side and up and down and it needs to move in the rear. I don't think there is a provision for moving the engine side to side in the rear. Seems like a strange problem . We had no issues with the flywheel or the coupler when we installed them.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... My 1st guess is,... The rear mounts in the flywheel cover are shot,....

They're rubber bushin' mounts that the rubber deteriorates,...

 

[tpenfield]

Sometimes the gimbal bearing can become pushed out of position, causing the alignment too not to mate with the coupler. If you use the alignment tool to pivot the gimbal bearing a bit so that the alignment tool meets the coupler opening, and then adjust the front mounts to achieve the proper alignment.

There is no adjustment at the rear mounts . . . if everything is installed correctly at the rear mounts, its positioning will be correct.

If that all checks out, I defer to Bondo's comment.

 

[Fishermark]

I too would suspect the gimbal bearing simply needs to be "set." After using the alignment bar to get the bearing close, insert the bar in the coupler and hit the end of the bar up, down, left and right. You can use a large mallet to do this.

If that doesn't work, then I would suspect a bad coupler. Sometimes even new ones are bad out of the box. Try turning the engine over 90 degrees at a time and see if that changes the alignment.