Need alignment advise please

[cliffblue]

I started out having to pound the alignment bar in. the spline marks were heavy on the bottom and none on top. started raising up the engine mounts 1/3 turn at a time after checking the height of each. Using a caliper to measure the progress, after raising it 0.655", the marks were even and the bar slid in and out with 2 fingers. After I tightened the upper nuts down on the mounts, the bar was harder to move in and out and the marks were heavy on the bottom of the bar again. after loosening, raising the mounts 2/3 of a turn at a time and re-tightening the top nuts each time, the marks are staying heavy on the bottom and after 2 more turns up, it feels like the bar is hitting the bottom of the coupler before it can be pushed in and it's even harder to move in or out. I was going to back it back down but a thunder storm made me run for cover. any advice before I start again in the morning would be appreciated. Thanks, Cliff

 

[Don S]

Re: Need alignment advise please

You have to have equal weight on each front mount, do not go by thread count.
If you have one mount a little higher than the other, all the weight will be on the high one, when you tighten them down, you twist the rubber mounts and throw it out of alignment.

And NEVER pound the alignment bar in. That's a good way to destroy a coupler. You were lucky.

 

[cliffblue]

Re: Need alignment advise please

I meant with my hand, not a mallet. How can I determine if I have equal weight? Cliff

 

[Don S]

Re: Need alignment advise please

By feel is how I do it. And when you have it right, the alignment doesn't change when you tighten the mounts down.

 

[cliffblue]

Re: Need alignment advise please

Got cha! Thanks, Cliff

 

[achris]

Re: Need alignment advise please

I meant with my hand, not a mallet. How can I determine if I have equal weight? Cliff

You lift the front of the engine (there should be a lifting eye on the thermostat cover. That's what it's for) until it's off the lower nuts on both mounts. You then spin both nuts up until they JUST touch their mount, then lower the engine back onto the nuts and start the alignment checks. If you need to adjust the nuts, you move both of them the same amount, up or down.... Once the alignment is right by the tool, tighten the top locking nuts. If the alignment changes after tightening, loosen off the top nuts and start again, you did something wrong...

Chris......

 

[cliffblue]

Re: Need alignment advise please

Thanks Chris.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Need alignment advise please

Is there by chance a lockwasher between the motor mount and bottom nut? I have seen that one before. If there is, then when you tighten the top nut, it'll compress the lockwasher, throwing everything out of wack, just a bit..

 

[achris]

Re: Need alignment advise please

Is there by chance a lockwasher between the motor mount and bottom nut? I have seen that one before. If there is, then when you tighten the top nut, it'll compress the lockwasher, throwing everything out of wack, just a bit..

There could be a tab washer there. It should be flat enough to begin with not to change anything on tightening. If it's not flat, remove it and make it so... The thought behind the tab washer is that once you have the right adjustment, you bend one of the tabs down and 'lock' the nut in place, so it can't turn...

Chris.....

 

[cliffblue]

Re: Need alignment advise please

The lock washers are on top. The tab washers were both twisted around where the bent up tab was forced under. I straightened them up and tapped the up tap back into place. Headed out now to dive in again. The left side isn't bad but the right side forces me through a small opening that I barely fit through. Yoga master I am not! Sore this morning! I appreciate all the advice.

 

[cliffblue]

Re: Need alignment advise please

Finished it today. Followed Chris's advice and lifted the motor. I spray lubed the threads until both nuts turned freely and hand snugged them against the bottom. Adjusted the mounts until the bar moved freely. Tightened the upper nuts and the bar got some what harder. I adjusted them up and I adjusted them down. I adjusted the right up and down and I adjusted the left up and down. I could get it a little better but not much. I finally rotated the engine 90 degrees and BAM!!! The bar slid in and out freely. Again 90 degrees and the bar moved freely. Again 90 degrees and the bar was stiff. Back to original location and still stiff. I decided that it is a hell of a lot better than the way the boat shop left it and I ran with all last summer, so I buckled that baby up and filled it with oil. The shaft slid right in, no problem. I had to pull up the last 1/8". Hopefully that was the rubber gasket compressing. The shifter appears to operate correctly. One question. Why can't you keep pumping oil into the lower unit until the reservoir starts to fill? Cliff

 

[achris]

Re: Need alignment advise please

...One question. Why can't you keep pumping oil into the lower unit until the reservoir starts to fill? Cliff

Who said you can't? The only problem I see with that is the line from the drive to the reservoir is quite small and will present a lot of resistance to oil flow... It would be slow....

Chris........

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Need alignment advise please

HAHAHA. No reason why you can't, except as Chris stated. Much easier to pour into tank.

 

[dubs283]

Re: Need alignment advise please

Why can't you keep pumping oil into the lower unit until the reservoir starts to fill?

you can, its just easier to fill to the vent hole on the drive, install the plugs and top off the monitor manually

some folks pump through the monitor hose to help keep the lube "fresh" - it gets kinds gummy when it sits for a while

almost always when you change lube in the fall, come springtime after winter storage you will have to top off the monitor

either way is acceptable

 

[cliffblue]

Re: Need alignment advise please

Thanks all.