Engine Alignment-gctid395425

[Guest]

Did my alignment today. The tool slides in with very little effort. A little wiggle and I can slide it right in. When I grease it up is the issue. Either I keep catching it on something coming out or it is not aligned. About 3/4 of the tool have nice even splines but the very bottom does not. I really would hate to start messing with the engine mounts if it is good.

Second. If I have to adjust. I looked at my engine and it looks like it only has one in the front, not two. Ther is a curved mount that runs from one side to the other on the engine but it is only attached to the boat by one mount center of the motor.

[Guest]

I am sure others will chime in who have more experience...but when doing an alignment i believe you are supposed to rotate the engine 90 degrees, insert, do again, and again for a 360 degree loop. From what you are saying, you may have an issue while doing so.

Sorry I cant help out with the rest.

[Guest]

Correct the 3.0 has the front mount to adjust motor up or down to align the input and output, rotating the engine 90 degrees just lets you know how well your coupler is effecting the alignment as well. So if you put in alignment tool and you keep rotating every 90* and the tool slides in Ok or just about the same you should be OK with alignment. A warped coupler is a whole other issue if you get diffrent readings or troble inserting the tool, while rotating every 90.

Its a two for one check system really!

[2850Bounty]

While some may call this over-kill, turning the engine over 90* is to check the coupler itself, and it's not a bad idea to do.

However, it has little to do with actual alignment procedure.

If you do this, check the alignment as you would normally.

Raise/lower the front of the engine as required to get the correct grease pattern on the alignment tool.

Then, and only then, rotate the engine 90*, and repeat your test.

Repeat the test again at 180* from your starting point.

If the pattern has changed, it means that the coupler splines are not running on center.... or IOW, the coupler splines are not true to the center of crankshaft.

In which case you have two choices:

• Find the high/low spot, and split the difference in your front engine height adjustment.
• Replace the coupler.

BTW, it may not be an exact 90* or 180* that reveals the first signs of run-out via the tool........ it may be that 120* or only 60* reveals the first signs of run-out.

But from the location of the high or low point....., you'd use 180* there after.

It's not a perfect science.

.

[Guest]

JWebber wrote:
Correct the 3.0 has the front mount to adjust motor up or down to align the input and output, rotating the engine 90 degrees just lets you know how well your coupler is effecting the alignment as well. So if you put in alignment tool and you keep rotating every 90* and the tool slides in Ok or just about the same you should be OK with alignment. A warped coupler is a whole other issue if you get diffrent readings or troble inserting the tool, while rotating every 90.

Its a two for one check system really!

How does he front mount work? Seems like a nut underneathe that will raise and lower engine. Is there a counter nut or anything that lock the mount in place?

[Guest]

I dont spin my engines, you can tell alignment by the grease on the splines, at least I can.

[2850Bounty]

Chip73 wrote:
How does he front mount work? Seems like a nut underneathe that will raise and lower engine. Is there a counter nut or anything that lock the mount in place?

Yes, there should be a nut for raising/lowering, and then a nut for locking and holding the position.

biohazard wrote:
I dont spin my engines, you can tell alignment by the grease on the splines, at least I can.

Ryan, I think that most people use that procedure.

The crankshaft indexing is very likely over-kill, but I suppose if a person suspected that the coupler was tweaked, it's not a bad idea.

It would be as simple as putting a chaulk mark on the balancer, and then bumping the starter motor.

.

[Guest]

Thanks everyone. Will look at the alignment tonight. Seems since I have splines on top and none on bottom I need to lower the front a hair. As for turning over the engine, the only I can do it is pump the starter, which I am not ready to do since it has been in storage. I have not gotten that far yet. wanting to get the outdrive and alignment set before hand.