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Craig
09-13-2003, 12:47 PM
OK, after sitting for 10 months, I've finally gotten back to putting the engine back in my cat. Pulled it to do some compartment work, engine just sat on the stand. (main problem was I broke the upper gear in the drive initially)When I pulled the drive last November :( it came off easy, I checked the alignment and it felt OK. I put new fiber washers on the transom adaptor along with the wound washers. Didn't change the motor mounts at all other then putting a second nut on it because it wouldn't stay tight with the lock tab thing.
The only way we could get the line up good was to put an extra washer ~1/8" on the transom adapter. And the we raised the motor with the engine hoist from the front. This is the only way the tool slide in and out easy. The motor mount is sitting on the nut just at the top of the stud.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/140leftmount.jpg
The L-brackets aren't bent. We tried with no washers, more washers,again, this was the only way it seems to work. We spent 4 hours messing with this thing! I'm missing about an freakin' inch here somewhere! Anyone got any suggestions????
[ September 13, 2003, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: Craig ]

Havasu Hangin'
09-13-2003, 01:12 PM
Could the motor have been out of alignment before?
That's a pretty big discrepancy.

Tinkerer
09-13-2003, 01:55 PM
You have the back of the motor TOO high. What I have done for years now is not use the felt washer but in it's place I put the same thickness of fender washers. I then put small washers on the top of the mount that fit down inside the motor mount opening ( sit on top of the bushing )these washers need to be just taller than the engine mount. I then put more big washers on the top of those and then the spacer that was originally on top.
The whole idea here is to make a washer sandwich with the rear engine mount in the middle. This way the rear mount can't flex or even move.The engine is locked to the transom. The critical thing here is to make sure the washers are the same thickness as the felt washer and at least the same diameter. If done right their will be just a slight gap between the engine mount and the bottom side of the top washers. With this done then adjust the front mount to align the engine.
[ September 13, 2003, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: Tinkerboater ]

Craig
09-13-2003, 04:16 PM
Yeah, something must be screwed up, but what I don't understand is that right now the alignment tools goes right in. By lowering the rear and/or the front, it seems like it will throw it out of alignment with the gimble bearing since it is on a fixed plane and everything has to be adjusted to match it.
HH, the alignment was pretty good when I pulled the drive, I checked it just for grins.
[ September 13, 2003, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: Craig ]

DesertDog
09-13-2003, 07:25 PM
It sounds like your gimble bearing is cocked upwards.The bearing actually swivells up and down,and side to side.
Set the rear of the motor back in its normal position on the felt and wound washers,then stick the alignment tool just into the gimball bearing but not into the splines on the motor and move it till the bearing feels centered.Then start it into the splines.
The 2 mounting bolts on the gimbal plate need to be tight while aligning.Sometimes you may need to hit the alignment bar with a rubber mallet to "set" the bearing if it is way off.

TahitiSteve
09-13-2003, 08:03 PM
I don't have much to add, nor much expertise here, but I'll post my experience just incase it helps you in some way. When I did mine I missed the part where the book said 60 foot lbs for the transom mounts (888 drive no idea if it differs for others), and just had them tight with a regular socket wrench (probably 40 lbs).
I tried the full extent of adjustment on both sides of the engine and could not get the alignment tool in. Finally rereading the book I found the part where it said 60 ft lbs for the transom mounts. Tightened them down to 60 and it slid right in.

Craig
09-14-2003, 11:19 AM
Well, Desertdog, that was it :D I'll show my stupidity now and say I always thought the gimble bearing was fixed and everything had to align with it. Looking at it closer now, it's all clear that it'd have to pivot :p I pulled the washers out and installed everything on the rear mount per the book and torqued it to spec. Hooked the engine hoist to the center front of the motor. Got the bearing straight, did a little adjusting with it to get it close. Pulled the front up a little and that damn tool slid right in! Took the nuts up the stud of the front mounts, and now I have plenty of thread on top to put the lock nut on. Thanks again to everybody for the input. This place certainly saved some frustration after yesterday! Now I can start bolting it all back together!

AZKC
09-14-2003, 01:48 PM
Bout time :D I guess that means I should start working on mine again smile_sp
Oh yeah the girls from Hooters say Hi!!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/57DCP_3224-med.JPG
KC

Craig
09-14-2003, 04:56 PM
Yeah, it'll be time for a meeting at Hooters shortly. The drive will be coming down to Larrys soon, finally! Got a lot of stuff to clean up but at least it's IN!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/140backinboat-med.jpg
[ September 14, 2003, 05:58 PM: Message edited by: Craig ]