Lake-x

2004 350 MPI Bravo III 112 hours exhaust manifold cracked due to poor winterizing job which lead to hydraulic the motor.
We replaced the engine reman 350 long block & replaced manifold. When it came time to relign engine coupler. The coupler was out of center & could not be lined up with merc tool. when we took motor out motor mounts were left in place & motor was pulled from bell housing " not the transom plate". So I figure that lignment should have been a breeze since same style motor went back in & no mounts were disturbed. Customer said boat had a violant viberation before it locked up "shook the whole boat" . The only thing I can think is it threw the coupler out of center when it viberated & locked up. What do you think ?????

hillbilly24

Did you try turning the engine 180 degrees and rechecking the alignment? some times if the alignment has been off for a while and the boat has sat the coupler will take a "set", the inner splines are no longer parallel to the centerline? Also do you know if the alignment was right when you tore it apart? And one alst question, why on earth would you pull the motor without the bellhousing?

Lake-x

yes did try the 180* rotation still no go. Not sure about the alignment before we tore it down. The bell housing bolts were'nt that hard to get to so just took apart there. Why you ask ?

hillbilly24

The alignmant was probably out before you ever took it apart. the engine might have sat a little diffrent then it was before too. I have never had an engine line up right on the money after yanking it, even when the same engine went back in. It's always off just a little bit from perfect. Check the splines of the coupler, if they are pointed then the alignment was probably out of whack to begin with, they are suppost to be flat. The reason I asked about the bellhousing thing is becuase it is much easier to pull the motor with it and swap it over out of the boat.