Drive alignment: Any TRS experts left out there?

ctuck0659 · 07-12-2009, 06:08 PM

I broke a gimbal ring on one of my drives and installed a complete new assembled transom assembly- gimbal ring, housing and bell housing. Now I can't get the drive shaft to go into the coupler. I have a bravo alignment tool, but not a TRS with the disc. Here's what has me stumped- I can't even get the alignment tool to slip into the trans. coupler- I can feel the angled chamfer at the end of the shaft sit into the end of the coupler hole but it will not push in beyond that. I thought that a misalignment between the coupler and the rear bearing must be the reson, but now I realize that the rear bearing and the trans coupler are both mounted into the trannie tailstock snout, so the hole alignment can't be adjusted with the engine mounts. If anyone can enlighten me as what's going here it would help prevent a suicide!

tms1155 · 07-12-2009, 07:54 PM

The bearing still has to be lined up with the coupler for the shaft to go in. When the gimbal ring broke you may have also cracked tailstock on trans or shifted bearing. The disc on the alignment tool then is used to align engine/trans with bell housing/drive.

ctuck0659 · 07-13-2009, 09:41 AM

Thanks. I've inspected everything pretty closely, especially during the many hrs. I've already messed with trying to mount the drive- I don't think anything else is cracked or broken. Are you saying that moving the engine will change the bearing/ coupler alignment or are you saying that if the tool won't go in the tailstock has to be broken?
When I sight the coupler through the bearing hole it looks like its aligned at least close enough for the shaft to go in-

c_deezy · 07-13-2009, 02:33 PM

I wrestled with one a couple weeks ago. I used a cherry picker to hold the drive, the slid it on. It went good until the drive was about an inch away from fully seating. Then I had to wiggle the drive up and down a few times in the motion that the rams would normally move it if you were trimming it up and down. I hope you get what I'm saying, and it finally slid in. While I was moving it up and down I was also turning the prop shaft in case there was some spline mis-alignment too.

ctuck0659 · 07-13-2009, 02:41 PM

Thanks- that's pretty much the same approach I've been trying. In my case though, the shaft will not go into the coupler at all, nor will an alignment tool, even though the rear bearing and the coupler look aligned-

Mbam · 07-13-2009, 02:54 PM

What transmission?

ctuck0659 · 07-13-2009, 02:56 PM

B-W Velvet Drive

tms1155 · 07-13-2009, 05:49 PM

Moving the eng will not change the bearing to coupler alignment. If I remember correctly the bearing is pressed into tailstock and should self align. If the bearing is worn it may cause the problem. Try lifting up and wiggling the alignment tool while you push it in. You could also try different alignment tool, not sure if the newer ones can be used on the TRS, check to see if step on tool is hitting bearing and not fitting in. Or take shaft off drive and see if it will go in.

Audiofn · 07-14-2009, 07:49 AM

I have one that is really hard to get on. I think that I have a spline that is a little messed up? I was told that TRS drives do not need to be aligned like a Bravo is this true?

Clustergear · 07-14-2009, 08:38 AM

Yes TRS has to alined with engine its a little different that Bravo. There is a large washer that goes in the helmit that tool slides into tranny tail stock for alinement.

Here is a trick I have found that is very helpful for putting a TRS on a boat with Warner tranny.

When installing a TRS if you take a long thin screw driver and slip it in between drive and helmit as drive is being put on. Now use the screw driver in were u-joints are to wiggel the input shaft into the tanny spline while turning prop shaft and pushing drive in. Kind of hard to discripe this but you should get the idea. Screw driver is helping keep the front of input shaft from flopping down in the space between the tail sock bearing and the spline in rear of tranny