seafordguy

I am about to kill myself because of my neighbor's Volvo Penta outdrive.

The thing will NOT go back in. We can get it in all the way until about 3 inches from flush with the bellhousing.

It goes into the old Transom Assembly (which is on the bench).

I am beginning to get convinced that the gimbal bearing is not the right diameter and once it gets to the point that the shaft widens up it won't go any further.

Anyone got any experience. My mental health is suffereing - we spent less time R&Ring the engine, replacing the TA and re-installing the engine than we have F-ing with the drive.

It's a 2000 or 2001 350 small block volvo penta.

Any ideas???>

handfulz28

Did my buddy's 04 a few years ago. First thought is alignment, either coupler itself or just the splines. I think we had a tough time but it was just getting the splines lined up and giving it a good shove.

seafordguy

I marked the engine mounts when we pulled it, they were never moved and we put it right back down. My alignment tool slides in and you can see it push the grease up the drive shaft splines real evenly about 1 1/2 inches up the spline.

scarabman

iTrader: (1)

Mic the bearing to be sure, but if the alignment tool fits both bearings the same you probably already have the answer to that part.

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

The volvo shaft and bearing does not require aligning like the merc stuff. Try rolling the prop shaft with the drive in gear to help settle the center U joint carrier. They can be tricky

seafordguy

DUDE - I have tried all of those. Even rotated the engine with a breaker bar - NOTHING. I am FRUSTRATED!!!

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

Hmm. . . . . I had a DPX that gave me fits going on. It was that coupler flopping out of alignment, I just kept messing with it think I may have used a long skinny screwdriver to help guide it. Does it or did it have a coil spring kind thing to keep the coupler straight? The old TRS input shaft had something like that and I thought Volvo had something similar. What model drive?

seafordguy

Well - it just needed a little inspiration (in the form of a mallett). Not sure why it was so tough, but it went in finally.

I think the U-joint was sagging and binding up and a little pounding just forced the issue.