I want to thank everyone for the help. I went home with everyones advice and in three min it was all lined up and could move the tool in all the way with two fingers and pull it back out. Put the grease on it and had good pattern. Once again thanks OSO MEMBERS.

Glad you got it worked out

after i get the alignment tool in, i start the engine for 5 seconds. bearing has no choice but to center up,. there is essentially no side-side adjustment on engine. just up-down.

With no water to the engine?

I would not start that thing up with the drive off. I dont think that alignment tool will stay in there and it might come flying out of there and then you will have a big mess. And with no water i think you are going to burn up your impeller. DOnt DO It.

Guess you could pull the coil wire, and crank it over, but not sure if that would have the same effect.

after getting the motor back in and the drive all lined up and installed took the boat to the lake last night and it runs like a champ. Just in time for the Texas Outlaw Chanllenge.

there is another part to alignment tool, disc similar to u-joint bellows, fits from inside when putting inside transom plate to external transom plate. put alignment tool to line both transom plates prior to torquing nuts. the motor mount rigging grid for new engine install goes with it.

Another thing I ran into years ago with a Bravo.. I would line up the engine, two finger slide in and out. I had to move the motor a lot, didnt seem right. Then I rotated the motor 90/180* and tried it again. It would not go in. I figured the donut was warped. After alot of hours of frustration, I pulled the engine again and borrowed a coupler from a friend. Lined up the motor (solid motor mounts) and pulled the engine again and swapped in the old coupler. Ran for years without a problem. So a quick check spinning the motor 180* will tell you if you actually have a good alignment. In this case, it would have been way off due to one quick check.. Since then I have not found another warped coupler, so it was a rare situation, but can happen.
Dick

Good info, never thought of that.