On a bravo installation I just replaced the Gimble bearing. I was trying to check the alignment with the merc tool. How far does the tool have to go in? It seems it should bottom out agianst the gimble bearing. There is a flange on the tool that when inserted comes to within 1 1/2" +- of the gimble bearing. Should it bottom out? - Any help would be great! Thanks

yes the flange should bottom out on the gimbal bearing. Now the fun starts. Look and see where the coupler is hitting on the alignment tool. You should be to tell which way to move the engine. I am assuming that the tool did start into the coupler. If not you may have to move the gimbal bearing. The center section is self aligning and will swivel.

Yes it did start to enter the Coupling, But then bound, I do now see where the Gimble bearing can tilt a little but it seems I will have to align the engine. I did not look from the back of the engine as to how far the tool was going into the coupler but it did stop short of the flange. - thanks

If they are stock mounts, typically, but not always, the front of the engine will be too low because the lower nuts on the front mounts loosen up if the locking tabs are not properly bent (they rarely are).

Lightly tap the alignment tool in all 4 directions with a mallet to make sure the spherical part of the gimbal isn't giving you a false out of alignment reading.

BT

I got the other gimble bearing in on the other drive and the tool slides right in up to the chamfer. It seems perfect, the 1st drive is obviously out of alignment. Thanks for the help

Try this first. I thought my engine was out of line. After doing this the tool slid in easily.
Dan

I agree with the light tap . Mine was the same way and it needed just a slight tap and then everything was perfect.

I was able to move the tool in the Gimble bearing and can make it flex in all 4 directions. The problem is it will enter the coupler but the further I push it in the tighter the bind gets. I goes in all but 1 1/2" by hand but then is difficult to pull back out by hand.

I dont think I should drive it inwards as the manual says not to do this. Or would this "recenter" the bearing in the carrier?

If you can move the spherical part of the bearing in all four directions easily, that eliminates that as the problem. Do not drive the tool into the coupler!!!!! That would be bad. You should be able to bottom the alignment tool easily, then rotate it with two fingers and remove it with two fingers with little trouble. Anything else, the engine is out of alignment. The way you tell which direction to move the engine is by putting a generous amount of grease on the end of the tool that enters the coupler, then push the tool in till it stops them pull it carefully straight back out. By looking at where the grease is thick and where it is thin, or gone in your case, you can tell which way to go with the engine. Good luck... I hate that job.

BT