Also without the spring and fiber washer you will knock out your coupler if you keep running it that way.

Don't wanna hijack the thread but I'm in a very similar situation.

I believe the op may be referring to the "lockwasher" that looks like a very short spring. Ref to item #11 on this diagram:
http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show_...ND+SHIFT+CABLE

I also found those in the bilge after removing my engines. From the above diagram, it looks like they go on top of the ear protruding off the transom plate, but to function as a "lockwasher", seems like it would need to go just above the nut (item# 12) and below the ear.

Can anyone verify where it goes??

get a 8 or 10 foot 4 by 4 and a cheap come along. or hang a cherry picker over the transom. you can pick rear of motors up enough to slip the fiber (leather?) washer and the big spring-lock washer in. be careful how the big fine thread lock nut slides into the inner transom assy. for the rear mount bolts. odds are they will stay in place. it is called a lock washer but it is really a spring washer. goes under rear engine mount so weight of engine rests on it.

Hey zz, have you run your boat with the missing springs? If so, what was it doing?

parnell, I would not attempt to lift the engine off the rear mounts without the drive removed. You will need at least an inch or two to get the spring and washers in there, and that could easily bend your drive shaft or screw up the coupler. Probably best to unfasten the forward motor mounts when you do this too. I like to use a piece of masking tape to hold the spring and washer in place when I am lowering the engine onto the mounts. Merc put them there for a reason, so they should probably go back in regardless of the vibration issue.

dereknkathy: Thx for confirming the lock washer/spring location. It's hard to tell from the pic exactly what it's there for. Maybe it will make more sense when I drop the engs in.

parnell: No, I haven't ran the engs. I'll be dropping them in today,,, if it doesn't rain.

Budman II: Good idea using masking tape to hold the spring/washer in place. The large fiber washers (#10 in pic) seem to be glued into place on my transom plates.