how do you align an engine?
 

I've got a staggered setup with #5's. How do I make sure the plug in engine is aligned properly? Even the forward engine would probably benefit from proper alignment with driveshaft. How do I go about it? Thanks

We moved Mild Thunders engines back this year and he had a pretty nice alignment tool for the SSM drives.
Looks the same as a bravo except it has a disk that fits in the gimbal. Pretty easy with 2 people

I'll find out where he got it. Can you give a description of how it's used?

Take drive off, stick alignment tool thru to the trans, move motor till the ring lines up perfectly in the gimble .. kinda hard to explain but easy once you see it.

Sounds easy enough, thanks. What would I want to do with the one connected to the driveshaft?

SSM Alignment
 

I know this is a bit old but how do you know what position to put the drive bell housing (helmet) in? It turns left to right and pivots up and down so where exactly is the correct starting point? Also how far in does the trans plug in and how much tolerance is there? I'm trying to reinstall engines and the front and rear plates don't mate up well to all of the angle brackets. I need to move something, just trying to figure out what to move and in what direction.

eyeball up the bell housing (helmet) as straight as you can. once you get engine close, you may see where steering or tilt is a tiny bit off center and then center the helmet. but the alignment shaft is turning around a point a good foot forward of the steering-trim axis. with offshore mounts it is best to have engine hanging from hoist to align it. and the trans goes in till it bottoms out in the hole, and that is your non-moving point. I think alignment is simpler with trannys. you just swing engine till disc aligns with register point in bell housing. you don't have the feel issue of the gimball bearing to coupler alignment. we should probably stick with the term helmet. everybody thinks the bell housing has a flywheel inside it like on a car...

That is the same setup that I use on BRAVO drives. I had the plate made at a local machine shop.
The gist of the plate is that it fits tight to the shaft ( can't wobble ) , it is round about 1/2 inch bigger than the inner hole in the helmet and has a step that is just small enough to fit into the hole in the helmet. When the engine is aligned the shaft slides in and out freely AND the plate fits flush and centered INTO the hole in the helmet. The plate will show you if the engine is off side to side or if the rear mounts are at the right height.
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That is the shaft I had machined to work with my IMCO extension box. It has all of the dimensions as the stock Merc. shaft just a lot longer.

Thanks for the info