Questions about coupler/motor mounts/alignment
 

Long story here but really need help...So frustrated I'm ready to light my boat on fire. Anyways, twin 496 HO's. Removed engines at last fall to do maintenance replace the water heater (had to remove the engines to get to it). I did remove couplers/flywheels on both engines in order to mount them on stands. Noticed that the center stringer and lower bulkhead were rotted. Took to a fiberglass shop and had that all fixed/replace. They replaced the center stringer and lower bulkhead. Now, I'm putting the engines back in. Got the port engine in and got it aligned good but in order to do that I have both motor mounts raised almost to the top. It wasn't like that before, but, then again, I'm not sure if the engine was aligned prior. Is that a problem to have the engine that high on the mounts? Now on to the starboard engine. Got that in and can't get it aligned. I was able to get it aligned by having the left motor mount adjusted almost all the way to the top and the right mount about halfway up, then as a double check I rotated the crank 180 degrees and can't even get the tool in. So, now I decided to match up the two motor mounts so that they are basically toward the top of the stud (just like the port engine) and try to go from there. Well, I did that, and you can easily see (by inserting a 1" wood dowel in place of the alignment tool (yes, I have the tool, but I heard that it's good to get it close with a dowel first) that the engine/coupler is offset to far to the right. Does this mean that the coupler is messed up or do I need to try to slide the front of the engine over to the right a little. Could I have put the coupler on wrong? It sure didn't seem like there was anything special that needed to be done when installing the coupler. I appreciate any help/advice.... I'm totally over this project!

Also, yes, I made sure the fiber washers/double wound lockwashers were in place correctly.

sounds like a bravo boat ??, could really use some pictures to help out, what kind of mounts are these.

Sorry, yes, Bravo 1 X drives. Here is a link to the style motor mounts that I have:

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/bam/s...31823/6708/300

Okay those sit on an aluminum angle plate mounted to the stringer correct ??

If you rotate the engine and the fit on the line up tool changes you got something going on with the coupler, flywheel or crank.

33outlawSST: that is correct

Sounds to me like the angle brackets are not back in their original place, do you have anything between the inner transom assembly and the bell housing, are you sure is sitting down on it.

Nothing else in between. yes, it is sitting down on the mounts/brackets good. The brackets are slotted side to side but not sure how much lateral movement I could really get since the flywheel housing is bolted to the inner transom assembly

Does the coupler have the high performance Steel insert that extends out the back?
If so I fought one that was molded crooked
And just like your situation if you rotated the engine the alignment would change.

Yes, that is the style coupler I have. It's original to the boat/engine as far as I know. Did you end up replacing it?