Which is easier?
 

My outdrive currently has the lower and upper split. Seems like it would be easier to mount the upper half to the boat and then install the lower once the upper is mounted. Is this logic twisted for some reason.

Thanks

This is where a homemade or commercially produced drive installer obviously comes in handy. Do you have access to use or borrow one?

The problem with installing them separately is that you likely will need to twist the driveshaft as you put it into the gimbal to get it to align with the splines in the coupler. You can't really do this if your lower is not attached. You may get lucky and be able to do your tweaking by hand at the U-joints.

Give it a shot with just the upper, and if that doesn't fly, put them together and go back to it.

I knew there had to be something - thks

Don't bother trying to put it on as 2 pieces. Never worked for me.
Get the trailer tongue to the perfect angle and height to install the drive while it sits on a bit of wood so the skeg doesn't get too hacked.
It IS a wrestling match though, drives are clumsy and big.

Make a stand, save your back and time
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True that! I made one years ago very similar, and put simple casters on the bottom of it. Adjust the transom's height with the tongue stand as mentioned above, and just slide it home.

There are several threads on here over the years on building your own. This is one of the most encompassing:
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...welding-3.html

I now have a Yard-Arm drive installer that I absolutely robbed (bought cheaply) from a marina that closed up. It's the MONEY for this task.
http://www.yardarm.com/images/num_sixhd.jpg

I was just at Harbor Freight getting the casters for the stand I made and they had a riding lawn mower work stand that would be perfect to weld forks on and now its an adjustable drive stand on the cheap, under $200

I bought the tractor,atv lift from harbor frieght. About 4 hours of modifying it and I have a nice stand simular to sydwayz. Hydraulic up and down with locking pins. If you have a swim platform on you boat it's the only way to go.

I have same exact jack and love it!
To Op, I wouldnt try to assemble drive on boat, too many chances of getting a oring or something off a little and having catastrophic oil leak!

I made a wood crate for it to sit on with some scrap I had laying around and some cheap castors from the hardware store. $20 and I just adjust the boat height via the tongue Jack.