Did the gimbal bearing shift? they do have the ability to move a little....try and insert the alignment tool in and see if you can just move the gimbal bearing a tad to get the alignment tool into the splines....it may be that easy hopefully...

You can't get those nuts in or out with the motor in. Hits the bell housing before it comes out

Ayuh,.... When ya pull the motor to replace the stripped nut, check to make sure the rubber rear mounts haven't failed,....

They do, 'n if yer's have, new ones can be pressed in,...

Ok sounds like it needs to come back out. Ill probably just buy new hardware to verify all is good. Gonna give it another look over tonight and see if i missed anything else. Love boating.....hate boats.

What he said .... Although it sounds like the engines coming out anyway, very likely gimble moved as drive came out.

I swear my luck sucks some azz.

Ive been stewing on this all day. Came home and inserted a 1" dowl and could tell the bearing was off slighly. Put the tool in and gave it a smack with my hand and gimbal move slightly. The tool now slides in easier the. It did with my prom date!

That nut though! If all i have to do is lift the engine up and replace the nut and drop back down i guess im still ahead then where i thought i was this morning.


UPDATE! Alignment is perfect now. Nice grease marks all the way around the tool

I decided to back the bolt out and the bolt is stripped, not the nut. Threads came out with the bolt. Jus. T for the hell of it i decided to try to get the nut off. Took all of 30 seconds to slide the nut out of the channel. Plenty of room.

New bolt/nut are ordered. Feel like a dodged a bullet.

great news,,now go play the lottery.

I always wondered WHY they use an aluminum nut. Is it so if the drive locks up the engine can break free. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Alum nut alum inner transom shield. No differential metal to corrode away when salty water splashes on them.