is there enough stud to double nut it?
Never mind, lock tab goes on bottom nut doesn’t it?

If you can't get those back on, I would either tack weld the nut to the mount, or put a paint mark on it and check it after every other run or so.

Liberator,

Yup. Although I did find some interesting "collet" style locking nuts that would have worked really well, but they would have required the engine to be lifted to get them on, anyhow.

Thanks. Brad.

Guys,

Forklift to the rescue. The plan worked. Tab washers are in place. I had to pull the boat out of my shop and come at it from both sides, as the forklift didn't have the reach to lift the whole engine.

This ended up being a bit of serendipity, anyhow. Turns out, in the course of rerouting the raw water hoses for the new aux cooler setup, one hose had found its way directly below the ProCharger and was pinched against the stringer. I haven't got it completed, but I got a hose from the port side drain valve over the stringer and out of harm's way, so now all I have to do is reconnect to the tee feeding the intercooler, which then goes to the heat exchanger.

We should be all forward movement from here forward. Now the builder gets to come to MY shop for a change....

Thanks. Brad.

Id put them in or at least be checking the TQ on the bolts regulatory. I have personally had 2 incidences . First one was 14 or 15 years ago on my first Baja and the engine nuts your talking about. Had both loosen up on it making the engine dance around. I would later find out who ever installed the engine...... They at least put the anti-rotation washers on.... But didn't bent the tabs

Second one was 2 years ago. Same thing but only with the steering! and yes this time the bolt came out and was laying in the bilge. I got super lucky that I was idling at the time. Bolt came out of the rack ram(not sure the official name) that attached to the transom assembly. Drives and steering wheel went to full lock. I had no idea WTF happened, but knew the drives were at full lock and couldn't turn the wheel with a rocky shore coming close. Was in the no wake zone/ narrow channel part of the river. I about chit my pants. Quickly turned the engines off. Buddy saw me and quickly turned around to throw me a line and pulled me to the marina. Found out what happened and the bolt missing. Was in the bilge somewhere with the anti-rotation washer was still in place on the ram.. Once again it was installed, but the tabs were not bent to the bolt. I actually didn't even catch that part. Local performance shop cough it when I sent him photos in case I couldn't fish the bolt out from under the engines. He saw it right away.

Guys,

So next little puzzle…..

Engine is in. Plumbing is buttoned up. Harness is for the most part finalized (a couple grounds need ran to the block and I’m waiting for a FP sender for the ECM). Builder came to my shop last night to align the engine. No deal. We put nearly four hours into it. We were up and down, both sides. All over the place. Even when a visual inspection looked perfect, the alignment tool would kick one way or another at first contact and just never went in much past that point.

I've got a short length of tool steel round bar that measures a couple thousandths larger than the coupler section of the alignment tool, and it fits into the coupler just about perfectly. We were using it for a visual alignment (very rough, I know), but, every time we’d get it what we thought was close, the alignment tool would still just stop when it came in contact with the coupler.

Builder seems to think the gimbal bearing got moved when we pulled the outdrive prior to pulling the engine. I’m going to make up a ring that slip fits over that tool steel shaft with the same OD as the bearing section of the alignment tool to try and get a handle on where we are from the coupler’s perspective, so to speak, rather than that of the bearing.

We've inspected the tool for nicks and dings that might be causing a hang up. All good there.

Any suggestions….?

Thanks. Brad.

Install the alignment tool as best as possible, once in take a dead blow hammer and hit the alignment tool up, down, and side to side this will center the bearing, and then you should be good to go,

the other thing you could do is leave the rear bolts tight on the transom plate and the front mounts off, with your engine lifting device at the front of the engine center, and you could work the engine up and down until the alignment tool slips in

BoatNT,

Are you using the coupler as a fulcrum when doing that?

We tried knocking the bearing around with the alignment tool, similar to what you suggest, but with no engagement with the coupler. Still couldn’t seem to find “straight”. How do you know the bearing is straight if the engine is out of alignment too?

It feels like we’re trying to solve a two factor puzzle, but don’t know which factor needs resolved first.

Thanks. Brad.

It can definitely be tricky sometimes. I usually instead of trying to visually line up the gimbal bearing and coupler, I visually make the bearing look flat on the race first. Also with the alignment tool just in the bearing, i will make sure the bar is perpendicular with the transom and level with the boat. Did you guys put the double would washers under the rear engine mounts along with the felt washer?

Ryan,

I didn’t install the transom ass’y bits, so I don’t know for certain. I’m taking him for his word they are all in there correctly. I will say, though, that we’ve been both low and high, as far as misalignment, so I d say it’s all good on that front.

How do you ensure the bearing is seated square?

Thanks. Brad.