Ok, I got the damn thing fired and she sounds great, now my problem is that i must of switched the motor mounts from the original install and have to realign the drive, the drive is off alignment.

I have off shore style mounts brackets L-shaped with the standard mercury motor mounts. My question is what is the best way to align the drive.

I was thinking of lossening the transom plate bolts and undoing the engine mount from the plates completely. Then hook up a cherry picker to the engine and align it then once it seems ok tighten down the transom plate and re-check. Then if that works adjust the motor mounts to the engine motor mount plates.

Is there an easier way, how do the pros do it?

I just purchased the alignment tool from mercstuff and plan on attacking it this weekend.

Any help would be appreciated.

I lower the back of the engine onto the transom plate mounts and loosely install the rear bolts. Align front mounts with holes and lower engine onto studs. Lower engine completely. Re-rig lifting point to be centered on front of engine. Raise front of engine and then while incrementally lowering front of engine keep trying alignment tool. Eventually it should slide in all the way and be able to be turned using only 2 fingers. If you have trouble getting it to slide in check to make sure the spherical part of the gimbal bearing is not misaligned. This can give you a false out of alignment reading. To correct, install tool through bearing and lightly into the coupler, then tap end of alignment tool in all four directions (u/d, r/l) to center inner race of bearing. Do not pound tool into coupler.

Also, do a search on this forum. I've read some really thorough procedure these guys use when having trouble. This method though will work 95% of the time.

BT

What Blue Thunder said! That method works great!

Thanks Bluethunder I will give it a try and search for other posts. I can build a motor, but the drive thing is really new.

If you want to call me I'd be happy to talk you through it. Let me know by email or PM and I will forward my phone number. Give me an approximate time.