Cord

iTrader: (2)

You can tighten that rear bolt as much as you want to. The stock install takes aluminum nuts and you won't strip them by hand.

blue thunder

I would guesstimate I tighten my rear bolts to about 40ft-lbs which compresses the washer. Sounds like you have discovered the same problem US1 was detailing in post 14... what luck.

BT

MitchStellin

If it does not slide in like butter it is wrong, plain and simple. Greese the tool and you can see where it is off by the grese being wiped off. Push it in and pull it out without twisting. I want the name of the idiot who said use a 4x4. I have a 4x4 i want to use on him, an 8800 pound Ford Excursion He is the "TOOL"

cooltoys61

hey,my Excursion is supposed to wiegh ONLY 7200.
But the gas milage of the V10 ROCKS!!!
Thanks for all the help guys. This project,,,for some reason is stressing me out,,summer coming and all,sold a perfect 22' with untouched mtr/drive. Oh well it should be unique when done 29' Fountain,twin 454mags, M3 superchargers and polished Alum and stainless everything. I hope it's worth it

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

Don't make me get the chaulk board out!

Chit can the input shaft. It will not show grease tracks. Beg, borrow, buy or steal a alignment tool. In all reality, you should be pulling your drives off 1 once a yr to check the alingment, coupler condition and grease the u-joints. Spend the few bucks now and have it for those yearly preventative maintance checkups. You will not regret it.

Torque the rear 2 bolts to 35-40 ft lbs. Your done back there.
Use some type of overhead lift and attach to the FRONT of the motor so you can raise or lower in small increments. When you do get the alignment right, with known good couplers, and your offshore mount is flush with the aluminum angles, clamp them REAL tight and redrill thru the old holes for next size larger bolt. Drill from the steel mount side, not aluminum angle side. For 5/8" bolts, use a 5/8 drill bit, not 3/4" You want no play. Do only one hole each side then bolt it tight and double check alignment. If all is good, drill remaining holes. If you get the alignment right, and bolt holes are good, you should never have anymore issues, unless your stringers rot out.

When using an alignment tool, smear a light film of grease on the end, then slide it in as far as it will go. Pull it straight out, do not turn it. If you can see the start of splines in the grease on the top of the tool end, front of motor is too high. Marking on bottom of tool, raise the front of motor. Make very small adjustments until the tool bottoms out and it slides in and out easily, and you have a pretty even grease markings all the way around it.

Good Luck.

cooltoys61

Thanks again. I thought about new holes but was too dumb to think of bigger ones.DUH! Good idea. I'll get that tool.Now I have another prob,the gimbal ring and or bearings is shot. Don't really want to tackle it myself. How much should I expect to pay for bearing replacement (each ring) with the drives off??

cooltoys61

me again, I borrowed a steel alignment tool from another Merc mechanic,,,
Rubbed it over with grease and started slowly from all the way down in front to higher than stock and at the best point it will only go in about an 1/2"!!!Just like all you said I tried the shaft(by the way an inch shorter than mine(and my boats))and it went in all too easy.
So now I loosened the bolts in back and it helped a lot, the tool went in about 1 inch instead of 1/2",but not all the way. Strange thing is, and seems impossible, but the grease marks are pretty even top to bottom,maybe a little off side to side.I haven't rolled the mtr over because I don't feel I'm anywhere close to right but am sure the drives would go on with a push and not a wack now;o,,so there is progress. Also having a little luck with my hinge pin problem,thanks to all of you.
SUGGESTIONS???

Krumbsnatcher

I had the same problem however, i had to end up shimming the rear mounts at the bell housing. The tool went in fine, until i torqued the bell housing down then it locked the tool.

Thats why i had to shim the rear. My boat originally came with a vovlo DPX i had it converted to a Bravo.

Good luck.

blue thunder

It is important when aligning the engine to make sure the spherical part of the gimbal bearing is straight with the coupler. It's easy for this to get knocked out of whack when removing/installing drives. To align, insert the alignment tool as far into the coupler as it will go easily and rap on the end of the alignment tool with a rubber mallet. Up/down/left/right. Never pound it into the coupler, just around axially. Very important item.

What is wrong with your hinge pins?

BT

cooltoys61

the bellhousing is extremely oblong(stripped)where the pins screw in.