Falcon, installing my 502 engine in my 292sr1 Formula. The angle of the engine should be perpendicular to the transom assembly? So before i use the alignment tool to align the gimbal bearing i should start some where like level to the keel. If i understand this correctly the engine should be level to the keel using the front mounts for adjustment. Thank you

IM not sure Falcon is still here. This thread is 10 years old.

So you're saying falcon flew the coop? ... Insert cheesy joke drum line...

I am still around!
There are two parts to alignment, aligning the gimbal bearing and setting the engine angle. I like using the ITS alignment tool (it works with standard Bravo's too), because it has two pieces and you can easily tell which direction things have to go.
With the engine sitting on the rear mounts and bolted, the engine hanging from the front, put the tool in and move it around to "feel" if the bearing has to be aligned for the tool to want to start into the center of the splines. I say feel, because you use the play in the bearing to feel the side contacts and determine if it would help to pull the tool out part way and use the shaft to tap it in a direction to help it aim at the coupler closer to center. This is easier to show than to explain.
When this seems correct, you adjust the angle of the engine so the tool slides into the splines very easy. With an ITS tool, you can remove the outer part of the tool and put the shaft fully into the splines and look at the gap between the gimbal bearing and the shaft to see which direction the engine has to move. You may have to loosen the rear engine mount bolts if the engine needs to move sideways.
The engine is not set at an angle to the keel, stringer, or boat bottom. It should be very close to 13 degrees from perpendicular to the outside of the transom. I say outside because the inside may not be consistent and the outside is the important part. If the transom of the boat is 16 degrees tipped back from perpendicular to the bottom (common), the engine will end up tipped 3 degrees up from the bottom.
You may want to re-check the gimbal bearing alignment after the engine angle is set.

+1

Falcon recommended the ITS tool to me yrs. ago and I'm glad I took his advice. I had a regular Bravo at the time but coincidentily, I have ITS now. The tool works great for both.

Looking at the engine of my last boat I always thought, no way could the engine be aligned. It always looked too high in the back. But, the tool does not lie.

Good luck.

Is the engine perpendicular to the transom ?what is the angle of a 1991 292 SR1 transoms ?
What about the bravo transom assembly. It's design for a 13 degree tilt. What is a ITS tool.? Is it same as a gimbal bearing alignment tool? I noticed my engines had a tilt to port relative to the level of the boat after trying to install headers. They seem to tilt down in the front. One sits higher then the other.noticed this since the first day I bought it. I guess I need to start over and make the level......
Thanks

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It's an engine alignment tool that has an outer sleeve that fits in the gimbal, then the inner part goes into the coupler.

Look here...

http://www.mercstuff.com/alignmenttool.htm

I believe all Mercruiser (and probably all Volvo, etc.) stern drive transom assemblies are designed to be installed with a transom angle of 13 degees to the back of the engine block, or another way to put it is 77 degrees from the crankshaft. Many boat builders have been putting in slightly more tilt back in the transom. The intent is usually to get more relative negative trim to the boat bottom during planing (did I spell that right?). When you tilt the transom back, the engine would naturally tip up with it when properly aligned. Another thing that can happen during Bravo installs is that the transom inner plate can be rotated slightly on the mounting studs because of the clearance needed to allow for transom thickness variations. Even with a proper alignment it could cause for slight misalignment of exhaust outlets, although in many cases this can be because the holes in the transom are also not well aligned. Not sure if this is exactly what AIRFOIL292 was referring to or not. I have also found adjustable front mounts not well adjusted, causing an engine that checks in alignment but the engine seems to "rock" on the two higher mounts. Kind of the 4 legged table with one short leg. It kind of gets hidden because the rubber mounts on 4 corners don't make it obvious.

Thank you, I will remove drives and adjust the engine mounts to be perpendicular to the transom. This will be followed with the insertion of the alignment tool. Hopefully the exhaust tails of my CMI s will line up with holes in the transom. Thanks again..