Ah , that’s reassuring , thanksI was also confused by the picture but that part number definitely includes everything needed. Foam, metal cage…it’s all there.
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Ah , that’s reassuring , thanksI was also confused by the picture but that part number definitely includes everything needed. Foam, metal cage…it’s all there.
It's not that bad. First get things close. Then get the shaft centered in the shaft log; use the mounts at the coupler for that. If things were close you should not have to touch the mounts at the coupler again. Then align the coupler faces by moving engine on the mounts furthest from the coupler up, down, left, right. That is really it.
A couple of things -
The engine should be close to the same height from the top of the mounts left to right.
Coupling faces must be clean and rust free.
Mount a dial indicator and verify the gear coupler is flat; TIR should be less than 0.001" outside of the bolt circle.
Face to Face any gap between the coupler halves needs to be less than 0.006" but I strive for half that. You can hold the coupler halves temporarily together with a pair of vice grips lightly clamped. Verify that coupler gap measurement both by rotating one half in 90 degree increments and by rotating the entire assembly in 90 degree increments.
Finally, after all that is done and the coupler bolts are installed and torqued, put the dial indicator on the shaft at the shaft log and run out the shaft; it should have a TIR of less that 0.006".
The engine bracket that sits over the mount is slotted. My mechanic used a Porta Power with a jaw type of thing to move the engine side to side.Follow up question on the engine alignment. How does one move the engine laterally in the mounts or the mounts themselves?
I'm assuming the rough lateral alignment would be the first step.
Yup - that is exactly it.
We first centered the shaft in the shaft log then moved the engine to align to that and coupling. This is a bushing I made to do that centering -
We first centered the shaft in the shaft log then moved the engine to align to that and coupling. This is a bushing I made to do that centering -
Well, unless your struts are suspect of being bent, like mine were, I don't see the need for the bore-sight. As long as the shaft is straight and can smoothly slide and rotate in the shaft log bushing you will be good to go. We had to drop the struts and get them straightened so I had quite the alignment setup going to reinstall the struts. Search my posts in the 500DB thread, start at post 1734 - I put a lot of pictures and narrative there.Have to take a step back and get the cutless bearing in the P-bracket aligned to the center of the stern tube you show in the picture.
Going to go a similar route to have a slip in plastic plug that goes into the cutless bearing. It will have a small hole in the center in my favorite rifle caliber. Use a bore sighting laser placed in the hole to sight to the center of the stern tube.
Then I can use a similar plug you show to align the shaft.
Thoughts?
View attachment 141836
Well, unless your struts are suspect of being bent, like mine were, I don't see the need for the bore-sight. As long as the shaft is straight and can smoothly slide and rotate in the shaft log bushing you will be good to go. We had to drop the struts and get them straightened so I had quite the alignment setup going to reinstall the struts. Search my posts in the 500DB thread - I put a lot of pictures and narrative there.
If that shaft isn't centered in the log your dripless seal will rapidly wear out.
I also went the route of aligning the shaft in the tube first then moved the engine to match. My strut was also bent; so it was a big process.
moving the engine was a combo of that tool shown above and a big pry bar wedged against the inside stringer where I could.
Did a quick check of the struts with both of them upside down on a workbench, with a string from the cutless bearing and a weight at the end. Thankfully straight.
I found the strut when sitting in just the hull's strut pocket wasn't even close to alignment with the boat either to the hull centerline nor angular - the shaft through the strut wasn't even close to the shaft log let alone in it's center. I first set the strut up with hangers and jacking screws and located it then locked down the jacking screws. Then formed an epoxy shim between the strut pocket and strut then after that cured dropped the strut and fully coated and sealed it with 4200. I detailed that process in the 500DB thread.that’s good, the rebedding was a little bit of a pain too but not bad. Lots of 4200 squeeze out which is a good thing
Ahhh - to be a man that owns a lathe!!We first centered the shaft in the shaft log then moved the engine to align to that and coupling. This is a bushing I made to do that centering -View attachment 141834 View attachment 141835
I found the strut when sitting in just the hull's strut pocket wasn't even close to alignment with the boat either to the hull centerline nor angular - the shaft through the strut wasn't even close to the shaft log let alone in it's center. I first set the strut up with hangers and jacking screws and located it then locked down the jacking screws. Then formed an epoxy shim between the strut pocket and strut then after that cured dropped the strut and fully coated and sealed it with 4200. I detailed that process in the 500DB thread.
Or a man that KNOWS a man with a Lathe!
alignment is an art!