prop/engine alignment questions

[fire fighter]

When i took delivery of my boat i decided to check the prop alignment. It was badly out of alignment; enough to require me to move my engine about 15mm to the right, when measured on the front engine trunion.

This seems a bit excessive, but it appears to have gotten it aligned.

Now my concern is the point in which the propshaft goes through the hull. The shaft is much closer on the right side of the fitting than on the left. I would guess the gap on the left is three times larger than on the right. It is not rubbing any metal but it still concerns me.

Is this ok, or within normal limits?

Does the strut and need to be adjusted so the engine is not canted to the right so much?

is this something that can be done by me? Ithought the prop strut was glued to the hull, along with being bolted down.

I'm very mechanically inclined and have a bunch of tools, to include dial indicator, calipers, torque wrench, etc.

:p

[Juice75]

Is your boat new? If so, I'd take it in to have it serviced. Sounds to me like the strut is bent. I learned about bent struts the hardway, but that's another story. The strut is bolted and glued to the boat, and it doesn't really have any adjustment. Maybe a hair left or right, but that's about it. Drop a straight edge down from the sides of the strut, and measure to figure out if it's bent.

As for the tolerance, I have no idea. Depending on how close the shaft is to the hull, it could cause a problem if it's on the torque side of the motor. You might want to try marking the hull with some cheap paint or a marker, run the boat (especially hole shots), and then see if the shaft is rubbing the hull. If it doesn't rub, and it's aligned, then you should be golden. At least I think you should.

[fire fighter]

yep, new. It now has about 25 hours on it, but it was whacked out of alignment from the day it arrived. Dang, how would it arrive with a bent strut? If the strut was bent, wouldn't the prop be bent where it goes through the strut?

[DKJBama92Mariah]

Originally posted by fire fighter
Dang, how would it arrive with a bent strut? If the strut was bent, wouldn't the prop be bent where it goes through the strut?


The only way the strut would be bent from the factory is if it had been hit dunring loading/unloading from the delivery truck.

If the strut is bent, the prop would probably be bent too b/c if you hit something big/hard enough to bend the strut, odds are you will also give the prop a good wallopin. Also, if the strut is bent, the shaft is also likely to be bent. It wont be bent enough for you to see it, but specs call for a runout of less then >0.005"

I do have to disagree with Juice on the strut placement issue because i learned that lesson the hard. way. I replaced both the shaft and strut on mine about a month ago. I mounted the strut, assuming that the longitudinal tension of the bolts would pull the strut into lateral alignment with the original (albeit, oversized) holes in the hull. Unfortunately, when i went to install the new shaft, it was so far out of line that the shaft wouldn't even pass into the stuffing box. So i had to remove and remount the new strut and i waited to crank down on the bolts until i already had the shaft in.

Regardless, you just dropped a substantial amount of cash on a brand new boat and you shouldnt have ot worry about checking the alignment. Take it back to the dealer and have them fix it under your warranty. If, once the motor is aligned with the strut, the shaft is visibly off center in the stuffing box to the naked eye, that is completely unacceptable.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers,
DKJ

[fire fighter]

it's definitely shifted to the right in the stuffing box. I've attached a JPEG photo so you can see how far it is shifted. For the life of me I don't understand how the manufacturing quality control could be so darn whacked out. I've listed in other posts the problems I've had. Supra has been responsive to fix them, all of which I've fixed myself, with them providing the replacement parts. Most fixes have been poor manufacturing problems, not defective hardware, so it came down to me taking the time and energy to do the work.

today we ran the boat with the rear cover off so I could check the packing and also look at the shaft as it spun. I could feel the vibration in the packing nut and I swear I could see the shaft wobbling, as if it was not straight and true. Boy, if it is only .0005" then I would be the shaft is bent.

You are entirely correct, these problems should not be something I should even pay for or have to tackle, but I've little faith in the repair capabilities of dealers, if the Manufacturer cannot even put it together correctly. I've also read over and over by others how the dealer charged them big money to adjust the prop shaft alignment as part of the initial service. Mine came from the manufacturer messed up, requiring me to shift the engine over 1/2" to get things to properly align. Now that they are aligned it appears my shaft may be bent, worst case. Best case, something needs to be corrected for the way out of whack stuffing box alignment. Further, if I take it to the dealer they will probably keep the boat for a month. I'm going to write Brian Raymond and see what he can do for me.

John

[DKJBama92Mariah]

Yikes,

From the look of that pic, something is waaaay off. Sorry, i had a typo in the last post. The runout is 0.005, not 0.0005. One thing you might check on the strut. Use a framing square against the base of the strut and try to eyeball it to see if the base of the strut is visibly out of line with the boat. My gut is telling me that that may very well be the root of your alignment problem. Also, take a look at the strut bushings and see if they are worn unevenly because this is a telltale sign that it has been run with the shaft out of line.

Cheers,
DKJ

[fire fighter]

got the dang thing mostly aligned so that the clearance is pretty much ok. The shaft may be very slightly bent, but probably within tolerances. I got it so the feeler guage won't slip in anywhere, except on one spot which remains constant with rotation of the prop shaft (.003 clearance on top, rotate shaft 180 degree, .003 clearance now on bottom).

I obviously unbolted the shaft from the transmission and gave the prop shaft a gentle tug, both inside the boat, and underneath. The strut bushings appear ok, since the shaft would only move a tiny bit when pulled or pushed. Clearance between the stuffing box and the shaft did not change to dramatically after my shaft alignment efforts. My biggest concern is why this thing is so crooked through the stuffing box.

[DKJBama92Mariah]

I think you may be misunderstanding me. Using the feeler guage between the coupler and the tranny is how you align the motor to the strut. When i refered to 0.005" runout, was referring to using a dial indicator on the shaft while turning it to determine if it is bent.

Thinking about it, the ONLY possible reason for your shaft not being centered in the stuffing box would either be a bent strut or a strut that is not in the correct position on the bottom of the boat. The strut is the only nonmovable part of the system, so everything else has to be aligned to it. Normally it isnt a problem because the stuffing box has a rubber hose part to it which will move around a little and give you some breathing room. However, that shaft is is dangerously off center and is definitely causing at least some deflection of the shaft as it passes through it.

Are you SURE the strut isnt bent? Perhaps on someone else's test drive before you bought the boat. If it was bent before you took delivery, then that would perfectly explain this entire scenario. e.g., The motor was aligned at the factory (i refuse to believe they would ship one out without it aligned), but at some point before you got the boat, the strut got bent. This would throw off the driveshaft alignment. Then when, you realigned the shaft, the motor is now lined up with the bent strut. This case would cause the shaft to be out of the center of the box. This just seems to be the most rational explanation for your problems.

Regardless, you bought a NEW boat. The fact that you had to do an alignment so soon is unacceptable as is the shaft not being centered in the hole. I would just take it back to the dealer and let them deal with it. I would also INSIST on a new shaft because the deflection of the shaft from the pressure of the coupler nut pushing laterally on it would at least cause fatigue of the shaft if not bending it. Also, if the boat was run for any appreciable time with the engine that far out of alignment, it also would fatigue the shaft. The LAST thing you want is for that shaft to snap between the packing nut and the tranny and for the shaft to then come out of the boat. Then you have a 1" hole in the bottom of your boat and she will soon be at the bottom of the lake.

I understand you not trusting the dealer, and also not wanted to lose the use of your boat for up to a month, but my gut is telling me that some parts will need to be either replaced or at least refitted to rectify the problem and do it the right way. You just spent upwards of $50k on a new boat, and i know i wouldnt compromise when it came to making sure that it was perfect. Not to mention compromising the safety of your family and friends.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do and let us know how it turns out or if you have any other questions.

Cheers,
DKJ

[fire fighter]

thanks for your very sound input. I've written both Rick Tinker and Brian Raymond and asked for their input and assistance. We'll see what they say, and what becomes of it. I've had a huge number of problems with this boat, most were minor. Either way, quality control at Skier's Choice is definitely very questionable, at least from my perspective. My wife just told me she would never buy another Supra, so there you go.

Here's a list of the problems I've had. Some minor. Some now appear much more major. Most have been fixed by me, with the dealer sending me replacement parts.

- rear speakers on stereo did not work, disconnect under dash

- courtesy light out. Three bad wire connections at wire butt connectors.

- Leaking/weeping water hoses

- Perfect pass throttle cable improperly installed

- Steering wheel loose, misaligned (when going straight in water wheel is turned to 9 o clock). Bolt that affixes steering was hand tight.

- Fuel line hose clamps lose under rear hatch

- ATF fluid dumped on gas tank near wake plate hydraulic pump, most likely caused when filling pump reservoir

- Green wire to engine block not making ground (been told it is a ground for fuel system)

- Front fat sack bag had leak at location on bag where fitting screws in (bag manufacturing defect it appears)

- Fat sack solenoid/valve seal leaking at hose connection.

- Side panels not adequately bolted to fiberglass, allowing gaps between side pocket and hull. Stuff falls down below due to 1/2" gap.

- Crack in plastic on the dash.


-Stereo CD player inoperative; radio works. Skier’s Choice provided a replacement.


-Grossly out of alignment engine. Possibly bent shaft. Shaft misaligned through stuffing box.

[fire fighter]

Hmm, I've emailed both Brian Raymond and Rick Tinker and have gotten no replies to my email. Maybe I've become too much of a pain and they decided to ignore me and hope i go away.

I'm guessing my email must not have gotten through. they have normally been very responsible to my request for help. I guess I'll be calling them next. I hope this remains civil.

John

[DKJBama92Mariah]

I wouldnt get too bent out of shape just yet. Since you sent the email thurs, they've only had one working day. I'd give them till at least monday evening if not tuesday. If still no response, then i'd probably call SC. They could also be waiting to reply till they figure out how SC will address the issue; but i'd think that a response at least acknowledging receipt of the email and promising to get back with you would have been nice.

DKJ