Squeeg333
06-03-2011, 10:35 PM
Hey guys, so I was trying to tackle my engine alignment tonight but I came up with some issue. I was able to move the engine around to attempt to get the engine aligned, got it pretty close but was seeing some strange numbers. So did a little more looking and found out that when the shaft is fully uncoupled from the v-drive, and the shaft coupling pulled away from the v-drive coupling a little ways (to get the prop shaft coupling off of the shoulder fit on the v-drive coupling), that the prop shaft isn't sitting in it's "natural" position.
The prop shaft, with no pressure of alignment with the bolts, or the fit of the couplings, is offset to the starboard by about 3/8". So, when pulling the couplings together, the shaft actually has to be pulled to the Port side by that amount to mate up the couplings. So, I'm at an impass.
I think what I am going to do is butt the couplings together as they are both in their natural position, and check the alignment that way. If both starboard and port sides are the same, it tells me (I think) that I have to more the whole engine to the starboard. However, and I hope this is the case, that they aren't aligned, and I need to move either the front or back of the engine to clear up the majority of this. The reason I say that is because I have a very small amount of room that I can move the back of the engine to the starboard (the muffler is just about to hit the starboard v-drive divider). So I hope I only need to move the front of the engine to clear up this gap.
What do you guys think. Does this make sense. If I would have thought about it, I would have taken a photo of the coupling.
Any other options you guys can think of?? Like I said, I've only got a small amount of room to move the back of the engine to the starboard, so I don't have much fudge room for the back...
The prop shaft, with no pressure of alignment with the bolts, or the fit of the couplings, is offset to the starboard by about 3/8". So, when pulling the couplings together, the shaft actually has to be pulled to the Port side by that amount to mate up the couplings. So, I'm at an impass.
I think what I am going to do is butt the couplings together as they are both in their natural position, and check the alignment that way. If both starboard and port sides are the same, it tells me (I think) that I have to more the whole engine to the starboard. However, and I hope this is the case, that they aren't aligned, and I need to move either the front or back of the engine to clear up the majority of this. The reason I say that is because I have a very small amount of room that I can move the back of the engine to the starboard (the muffler is just about to hit the starboard v-drive divider). So I hope I only need to move the front of the engine to clear up this gap.
What do you guys think. Does this make sense. If I would have thought about it, I would have taken a photo of the coupling.
Any other options you guys can think of?? Like I said, I've only got a small amount of room to move the back of the engine to the starboard, so I don't have much fudge room for the back...