Shaft Alignment |
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KPNautique ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: October-23-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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How critical is it to align the shaft with the engine? How often does it need to be done?
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81nautique ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() ![]() Joined: September-03-2005 Location: Big Rock, Il Status: Online Points: 5775 |
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absolutely critical. PCM manual says to do it every spring although most don't touch it unless a vibration shows up. A vibration can shorten the life of your entire drive train, not just the trans but engine bearings as well.
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You can’t change the wind but you can adjust your sails
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eric lavine ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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Alan, I have to butt in, alignment is the most important thing you could do on a boat besides checking the oil. .003 is allowed, I set them for .000
I see more transmissions FAIL due to miss alignment and it creates hard part damage and case damage, If mis-aligned it will blow the rear planetaries and wear the case where the bushings or seal rings ride making it impossible to rebuild. The very best way to check alignment is with the boat sitting in the water for at least a 24 hour period and you should check it at least once a season. |
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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Randy_in_Ohio ![]() Platinum Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September-13-2006 Location: N. Canton, OH. Status: Offline Points: 1891 |
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Eric, in that case, I need to check my alignment. I know for a fact that it has never been checked. I have no clue how to do this...
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M3Fan ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() ![]() Joined: October-22-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3185 |
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The way I've done it is to hold the coupling together with hand pressure only, then run the .003 feeler gauge around the edges of the coupling. Can you be mis-aligned and not feel any vibration?
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eric lavine ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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usually a little mis-alignment you may not feel anything, the more mis-alignment you have the more shaft whip you'll get. remember the shaft is also turning engine speed (unless you have a 1.23)
Randy instead of polishing your knob you better check that alignment( I knew i would come up with something) With mis-alignment your taking whats suppose to be 2 parrallel faces and when you tighten the bolts you are taking the mis-alignment out, but then now you have a shaft with a load on it which most of the time shows up in the output of the trans |
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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eric lavine ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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M3 pull it as close as you can, spin the shaft and if the gap moves with the shaft then you have a bent shaft, if the gap stays in the same spot then you have mis-alignment. If you use a .003 you will let it slide at .003. try to shoot for .000
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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Randy_in_Ohio ![]() Platinum Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September-13-2006 Location: N. Canton, OH. Status: Offline Points: 1891 |
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I'm lost. I need to find out what a feeler gauge is and how to use it.
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eric lavine ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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Randy, look in the manual section, somewhere in the manual it explains alignment, if not call me and I'll walk you through it
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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81nautique ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() ![]() Joined: September-03-2005 Location: Big Rock, Il Status: Online Points: 5775 |
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Agreed, Eric, quick thread jack. Do you know the torque spec for damper plate bolts on a 351? Can't find it in my manual anywhere. TIA. |
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You can’t change the wind but you can adjust your sails
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KPNautique ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: October-23-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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I'm glad I asked. Thanks for all the info Eric and 81.
What is the best way to get the nuts tight on the engine mounts after it is adjusted? The aft port side nut looks pretty tough to get to without taking the 3" exhaust pipe off. Is the torgue on the coupling critical? Keith |
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eric lavine ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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3/8 bolts 37 to 42
kieth, I bought a cheap 1 1/8 wrench and bent it, to tell you the truth I'll lock tight the bolts on the coupling and hand tighten, there is a chart with all bolt specs in the borg warner manual in the brochere section. its standard torque for all bolts |
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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KPNautique ![]() Newbie ![]() Joined: October-23-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 23 |
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Eric thanks for the info. Your wrench idea sounds good. My guys make special wrenches for airplanes - same concept I guess.
Lots of great info here. |
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M3Fan ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() ![]() Joined: October-22-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3185 |
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Alan- I also coated my DP bolts with blue threadlocker on the 90. I figure it would not be a good thing if they came undone! |
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M3Fan ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() ![]() Joined: October-22-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3185 |
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Eric- Did you just say that you hand-tighten the coupling bolts with threadlocker? What's the official torque on the coupling bolts supposed to be?
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boat dr ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() ![]() Joined: June-27-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4245 |
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Redneck torque chart for all applications:
Tighten Till It Strips,Back Off 1/4 Turn... boat dr |
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81nautique ![]() Grand Poobah ![]() ![]() Joined: September-03-2005 Location: Big Rock, Il Status: Online Points: 5775 |
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thanks Eric/Joel, good idea on the thread locker.
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You can’t change the wind but you can adjust your sails
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