alignment v drive

The stuffing box for the shaft is going to float and be aligned by the shaft it's self and the adjustable end (packing end) will be self centering about the shaft. The other end of the stuffing box/shaft log is glassed in to the hull and will not move unless the hull is compramized (sp). I don't agree that loosing the hose clamps and readjusting the rubber boot is going to change anything. So if you have not straightend the strut you may not see the bend on the out side of the boat and you will not see it aft of the strut and you will not see any play unless you have damaged the bushings as well. Shaft play at the strut is because of worn bushing and a bent shaft has no effect on the play until the bend ruins the bushings and then you will see play. You need to look at the area between the strut and hull for wobble and also the rubber boot between the packing gland and shaft log in the hull will also show signs of a bent shaft. But to truly find out if you have bent the shaft it needs to be removed. Depending on the type of coupler you have it maybe out of square now as well.

Have you driven the boat and felt any kind of vibration at all that was not there before?

If there is a vibration now then you have bent the shaft or the coupling is out of alignment or both. These shafts are extremely straight and a bent shaft that has .010".015 runout is gong to vibrate and you will not be able to tell by the naked eye. The only thing I can suggest is if you don't feel a vibration at all under all operating conditions then you got lucky, But if there is any kind of vibration at all even if it is at only a certain rpm range then it's bent or not aligned properly and over time it will break on you.

The strut was definately bent, a long 3/4 anchor line wrapped in prop when acelerated in revearse it wadded up and beat against the hull. I asume the engine and trasmission remain in original position so if there is no play in the shaft were it pases through the tunnel and I havn't replaced the strut and the shaft is visibily off to one side and rotating the shaft by hand shows no wobble it must be that the stuffing gland shifted to one side.   
Might it deform and recover if the shaft is forced to center? How is the gland attached to the hull?     Thanks Erik

After wrapping rope onto the shaft a thoughtless reverse bent the strut nearly an inch off to one side. I removed the strut and sucessfuly straighted it, centers over center of base. Rotating the shaft by hand indicates it is straight but it resist being pushed to center of the shaft tunnel. I'm tempted to jack it back to center. Reaching under the engine the shaft seal (stuffing gland?) gives no clue as how to center it. Whats the secret? Erik