Shaft Alignment questions, 1st time
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15956
Printed Date: November-18-2024 at 4:51am
Topic: Shaft Alignment questions, 1st time
Posted By: mghosn
Subject: Shaft Alignment questions, 1st time
Date Posted: December-02-2009 at 7:55pm
|
I am looking at a 1995 ski nautique and I was told the shaft might be out of allignment. I have looked at the diagrams in the owners manual and am unsure I am looking at the right thing.
I have pulled the center floor section from behind the engine. Is it the couplings that are bolted together just behind the tranny that I am looking for. And as they are bolted together how would they ever be out of allignment. Confused, please help Thanks, Mike |
Replies:
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-02-2009 at 8:05pm
|
Mike,
Think of the coupling as your elbow. If you bend your elbow, your arm isn't straight. Try to bend it backwards and it hurts!! Take a look at http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6037&KW=alignment&PID=58701&title=span-classhighlightalignment-span#58701 - Eric's alignment threat and it may give you a better idea of what's may going on. Eric's our resident trans expert. If the alignment is bad and the boats is driven, you may be sending the trans to him for a rebuild!! Welcome to CCfan. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: Donald80SN
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 11:50am
|
Mike,
You have to take the bolts out of the coupling to see if you have a problem. You will not be able to tell untill you disconnect it. I hope this helps, Donald |
Posted By: WakeSlayer
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 12:42pm
|
I don't think the owner should have a problem with you checking that while showing you the boat. Assuming he told you that it may be out of alignment. Take a couple wrenches with you. It won't take long at all. ------------- Mike N 1968 Mustang |
Posted By: kapla
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 1:11pm
|
you will need a couple of 9/16 wrenches to do the job.... ------------- <a href="">1992 ski nautique |
Posted By: mghosn
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 1:53pm
|
So, once I remove the four bolts, if the two sides stay in alignment it's good, and if they fall out it need's adj?
|
Posted By: WakeSlayer
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 4:31pm
|
That is more or less correct. Read through that thread Pete posted above. It explains it very well. ------------- Mike N 1968 Mustang |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 5:29pm
|
The shaft is not going to deflect 3". You may not see much standing over it, so you will need to measure the gaps with a feeler gauge. ------------- |
Posted By: Donald80SN
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 6:44pm
|
You may need a metal putty knife to get the two halfs a part once the bolts have been removed. Sometimes the couplers get stuck together. Do not you use a screw driver. You will mess up the coupler's smooth mating surface.
Donald |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 6:45pm
Mike, Hopefully Eric's alignment thread as well as the other posts have given you a idea of the importance of engine/shaft/strut alignment. With the coupling being a rigid connection from the shaft to the engine, the shaft needs to be on the same centerline as the trans. If not then you can damage the trans from the overhung load the misalignment produces. Think about misalignment this way. Grab a broom stick in your hand and stick it straight out horizontally. You should be able to hold it there straight pretty easy but see what happens when you hang a 10 pound weight on it 4 feet from your hand. This is overhung load and the force created at your wrist is a analogy of what misalignment does to the trans. BTW, did the seller tell you why he thought the alignment was out? Just wondering why he didn't have it corrected. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
mghosn wrote:Posted By: mghosn
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 7:42pm
|
I don't know if it's out of alignment but the shop that looked at it thought it might be because the cutlass bearing is wearing on one side.
I have the boat in my shop and the owner lives in Cal.(Long story) so I thought I would just check the alingnment and see if it is out or in. I plan to do that this weekend, I'll let you know how it goes. I'm not even sure I'll attempt to align if it's out, but atleast I'll know... Mike |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 8:26pm
|
Mike,
If the cutlass is wearing unevenly, then the strut may be bent. Alignment really starts at the strut and goes forward from there. The shop you have it at should be checking the strut. Do they do inboards? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: WakeSlayer
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 8:42pm
|
If you have it apart already, a direct drive is pretty straightforward to align. ------------- Mike N 1968 Mustang |
Posted By: mghosn
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 8:54pm
|
Yes they do inboards. His assesment was that the shaft does not line up with the cutlass bearing. install new cutlass bearing and align. 225 for parts and 450 for labor.
I wanted to check the shaft alignment and go from there. Remember, This is not my boat. I am trying to determine if I can get a great deal on the boat if it's worth trying to do some of this work myself. or if it really needs to be done. |
Posted By: mghosn
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 8:57pm
|
Do you know how I can check alignment of the strut?
|
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 9:06pm
|
Mike - If your strut bushing is wearing on one side (shaft is not centered in strut) - then I bet you have a bent strut.
You will want to disconnect the coupler from the transmission & also loosen the stuffing box hose from the 'log'. Then you can see where the shaft naturally wants to be in relation to the engine. If it is off to one side & you have to force it over to line up, then the strut is bent. Another clue is if the shaft is not reasonably centered in the 'log' (This is why you want to remove the hose). I had symptoms similar to yours, turned out my strut was bent about 1/4 inch off center. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-04-2009 at 11:28pm
Mike, The strut has got to be bent or twisted. They don't get this way by themselves. The boat had to have taken a hit at one time. Did he say he would check the shaft for straightness? I hope so. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: mghosn
Date Posted: December-05-2009 at 10:54pm
| So when I remove the four bolts from the coupling, will I need to loosen the two set screws in the rear coupling, or shhould I leave that connected to the shaft? |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: December-05-2009 at 11:00pm
|
Leave the coupler tight to the shaft (It is not easy to get off!). To check alignment, you are checking parallelism of the coupling faces when they are not bolted together. If the shaft is aligned with the tranny, the faces will be parallel within .003 inch. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: mghosn
Date Posted: December-06-2009 at 3:19pm
|
So Hey, First of all , thanks for all your help.. to everyone.
Last night I unbolted the couplings and they are stuck together like glue. I tried the putty knife thiing someone suggested but to no avail... NOt sure how hard to try and pull these things apart. |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-06-2009 at 3:29pm
|
Mike,
They can really rust together especially at the pilot counter bore between them (a male/female step to maintain the coupling halves concentricity). Go back at it with the putty knife and a mallet or a hammer and block of wood. Putty knife, wack, rotate, putty knife, wack. it should break loose. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: December-06-2009 at 4:30pm
|
after unbolted and apart you can loosen the set screws and check and make sure the coupling is tight on the shaft, with mis-alignment over time the couplings have been known to wear and loosen on the shaft. if you can pull the coupling off by hand then you better dig deeper, these couplings are a press fit on the shaft and need to be that way along with the alignment this should be checked also ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: mghosn
Date Posted: December-11-2009 at 7:30pm
| wack, turn, wack, turn, wack turn, I even used liquid wrench super penetrate and i STILL CAN'T GET THESE COUPLINGS TO COME APART.. I'm wondering if this is the sign of a biger problem or it's just that rusted together. |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: December-11-2009 at 9:33pm
|
When I was woirking on mine, I determined the shaft to be bowed beyond hope & just sawz-alled it in half, right in front of the packing.
If you cut it in half, then you can then pry it sideways. Extreme method, but if it's junk anyway . . . BTW, I never did get the coupling off of the old shaft. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-12-2009 at 11:38am
|
It's just rusted together. The only thing holding the two haves are the four bolts. Bigger problem? Probably not but it sure does indicate it hasn't been aligned in quite a long time.
Chris mentioned his bent shaft. This too can cause unequal wer on the cutlass. The best way is to check it by clamping a dial indicator to the strut. It should be checked both forward of the strut and aft on the prop taper. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |