Engine Alignment Calculator
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=24381
Printed Date: November-19-2024 at 11:37am
Topic: Engine Alignment Calculator
Posted By: dwoodland
Subject: Engine Alignment Calculator
Date Posted: December-14-2011 at 8:50pm
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I've been putting together a web based engine alignment calculator for direct drive boats to calculate the necessary adjustments at the motor mounts in order to bring the engine and prop shaft into perfect alignment while moving the position of the prop shaft as little as possible. I got the idea after doing an alignment on my boat and realizing that traditional wisdom of "pry with a crowbar" until the shafts are aligned leaves something to be desired and that there has to be a way to calculate geometrically how much the engine needs to be moved.
Basically it works like this, go to the web page below and punch in input values for D ( the shaft flange diameter ), R1 ( distance from flange surface to rear motor mounts ), R2 ( distance from flange surface to front motor mounts ), and max flange gap. The max flange gap is the maximum gap you can find between the flange surfaces when the two flanges are just touching. You can find this by bringing the flanges together till they are just touching then using your smallest feeler gauge ( mine is 0.0015" ) to feel all the way around the flange till you find where its touching. The max gap will be on the other side. Once you have the four input fields filled in, you can drag and drop the red arrow to indicate the position of the max flange gap and this triggers the calculations. The outputs are the gap quadrant calculations ( what the gap should measure with a feeler gauge at each of the quadrants ) and the alignment calculations. I hope u guys can make good use of this and that I'm not way out in left field... questions, comments, and feedback are welcome :) Note: not currently working in Internet Explorer, I have currently only tested in Firefox and Chrome Click here to launch... http://vent.hack22.net/directalign - http://vent.hack22.net/directalign |
Replies:
Posted By: DrCC
Date Posted: December-14-2011 at 10:01pm
| Finally!!! A Tool to make it even more time consuming! |
Posted By: DrCC
Date Posted: December-14-2011 at 10:05pm
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We need you to develope a program that moves the engine telepathicly.
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Posted By: Luchog
Date Posted: December-14-2011 at 11:31pm
 ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2095" rel="nofollow - 1980 Ski Nautique Commander 351W |
DrCC wrote:Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 10:20am
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hah, finally a tool at 85.00 bucks an hour, that i can make money on ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 10:25am
Chris, I feel you have forgotten about the strut. It's alignment to the log is where all alignment needs to start plus, the shaft must maintain it's centering in the log. Welcome to CCfan. What boat do you have? ------------- /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: 75 Tique
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 11:17am
Don't know, but it must be REALLY old, in that the instructions on the web page I brougth up were in Latin. (maybe its just that whole internet explorer thing, which I am limited to here at work...or maybe it was done that way to make it easier for Pete  Sorry Pete, just messin' with ya)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. ------------- _____________ “So, how was your weekend?” “Well, let me see…sun burn, stiff neck, screwed up back, assorted aches and pains….yup, my weekend was great, thanks for asking.” |
Posted By: Riley
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 11:36am
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Pete, How do you set the rough alignment? When you're installing an engine that's never been in a boat, how do you set it up so that it's close enough that you can do the fine alignment with the mounts, once it's in the boat?
Larry, that from the days of the ancient Latins having prop driven boats run by slaves under the deck spinning the shafts some how? |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 11:53am
Bruce, we essentially had to do this on the BFN since we changed pretty much everything about the way the engine mounts to the boat. The only thing that didnt move was the shaft log. First, we got the strut perfectly aligned to the log and mounted to the boat. On the engine side, what we did was to center the mounts in their adjustment range and then set it down in the boat, in the approximate place it was going to go. With the shaft in place (and supported such that it was aligned in the strut) we then used big pry bars to get the engine "rough aligned" to the shaft. Basically, it had to be close enough to aligned that we were confident we could get the rest of the way there with the adjustment in the mounts. Front to back was the most critical thing, as the mounts cant adjust for that. Then we marked and drilled our mount holes. Then we installed the engine for real- the rest of the way, its just like a normal alignment (assuming you got it close enough with the rough alignmnent!). ------------- |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 12:14pm
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Bruce,
Just as Tim explained, it's pretty much hanging the engine in the boat and rough adjusting to the point where the mounts will do the fine adjustments needed. ------------- /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: Riley
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 1:55pm
| I guess I'll finally get to use my engine leveler. We don't have much room to play with between the bottom of the engine and the hull. We're using the same rear mounts on the Interceptor that are on the Chrysler, so I'm hoping we'll use the same holes/location for the new engine at the tranny end. |
Posted By: ny_nautique
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 3:25pm
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The latin is just a space filler until he gets around to writing the text. ------------- - Jeff 1999 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 3:47pm
Yes, An inside micrometer would be needed to measure the horizontal distance between the engine and stringers. Then calculating the number of of turns needed per the thread pitch of the vertical threads on the mounts. Sounds easy to me!  ------------- /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: watrski
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 4:16pm
Cool stuff. Probably not practical but I'm impressed with your page. I know the latin on the bottom is just part of a generic template. Tim |
Posted By: quinner
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 4:34pm
Assuming Chris used a likeness to his own boat on this image, my guess is a Mastercraft. Doc, great response, LOL and ^^ Ditto on what Tim Said ^^ ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1143" rel="nofollow - Mi Bowt |
Posted By: vondy
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 5:01pm
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Actually it's called "Greek". Although it comes from Latin. Lorem Ipsum is basically a place holder text language. You would use it in a brochure, etc., to design a layout before you have actual copy. ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4645&sort=&pagenum=1 - 69 Mustang HM |
Posted By: DrCC
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 7:18pm
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I kinda like Eric's comment.
The E A Calculator aka: Service Bill-Enhancement Tool. If you align mine with a Lap-Top, Micrometers and Calipers. You by gawd better be wearing a White Laboratory Coat and Latex Gloves. When you see the Lab Coat and the Laptop you should automatically expect to pay more. Well, I'm off to the shop to design a Sweat-Guard for my Laptop Keyboard. |
Posted By: boat dr
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 7:49pm
Eric, we been doing it wrong all these years..Now I gotta buy a laptop for the shop...  ------------- boat dr /diaries/details.asp?ID=4631 - 1949 Dart /diaries/details.asp?ID=1533 - 1964 American Skier |
Posted By: boat dr
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 7:51pm
DrCC, stay clear of me when wearing those latex gloves.  ------------- boat dr /diaries/details.asp?ID=4631 - 1949 Dart /diaries/details.asp?ID=1533 - 1964 American Skier |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 10:09pm
Isn't there a current thread about "Nautique" Dealers and BIG tune up costs? Gee, They must have gotten the lap tops out to figure out how to do a tune up on a 70's era boat!! ------------- /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: DrCC
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 10:39pm
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Pete, The dealers around here, won't even touch a boat that's older than 10 years.
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Posted By: 65 'cuda
Date Posted: December-15-2011 at 10:58pm
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Some of the precision alignment tools I've used:
Wrecking bar, spud bar, flat shovel, spade shovel, 2 x 4 (when used flat), 4 x 2 (when used on edge), 16 oz hammer, 20 oz hammer, Big fookin' Hammer (4 lb. engineers hammer) PB Blaster, Big ratchet and socket, big open ended wrench, big bolt rounder offer (big adjustable wrench) and of course a set of feeler gauges. Each time I've had to do an alignment, I get a bit better at it, but each time the results are the same: spin that prop with one finger, easy peasy! ------------- Gary http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=941" rel="nofollow - 1965 Barracuda SS |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-16-2011 at 8:43am
I feel that's because the "techs" can't plug in anything to the engine to tell them what's wrong! I wonder if they even know what the old Sun tune up centers were? ------------- /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: JoeinNY
Date Posted: December-16-2011 at 12:24pm
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I think more realistically the reason some dont work on old boats is that with the overhead required to work on new boats they need to charge hourly rates and parts prices that bring the bill very quickly up to a significant portion of the boats value.. which is not a good idea for anyone involved. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1477 - 1983 Ski Nautique 2001 1967 Mustang 302 "Decoy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5MkcBXBBs - Holeshot Video |
Posted By: dwoodland
Date Posted: December-16-2011 at 1:42pm
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I have a 99 Toyota Epic 21. I was originally looking for a nautique but ran across this Epic 21 in good shape so went with it. The drive layout is the same as any other direct drive out there though.. Sounds like the tool is more of a toy than anything else. Maybe I should go back to doing the alignment with the big fookin hammer
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Posted By: Luchog
Date Posted: December-16-2011 at 8:25pm
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down here you can charge better with newer boats, also, newer means less hands have been laid on it so usually you dont find previous genius works on them that end up very time consuming to fix up. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2095" rel="nofollow - 1980 Ski Nautique Commander 351W |
Posted By: john b
Date Posted: December-17-2011 at 12:58am
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I have developed an OBD II system to diagnose some problems that may be common on a 70 Mustang with your laptop. The boat must be in the water with the engine running to perform this diagnostic procedure.
I. Launch your Mustang and secure it to the dock and start it in neutral. 2. leave your bilge pump in the off position. 3. Turn on your laptop and put it in the bilge. 4. If the computer fails within 1 minute you most likely have a very large leak, such as a hole in the hull. 5. If it takes 1-3 minutes check your exhaust hoses and freeze plugs. 6. If it takes more than 3 minutes check your rudder and log packing. 7. If it operates for more than 3 minutes and suddenly fails, check to see if it's raining. No special software required. ------------- 1970 Mustang "Theseus' paradox" If everyone else is doing it, you're too late! |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: December-17-2011 at 12:07pm
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woodland, describe your epic, never been on one,
you got that right Joe, i recently finished up a 86 Pachanga, beautiful boat, he did the interior, painted it, i did the transom amd he said the drives were perfect, he had close to 50k in this boat and asked me what is its worth , I said at a stretch probably 20k, siiiiiigh, well you know just the stringers werent rotted, it needed another 5k in drive and engine work which he thought that was perfect.....i feel so bad for him ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |