Alignment
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: General Correct Craft Discussion
Forum Name: Common Questions
Forum Discription: Visit here first for common questions regarding your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6037
Printed Date: November-21-2024 at 7:35pm
Topic: Alignment
Posted By: eric lavine
Subject: Alignment
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 8:59am
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most, know how to align a boat on the site, so this is for the ones that dont really understand alignment ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Replies:
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 8:59am
If you look very close you can see a slight gap on the right side and this would be your first location to stick the feeler gauge, you can start side to side or up and down, I started side to side and measured .010 at the gap. my up and down was .004 a the top ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 9:03am
 ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 9:04am
 ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 9:06am
This is a pinch or clamp tight bolt which controls your side to side engine movement, i loosened both sides and kicked the engine to the left to close my gap on the right, I adjusted until i had .000 ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 9:10am
this mount has the adjustment for up and down, the front and back mounts have this adjustment to adjust accordingly, I had to drop my back adjustments a touch to close the .004 gap at the top, remember i added glass to the top of the stringers raising the engine a touch. ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 9:15am
This is the finished product, the coupling spins as easy as if it was not connected to the prop shaft, this means you are not creating any loads in the driveline which with mis alignment you create hevy loads and major damage. One thing to mention is with the bolts out of the 2 couplings and with the gap i had, if you spin the shaft and the gap stays in the same spot then you have mis-alignment, if the gap turns with the shaft, then you have a bent shaft ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 9:15am
| very good diagram with pics there eric...i might just check mine one day...maybe! |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 9:21am
 ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: boat dr
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 10:21am
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Eric, all that boat needs now is a set of polished Hi-Teks to complete the resto.
Good how to on the subject,I know and you know but thanks for sharing your vast knowledge of this critical procedure. Is that a PCM tranny, and the same as you are building for me?..........boat dr ------------- boat dr /diaries/details.asp?ID=4631 - 1949 Dart /diaries/details.asp?ID=1533 - 1964 American Skier |
Posted By: M3Fan
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 10:57am
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Eric, do left-to-right adjustments always involve the rear mounts or when do the front mounts come into play (besides the whole engine being off left or right and the faces not even meeting parallel, obviously). What about up and down adjustments? It seems like you could either lower the front, or raise the rear? How do you make the call?
Edit: the more I think about this, it probably comes down to common sense, but I'm just curious as to your strategy or starting point when it comes to working the 4 mounts when you tackle an alignment issue. This write up is great, by the way. |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 3:27pm
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9 out of ten times you have to raise the engine because it settles over time, in my case I knew I would be a touch high with the engine because of the glass that i added to the tops of the stringers. It pretty much is common sense, Ive spent entire days trying to get some boats to align and then again Ive spent 30 minutes. most of the time i will mess with the rears to get alignment if i find i cant get it to align then I'll start messing with the fronts. v-drive boats are much more critical on the alignments because of the shorter shafts and you can definitly tell when a v-drive transmission was out of alignment because of the wear to the output coupling, it will try to act like a u-joint and will wear the splines and create all types of problems. on inlines if out of alignment it has a tendency to wear the case because now your putting side load on the planetary and worse case it blows all the gears on the planetary and the list price on a Borg Warner planetary is around $1100.00, better off buying a new transmission, also that excessive load will eat horsepower and will also cause the trans to run hotter than normal. ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: bsucics
Date Posted: March-17-2007 at 4:29pm
| Great post - very helpful for me. Thanks! |
Posted By: Randy_in_Ohio
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 8:03am
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Great post Eric.
The pictures show the shaft seal and saftey collar close to the two flanges that bolt together. In mine there is a lot more space between them. I would say I have at least a foot of drive shaft from the flange to the safety collar. Is this right? ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1602&yrstart=1991&yrend=1995" rel="nofollow - 1993 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: M3Fan
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 8:49am
| Eric, what's the official torque on the flange bolts? Do you ever use threadlocker on them? |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 9:49am
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keep the collar an inch or so closer to the seal but not touching, it so if the shaft lets loose you wont jam the prop into the rudder, thats why its always a good idea to check for a nice tight fit at the coupling... make sure it isnt wore out, I'll lock tite them and tighten by hand for the most part, but normally they are torqued to a 7/16 bolt.
For years I had a coast guard inspector looking over me and torqing bolts... Its a feel thing ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Darrel
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 1:00pm
| Thanks Eric, first how-to on alignment in a while. Just brought my boat home and plan on double checking alignment soon. I'm with M3, I will sit there and go over it in my head...if i move the front of the engine to the left it moves the coupling right or i could just move the rear a little bit on the right....then i have another beer and clean the valve covers again. |
Posted By: quinner
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 1:52pm
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Eric,
Should shaft alignment be done in the water or is it OK to do it on the trailer? How often should this be checked? ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1143" rel="nofollow - Mi Bowt |
Posted By: todicus
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 2:03pm
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Another question......... when checking the alignment, should you remove the bolts to the shaft first? Did you mention a torque setting somewhere ?
I've always wanted to put in a dripless shaft seal, but am too chicken to mess with an alignment issue I might create. ------------- Living outside the wake http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1525 - 95GT-40SNOB |
Posted By: M3Fan
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 3:30pm
As I understand it, it should be checked with the bolts out completely, just holding the couplings together with hand pressure. |
todicus wrote:Posted By: LakeHoliday
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 3:37pm
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Eric,
Page 27 of the Borg Warner Velvet Drive Installation Manual (the Reference section of this site is awesome!) states the Propeller and Output Shaft Alignment should be checked anytime the propeller strikes a heavy object and also after the boat has been lifted by a hoist or moved on a trailer. Does everyone here check their alignment everytime they trailer their boats somewhere? I'll be bringing home a Mustang hopefully soon (about 300+ miles). Should I check the alignment before putting it on the lake? Thanks, Brice |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 3:52pm
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I'm not a gambling man, but I'll say 0% of owners on this site check it ever time the boat gets lifted or trailered.
If you can't even check your own impeller how you gonna check your alignment!!! ------------- |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 4:15pm
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perfect scenario is to check it in the water if you can, these boats are very short and rigid and you can get by on the trailer, its the 25 footers and up that should always be checked in the water, any time you strike an object it is a goood idea to check the alignment, i would add it to the spring list of checking it once a year. boats with rotted stringers should be checked more often if that problem is not fixed. if you do decide to check it in the water at least let it sit overnight or longer to let the boat settle to its natural state.
Alignment is often overlooked and is as important as checking the oil, I dont try to advertise this to much because, well you know... but alot of transmissions i see are failed due to mis-alignment and it causes hard part damage, vibrations, excess heat and so on ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 4:41pm
| never knew that and have never check it..i guess i might give it a shot seeing how for some reason i have some feeler gauges lying around here somewhere.. |
Posted By: todicus
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 4:57pm
I still looking for the magical raw water flushing chemical that will disolve missing impeller blades that are stuck somewhere in my motor.  ------------- Living outside the wake http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1525 - 95GT-40SNOB |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 5:02pm
| might wanna start disconnecting hoses look up inside..i heard that small pieces will eventually burn up, again i was told this. |
Posted By: 87BFN owner
Date Posted: March-19-2007 at 5:54pm
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Eric thanks for the helpful reminders about alignment. The pics were worth a thousand words. Boat looks great also. ------------- |
Posted By: tullfooter
Date Posted: March-23-2007 at 5:07pm
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Eric, Those type of pics and instruction are great for us newbie CC owners. I will check my alignment this weekend. When I bought my 85BFN in December, I noticed that the prop/shaft turned harder than I thought it should. It turns consistantly hard all the way around. The previous owner said that he just repacked the shaft. Does that make sense? Is there anything else I should check in regards to the shaft.
Again, thanks for the schooling. Steve ------------- Play hard, life's not a trial run. '85 BFN '90 BFN White Lake, Michigan |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-23-2007 at 7:04pm
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he may have the packing a touch to tight, but still check the alignment, if its out and then corrected the boat will run much better, people will call me on the phone all the time and i will try explaining and i think i lose some after the first word... pictures tell a thousand stories ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: March-23-2007 at 7:28pm
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I thought mine ran smoother when I did it,but that might be like taking a sugar pill,it can't hurt.I can't imagine checking it every time it's lifted,my lift uses cables and straps, no bunks. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-24-2007 at 8:41am
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once a year is plenty, unless you hit something ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Justin131313
Date Posted: March-27-2007 at 1:03pm
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Thanks to this post I realligned my boat this past weekend. I thought the prop was hard to turn so I wanted to investigate. Sure enough, as soon as I detached the propshaft it was obvious that it spun easier when it was about 1/4" higher and 1/8" to the right. I moved the motor up and over and use paper as a feeler guage. I used a dial caliper and the paper was between .003 - .004. I played with it for about an hour and got it to where I pretty much couldnt get the paper in between the propshaft and transmission flanges anywhere around the whole circumference. Id say its within .003 is that close enough. Also, my shaft is now not perfectly centered in the log. It doesnt look like it will rub or anything. I have about an 1/8" clearance, but the prop spins much easier now. Is that O.K. ?????
Thanks for this post Eric, very helpful. P.S. all my motor mounts were kinda loose, you guys should all at least check that. If they are loose you could be out of alignment. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1807&sort=&pagenum=2&yrstart=1985&yrend=1985 - My 85 SN |
Posted By: todicus
Date Posted: March-27-2007 at 2:10pm
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How easy should it be to turn your prop and shaft ? ------------- Living outside the wake http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1525 - 95GT-40SNOB |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-27-2007 at 3:23pm
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like its been well foreplayed... of coarse the cutlass bearing needs to be lubed, sometimes the rubber causes tightness but it turns pretty easy.
alignment really is a crucial part of maintanance, it is as important as changing oil and include as a routine as if you were changing oil. Its funny how the transmission always is overlooked ill ask a guy about changing oil and he'll tell me yeah 2 times a season.....on the motor, what about the trans? he'll say he didnt think he had too ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: March-27-2007 at 3:47pm
That doesn't really help. I have to 2 hand the prop (dry) to get it to turn. It certainly will not move with the flick of a finger. ------------- |
Posted By: Justin131313
Date Posted: March-27-2007 at 5:28pm
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I had to use two hands to turn mine before, now I can turn it with one strong finger. In fact, if I flick it it almost spins another quater turn upon release. I could have made it spin even easier but the propshaft started getting close to the log. I am thinking its O.K. that its a tad off center. I might need to adjust my strut. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1807&sort=&pagenum=2&yrstart=1985&yrend=1985 - My 85 SN |
Posted By: Darrel
Date Posted: March-27-2007 at 5:30pm
| Are you going to shim the strut w/ washers? What else would you do to adjust the strut? |
Posted By: 87BFN owner
Date Posted: March-27-2007 at 5:41pm
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Should be using shim tabs to shim the strut, I would think washers would be way to big. ------------- |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 8:48am
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Hollywood, check it, if its out you'll be surprised how much better your boat will perform, when you spin it it should spin at the consistancy as if your prop shaft was not hooked up. if your .010 out imagine the load your creating to the ass end of the trans ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 9:15am
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Ok I will put it on the "to do" list. This damn thing keeps getting longer but it's almost time to SKI. ------------- |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 10:15am
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it should be number one on the list ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Justin131313
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 11:45am
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Steve, you can tell if the resistance is the propshaft packing by taking off the hose clamps and sliding the whole packing assembly up the shaft a couple of inches. Then this wont be part of the equation. Then if you take a couple ore minutes and remove the four bolts hlolding the shaft to the trans you cann determine really quick how well you are aligned. It takes longer to remove all of the interior than it does to check all of this. Actually alinging it as Eric said could take a while. Took me about an hour of nudging this way and that. Thats not counting removing the interior and dissasembling everything and doing the reverse. I didnt have a helper so I was in and out of the boat a hundred times. Get a helper. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1807&sort=&pagenum=2&yrstart=1985&yrend=1985 - My 85 SN |
Posted By: bsucics
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 12:44pm
What's the best way to determine if I have a problem with the prop shaft (bent)? I'll be pulling my boat out of storage this weekend and I know I have some issues. At the very least, I'll take my prop off and have that fixed locally. I'm also pretty sure I'll have some alignment issues as it takes both hands to rotate the prop. How can I then tell if I have a third issue with the shaft? The boat's been this way since I purchased it last year, but I also hit a rock hard enough to see the back end of the boat lift up. Thanks!
|
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 1:14pm
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if you hit something that hard a bent shaft is inevitable, i would pull the shaft also and have it checked ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: bsucics
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 1:37pm
| Worth the trouble to adjust the alignment now, or pull the shaft as the first order of business? Thanks Eric! |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 3:22pm
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you can check the shaft your self by following the gap on alignment, if the gap turns with the shaft then you know its bent, if the gap stays in the same spot then its mis-alignment. if you hit hard most definitly the shaft is bent. BUT....... you cant tell if you have a bend after the taper, truly the best way to check shafts is with a dial indicater mounted to a stabil place and check in 3 or 4 spots. or pull the shaft and put on v-blocks as i do (go to foam removal post and you can see) ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: David F
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 3:36pm
I do not see how this can be a good method. If you remove the rubber hose from the shaft log, AND disconnect from the tranny, then you are essentially supporting the drive shaft only via the cutlass bearing. This will put a terrible out of alignment condition on the cutlass bearing for sure. I always try to center the shaft in the cutlass bearing longitudinally and then support the shaft with the packing assembly (i.e. shaft log, hose, packing. Or, I support the shaft with a wood block). Then I move the engine to match up to the coupling. ------------- |
Posted By: LakeHoliday
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 3:50pm
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I just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly. If it takes two hands to move the prop around... something is out of alignment? It should spin easily with a strong finger or two? ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1833 - 1967 Correct Craft Mustang |
Posted By: Justin131313
Date Posted: March-28-2007 at 6:42pm
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David
The reason to remove the propshaft packing assembly is because if the shaft has been sitting off for a while the rubber "trains" to that position. The cutlass bearing and strut will tell you by feel where the propshaft wants to be. If the rubber is pushing the shaft to its trained position its harder to feel where the cutlass wants the shaft to be. Once recentered the rubber will flex and retrain, and you will be reclamping it into the correct position. Sure you should support it while its unattached, I just slid the propshaft back up against the tranny when I wanted to let go. I am sure the cutlass and strut designed to hold up to so many pressures could handle the weight of the shaft, but supporting it is probably a good idea. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1807&sort=&pagenum=2&yrstart=1985&yrend=1985 - My 85 SN |
Posted By: michigan dave
Date Posted: March-29-2007 at 10:30pm
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Great topic, I just re-installed my engine in
my fish-nautique last week. I followed Erics instructions and I was disapointed. The shaft got hard to turn as soon as I tightened up the four bolts. It looked at first like I had a bent prop shaft, but it was actually a small ding in the propshaft coupling face from when I drove a screwdriver between them to seperate the 2 halfs of the coupler. This wouldnt allow the coupling to mate flat to the tranny half.. A few minutes with a file and bingo. This is not the first time I have shot myself in the foot. heheh Just thought I would pass it on. ------------- 1984 Fish Nautique 351ci- 14x13 four blade acme south haven mi. |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-30-2007 at 8:43am
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i would only use a screwdriver to seperate the halves when your not watching..
my first sentence shouldve been, common sense required lol eric ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: tullfooter
Date Posted: March-30-2007 at 12:19pm
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Good thread for me guys, it will help tomorrow when I pull the interior and get to all these parts you refer to (shaft logs, cutlass bearings, struts, couplings). Should be an interesting morning.
Eric or anyone else, if I find that the packing is too tight, is there something I can do to adjust it while the boat is out of the water or should I wait until I can run it in the lake for a test? The previous owner said he just replaced the packing. I'm also going to drain and flush the tranny and change the oil. I thought I had read that 15W40 is the oil of choice for the 454's. Sounds odd to me? Any thoughts "87? Thanks, Steve ------------- Play hard, life's not a trial run. '85 BFN '90 BFN White Lake, Michigan |
Posted By: 87BFN owner
Date Posted: March-30-2007 at 5:46pm
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Tullfooter, the Midwest CC guy Jeff told me that I should run straight 40 weight in it all year round. He said when it's cold it will trun over a little slower, but give it an extra minute of warm up time when it's cold and no problems.
I followed his advice no probs here. ------------- |
Posted By: bsucics
Date Posted: April-01-2007 at 8:23pm
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Today was the first time I've had a chance to check out my boat since reading this thread. I'm struggling a bit as I have no point of reference (what it should be like).
I can rotate the prop with one hand, but it certainly will not spin freely, regardless of force. It seems to bind in the strut. There is a steady vibration as I rotate it by hand, accompanied by a fairly unpleasant noice. Not sure how much of that is due to the fact that it's out of water. I'm almost certain I need to check alignment, but I'm just curious if this is normal otherwise (assuming it needs to be adjusted). ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1840" rel="nofollow - 1989 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: April-02-2007 at 7:44am
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the dry rubber may be causing this in the strut, spray a touch of silicone to lube and then spin, check your alignment...dont put it off
------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: 81nautique
Date Posted: April-14-2007 at 3:10pm
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Eric,
After reinstalling my motor I have to adjust the front to the port side slightly but I can not get them to move. I had to remove the rears and heat them to free them up but I don't think I can remove the front mounts without lifting the motor again. Any suggestions on freeing these things up. I am sooooo close on the alignment a 1/16" up front will get me there. ------------- You can’t change the wind but you can adjust your sails |
Posted By: acedizzle916
Date Posted: April-14-2007 at 8:41pm
| what the heck is a "feeler" that your using to get these measurements???? |
Posted By: Randy_in_Ohio
Date Posted: April-14-2007 at 11:11pm
Feeler Gauge:
 ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1602&yrstart=1991&yrend=1995" rel="nofollow - 1993 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: acedizzle916
Date Posted: April-15-2007 at 11:10am
| whoa your awesome thank you! |
Posted By: acedizzle916
Date Posted: April-16-2007 at 5:45pm
| got any reference material for an older boat than the one your showing here? say for an 83 ski nautique? |
Posted By: Darrel
Date Posted: April-16-2007 at 8:24pm
| Ace, the year does not matter, its still done the same way. .003 is a thin blade. |
Posted By: acedizzle916
Date Posted: April-17-2007 at 3:37am
| my motor mounts don't look like the ones in the picture he posted at all. it's late now, but i'll take a picture of them in the morning and post them tomorrow and maybe someone can clue me in on how to adjust the motor side to side. i loosened everything i thought was holding it from moving side to side and got my brother to try moving it with a long prybar, but it looked as though the motor mount bolts would break off before the motor budged at all so i gave up and figured i must have been doing it wrong. took the boat out today though to make sure everything else was running. how bad is it to run the boat out of alignment temporarily until i figure out how to get it just right? |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: April-17-2007 at 7:49am
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if your out .004 you can temporarily, any further you may do damage. id really try to get it straightened out. take some pics and we;ll try to figure it out for you ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: acedizzle916
Date Posted: April-17-2007 at 1:21pm
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this is my 83 ski nautique. 
heres a picture of the trans and shaft and mounts. 
|
Posted By: acedizzle916
Date Posted: April-17-2007 at 1:26pm
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Posted By: Darrel
Date Posted: April-17-2007 at 2:35pm
| Did you loosen them on both sides, front and back? Try some PB Blaster to loosen 'em up a bit and get a bigger pry bar. Bad idea to run the boat when out of alignment like Eric said. |
Posted By: acedizzle916
Date Posted: April-17-2007 at 8:35pm
| i don't know what PB Blaster is, but i tried using a couple different compounds on them, and the prybar i used was huge already. i made an appointment with west coast correct craft to have them align it next month, but i still don't see how they are going to be able to. what is PB Blaster and where can i find it? |
Posted By: michigan dave
Date Posted: April-17-2007 at 10:49pm
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I just went through this same deal. I had the engine out for bilge work so I had already lubed up the motor mount slides, it still would not budge side to side. I put a small jack between the trans and the stringer and applied some presure, then was able to slide it over and tighten it down. Dont give up!!!
dave ------------- 1984 Fish Nautique 351ci- 14x13 four blade acme south haven mi. |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: April-18-2007 at 8:44am
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some times they rust in place and are a real pita to remove, it sounds like if you can't move them side to side, i will remove 1 at a time and cabinet blast them and never seize them, but are you capable of this? heat from a mapp gas torch will also possibly break them loose but now your in a gray area with open flame. what are your alignment readings now? ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: Munday
Date Posted: April-18-2007 at 10:13am
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What I have done is place a jack under exhaust manifold to remove presure from mount and remove,then like Eric says clean them up so they are working easily.Also the rubbers in the mount should be straight up no bind when you get everything lined up,that will make the best vibration free alignment.
Munday |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: April-18-2007 at 12:09pm
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they are so much easier once you clean them and lube them, they will practically move effortlessly once you do this, take the extra time to get your alignment correct, it will save you in the long run and your boat will perform that much better ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: joes83sn
Date Posted: June-03-2007 at 8:52am
| great topic, thanks for the pics. |
Posted By: behindpropeller
Date Posted: June-05-2007 at 1:07pm
I check my alignment every spring. Once it has sat on the lift for a couple weeks I check it, this year it gets checked twice since the trans was out. Everybody says how smooth my boat runs. Its 21 years old now too. To get it to slide side to side use your 1 1/8" wrench to move it instead of a pri-bar. The wrench over the mount will distribute the forces more evenly. Tim |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: June-05-2007 at 1:32pm
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Thats a tough question to answer, but my take is once a year is fine or when you hit an object, Correct Craft hulls are built so rigid and the shortness of the boats i dont believe it is necessary to align it every time you trailer it, I believe the Borg Warner manual says to do this for liabilities and warranties and aim more towards larger boats that get trailored such as in the 25 foot and up range and thinner constructed hulls. would i check it more than once a year....no, but...i would check it ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: 87BFN owner
Date Posted: June-06-2007 at 5:40pm
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CC manual states in the check list section, that alignment should be checked once a year as Eric has said before. ------------- |
Posted By: stang72
Date Posted: July-11-2007 at 1:42am
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Eric...great topic!
I had the engine out for a rear seal and figured I would clean and lube the the mounts.They were a bit tight due to rust...PB and a crow bar...now they side easily. The prop now turns evenly with the one finger pull! Thanks for the post! ------------- stang Face plants are not that funny when it's you face! http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/images/3720/photo1.jpg" rel="nofollow - The Super Air |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: July-11-2007 at 9:23am
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load = loss of horsepower and gas... you added years of life to that trans Stang ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: stang72
Date Posted: July-11-2007 at 1:11pm
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It's been alive a long time and I won't mind keeping it for a while longer!
------------- stang Face plants are not that funny when it's you face! http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/images/3720/photo1.jpg" rel="nofollow - The Super Air |
Posted By: stang72
Date Posted: July-24-2007 at 11:49am
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Thought I would mention this to see if it makes sense!
Before getting the alignment right...I had a tad bit of an Idle issue when dropping it into gear...it would almost want to die unless I bumped the throttle up a bit (or have to set idle speed another 100 rpms up).I like to see 600 rpms when engaged. I figure there was enough resistance to effect it. It now it idles right where it sould with no stumble!!! Smooth as butter. ------------- stang Face plants are not that funny when it's you face! http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/images/3720/photo1.jpg" rel="nofollow - The Super Air |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: August-06-2007 at 10:13am
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thats not imagination, it was loaded up and you removed the load, it makes alot of sense...its a great example of why alignment is so important ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-15-2008 at 3:56am
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Thanks guys, great post-I am a new CC owner and had no idea of this important issue. I will be checking my new 1984 SN 2001 before taking it to the lake. A 1700.00 repair would end my boating season pretty quickly. Thanks again-great pics ------------- gb842001 |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-15-2008 at 12:40pm
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why thank you for the compliment on the topic, just trying to save you a trans rebuild, it could be costly. Eric ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-16-2008 at 2:59pm
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Hey Eric, When I check this with the feeler gauge, do I want it to all be at .003, should it just be equal all the way around regardless of the gap ------------- gb842001 |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-16-2008 at 3:53pm
Greg, I feel you have missed the basic idea of alignment. You want the engines crank shaft on the same centerline as the prop shaft. It's like your arm straight out and not bent at the elbow. When using the feller gauge between the coupling halves, you are checking to see if the faces are parallel or the crank shaft and prop shaft are on that same center line. The .003" is the max out of parallel you want the coupling faces. Don't worry, Eric can be confusing at times!!! At least you unbolted the coupling halves because there was a post the other day on another site that the boat owner was trying to get a .003 feeler between the halves without unbolting. Since he couldn't, he thought his alignment was good! Hope I've helped, and welcome. ------------- /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: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-16-2008 at 4:18pm
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Thanks Pete(?) I think I'm on the same page,,,,,,,,,,so the gap can be what ever it is it just cant vary more than .003, I still feel that if it was not off by .003, that would be ideal, but is that asking for to much? ------------- gb842001 |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-16-2008 at 6:43pm
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shoot for zero all the way around, the spec is .003 or less on 2 parallel faces, this is what you are trying to achieve, it is a bit confusing and i do it all the time and expect everyone to jump in and understand it but sometimes i get ahead of myself because i do it all the time and think everyone should understand it.....try explaining it on the phone to someone...
if you did have .003 at the 3,6,9, and 12 o'clock position then that would be perfect because you've achieved .000 clearance...if that helps any. ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-16-2008 at 6:59pm
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overall on transmissions i see about 20 to 25% problems created from mis-alignment,
here are some of the problems caused: 1. horsepower loss, due to excessive load 2. excessive heat in the trans, from load 3. vibrations 4. case wear 5. major planetarty failure, with it goes many other hard parts inside the trans 6. it causes drum failure on the PCM transmissions, (hairline cracks) 7. breaks the oil down quicker due to the heat 8. more gas useage due to extra load 9. srut bearing wear 10. shaft wear 11. coupling wear as you can see why this this should be included in your yearly ritual, preferably after winter lay-up, i always stress alignment and it will always be as important as changing your engine oil mis-alignment is the equivalant to running your engine 2 qts low all summer long.... ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-16-2008 at 11:25pm
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Thanks Eric, the 3,9,6,12 o'clock does help, I was on the right page, I think I just worded it weird. Thanks again, when I tear in I'll post how it went. Thanks 842001 ------------- gb842001 |
Posted By: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-19-2008 at 2:41pm
Hey Guys- I've yet to dive into allignment just yet, but it is coming up on my list, so here is a pic of my set-up. My question is- do I take out the 4 bolts plus loosen up the 2 set screws with the safety wire on them? ------------- gb842001 |
Posted By: Bremsen
Date Posted: March-19-2008 at 2:47pm
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Loosen the 4 bolts, not the set screws. Be sure that the coupling faces actually seperate. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=923&sort=&pagenum=3&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990 - Our 88 SN2001 |
Posted By: JoeinNY
Date Posted: March-19-2008 at 2:50pm
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No dont loosen the set screws, the coupling needs to stay on the shaft and it should be pressed on... not loose at all. ------------- 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: eric lavine
Date Posted: March-19-2008 at 3:59pm
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make sure though that it is a press fit, that is one of the first signs of mis-alignment is a loose coupling which has been working on the shaft ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-19-2008 at 10:04pm
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Sounds good- I take it when I take out the four bolts, I should be able to spin the shaft and coupling, and if so, do I need to have the coupling lined up with the trany in a certain spot to check the gap, or do I just line up the bolt holes? One more thing (for now) how will I know if the pressed on coupler is loose if the set screws are still tight? Thanks-GB ------------- gb842001 |
Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-20-2008 at 12:11am
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it will still rock if it is bad as the screws haven't moved since they are safty wired and the coupling was pressed on when they where tightened and they'll ware too if the coupling as worn due to misalignment.
Also are you doing this in the water or on the trailer? ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: March-20-2008 at 7:52am
The coupling halves have a pilot bore and shoulder to keep the concentricity. (Shaft centered to the the trans) You will at one point want to loosen the set screws to make sure the shaft and coupling are tight and not worn. ------------- /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: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-20-2008 at 12:41pm
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Thanks- I am doing this on the Trailer-is that not good? ------------- gb842001 |
Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-20-2008 at 1:30pm
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it's a good start getting it close on the trailer but the hull is supported diferently when on the trailer than it would be in water. So it can change a little and it is a very tight spec. so it needs to be double checked on the water. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique |
Posted By: phospher
Date Posted: March-20-2008 at 3:38pm
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yeah, this is a great post. thanks Eric! ------------- |
Posted By: BuffaloBFN
Date Posted: March-20-2008 at 6:58pm
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You'll know when you have it right...it'll be smoooth! ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2331&sort=&pagenum=12&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990" rel="nofollow - 1988 BFN-sold "It's a Livin' Thing...What a Terrible Thing to Lose" ELO |
Posted By: baumanmt
Date Posted: March-20-2008 at 9:16pm
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Thanks again, I'm gonna go out and see where its at right now- I'll keep you all posted, thanks for the help! ------------- gb842001 |