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Engine alignment frustration! Help!

J

John4003

Regular Contributor
So I purchased a new GM 3.0 and a good low hours drive for my boat. It has the old style rear mounts with the fiber washers and after installing, I cannot seem to get the alignment correct! The alignment tool goes in fairly easy and the grease has spline marks all the way around but the tool still seems a little hard to pull out. Seems like no matter what I do, it does not slide in and out easy like I see in some of the videos. I tried tapping the tool with a hammer also to align the bearing but maybe I'm not hitting it hard enough? Help!
 
John4003 said:
So I purchased a new GM 3.0 and a good low hours drive for my boat. It has the old style rear mounts with the fiber washers and after installing, I cannot seem to get the alignment correct! The alignment tool goes in fairly easy and the grease has spline marks all the way around but the tool still seems a little hard to pull out. Seems like no matter what I do, it does not slide in and out easy like I see in some of the videos. I tried tapping the tool with a hammer also to align the bearing but maybe I'm not hitting it hard enough? Help!
Click to expand...
I think I figured it out. I need the shim kit...
 
If the bottom of the mounts are smooth, you need the double wound spring, if new type mounts were installed (knurled bottom) you need a shim
Have you tried adjusting the front mount ?
 
Bt Doctur said:
If the bottom of the mounts are smooth, you need the double wound spring, if new type mounts were installed (knurled bottom) you need a shim
Have you tried adjusting the front mount ?
Click to expand...

Oh yes. Up and down and never could make the tool slip in easy. I loosened the back mount bolts getting ready to re install everything just to make sure I didn't make any mistakes and my buddy helping said, hey the tool slips right in now!
 
RicardoMarine said:
Perhaps these will help.



View attachment 21933

View attachment 21934
Click to expand...
Yes I have those thanks. I have the old mounts (2001) and purchased new hardware but after torquing down the rear mount bolts, I could not get the tool to slide in and out easy. Only after loosening them which I believe raised the back of the motor slightly, was I able to slide the tool in easy which leads me to believe I need to shim the mounts. Not sure why really because the transom and bell housing are original but the gimbal housing is newer.
 
John4003 said:
Yes I have those thanks. I have the old mounts (2001) and purchased new hardware but after torquing down the rear mount bolts, I could not get the tool to slide in and out easy. Only after loosening them which I believe raised the back of the motor slightly, was I able to slide the tool in easy which leads me to believe I need to shim the mounts. Not sure why really because the transom and bell housing are original but the gimbal housing is newer.
Click to expand...

Just to make sure you understand... According to your comments above, "All is not OK" Loosening the bolts in the back and the tool sliding in means you are missing the spring washers.

If your rear mounts are smooth on the bottom side and stated in a previous comment, you need to use the spring washer between the mount and the inner transom plate, not just the "Fiber Washer".
 
And if you do it that way we will explain how to replace the stripped out coupler next
If you omitted the doublewound spring , install it
 
Docksidemarineservices said:
Just to make sure you understand... According to your comments above, "All is not OK" Loosening the bolts in the back and the tool sliding in means you are missing the spring washers.

If your rear mounts are smooth on the bottom side and stated in a previous comment, you need to use the spring washer between the mount and the inner transom plate, not just the "Fiber Washer".
Click to expand...

Okay I did put the spring washers in. That's what is weird. Maybe I need to pull them out and make sure they are in the right spot? They just slip in the center of the fiber washer and into the transom mount correct?
 
Docksidemarineservices said:
Just to make sure you understand... According to your comments above, "All is not OK" Loosening the bolts in the back and the tool sliding in means you are missing the spring washers.

If your rear mounts are smooth on the bottom side and stated in a previous comment, you need to use the spring washer between the mount and the inner transom plate, not just the "Fiber Washer".
Click to expand...

Just raised the motor to look at the mounts. Here you can see the washer.
 

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John4003 said:
Just raised the motor to look at the mounts. Here you can see the washer.
Click to expand...

You have them in the right spot. Tighten the rear bolts tight. Don't be afraid.

Support the front of the engine with your hoist. Pull the front mount off and raise or lower the engine until your alignment tool fits perfect. Then adjust your mount to fit, reinstall the mount and do your final adjustment.
 
Docksidemarineservices said:
You have them in the right spot. Tighten the rear bolts tight. Don't be afraid.

Support the front of the engine with your hoist. Pull the front mount off and raise or lower the engine until your alignment tool fits perfect. Then adjust your mount to fit, reinstall the mount and do your final adjustment.
Click to expand...

That's what I'll do thanks!
 
Okay guys I put everything back together and loosened the front mount. I hooked up the hoist and have been raising and lowering the front but I cannot get the tool to slide in and out very easy! Also it seems that the grease on the bottom of the tool is always lighter or not there which means the front needs to go up right? So I raise it little by little until the tool gets stuck but still shows light grease on the bottom! Is it something I'm missing?
 
John4003 said:
Okay guys I put everything back together and loosened the front mount. I hooked up the hoist and have been raising and lowering the front but I cannot get the tool to slide in and out very easy! Also it seems that the grease on the bottom of the tool is always lighter or not there which means the front needs to go up right? So I raise it little by little until the tool gets stuck but still shows light grease on the bottom! Is it something I'm missing?
Click to expand...

Rotate the crank shaft 90 degrees and see if the marks move. You may have a bad engine coupler.
 
John4003 said:
Okay guys I put everything back together and loosened the front mount. I hooked up the hoist and have been raising and lowering the front but I cannot get the tool to slide in and out very easy! Also it seems that the grease on the bottom of the tool is always lighter or not there which means the front needs to go up right? So I raise it little by little until the tool gets stuck but still shows light grease on the bottom! Is it something I'm missing?
Click to expand...

Could the inserts in the motor mount be bad or collapse?
 
They pretty much stay the same. I've been told maybe the mount inserts are bad because if I loosen the bolts, I can get the tool to slide in easy.
 
John4003 said:
They pretty much stay the same. I've been told maybe the mount inserts are bad because if I loosen the bolts, I can get the tool to slide in easy.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression that you purchased a "New 3.0".... If not, yes the mounts will sag and will need to be replaced.

Did you get the updated mounts or the original ones with the spring spacer?
 
I did but I used the old bell housing. I just ordered the updated mounts with all new hardware but I'm a little worried about pressing the old ones out without removing the motor again. Damn
 
John4003 said:
I did but I used the old bell housing. I just ordered the updated mounts with all new hardware but I'm a little worried about pressing the old ones out without removing the motor again. Damn
Click to expand...

You will have to remove the engine and the bell housing from the engine. Support the bell, get a chrome socket that just fits in the hole and beat the old mount out with a heavy hammer. Clean up the bell and Squeeze the new mount back in with a vise or a bottle jack and the ball mount on your hitch if you have one. Make sure you you put it together the way it came apart. Get the shim kit too, you may need it. Do not put the shims in at first, see if it lines up. If not add the shims.
 
Yup I removed the housing. Just was not easy to do with the motor still in. So I could not get the new style mounts so ordered the old style. There is no top or bottom to these that I can tell so it must not matter which way they go in right?
 
works in either direction, the aluminum ring goes in first with the flat upward ,then press or draw the bushing in with a threaded rod and the CORRECT SIZE SOCKET
 
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