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Mercruiser – Alignment Tips
Ironically I am amazed as to the longevity of some devices. One that always comes to mind is that I have seen and worked on outdrives that have survived 10 plus years of neglect. No pump replacement, no alignment, no removal of the drive and greasing of the U-Joints, damaged skegs & props all are astonishing that the drive and or engines have managed to survive another season. This in itself is a testament to Mercruiser commitment to quality and engineering. However this obviously does manage to come to a major problem when something does go wrong, and generally the help of someone like myself and or a seasoned marine mechanic to rectify. All of this could have been avoided with some simple maintenance that anyone can accomplish and if not at least have it done by a qualified marine mechanic.
Thus, one important step in keeping your drive and engine in good shape that many do not take into account is the alignment between tor drive and engine. For the most part a smooth running boat depends on this critical setup. However there are some steps that are never mentioned that come into play when performing this task. As to alignment, this is an important factor even in the newest of boats.
I have seen boats that have been in service for 30 plus years that have never required an alignment and I have seen boats within two years of service that do in fact need an alignment. It’s an easy procedure to check and for a few bucks you can easily obtain a good quality tool. There is some discussion that an older boat needs to be checked due to the possibility of the stringers sagging, mounts becoming loses etc. However as I have mentioned before I have seen alignment issues in boats as early as two years after the date of manufacture.
As such this can be an array of situations that are related to many factors, which by the way does not preclude checking the same. In any event if your unit is in fact out of alignment, you should obtain a detailed procedure for alignment based upon your boats engine and drive combination. This is easily found in your Manufactures service manual and with the input of your boat tech services department. Some would argue that you only need the manual, however in some cases there have been tech notes issued by the boat manufacture that are directly related to a problem that was found with the same. Thus by contacting your manufacture they can better relate to where you would be best served for the procedure. In some cases I have seen them owners back to the dealer for coverage services. Don’t be misinformed, or miss out on opportunity.
In all cases when the splines are cleaned and lubricated, your tool should easily engage fully into the coupler with the force of your fingers and easily pull out. Never should it require forcing by hammering, placing your feet on the tool or any other means beyond simple use of your hands. I like to see a tool enter in by pushing on two or three fingers and pulling out with one hand. Over and over I see guys slamming there drives into place which only tells me that beyond the obvious "No Brains" that the drive is out of alignment, lack of lubrication, splines are nicked or damaged, or the grease has dried out!