Engine Alignment Tips

Jeff Fay, owner of Fay’s Boat Yard on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee explains how to track down inboard engine vibrations so they don’t rattle your soul.
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[trevorolsen]

Followed these instructions 3 years ago. I am now replacing the output shaft seal. I recommend not lifting the shaft coupler up more than a frog hair to start the initial alignment. Velvet drive indicated there was poor shaft alignment and i was feeling .003 on the machined coupler. They were trued and mated couplers. All other advice in the video was primo!!

[tommay]

Thanks. Quick and informative description.

[moomin]

Great video. My Shaft coupling doesn't have a centre Shaft and isn't nice and round. I've just installed new motor mounts and will not look forward to doing this 😂

The port side engine has limited access unfortunately

[yogi]

Hi Jeff, I have an I/O, Merc/Bravo 3. I thought engine alignment should be done every 3 yrs or so. I was just told something else. Mind you I NEVER hit anything...

So I called this guy (some local service) and he seems to very honestly tell me I do not need to do alignment EVER unless I feel vibration. My engine/drive seem to be running butter smooth. He's basically asking me: why do you need alignment? What's wrong?

So is he right? Maybe there is no point whatsoever in doing it?

[robormiston]

Could a person put a peice of some sort of rubber between the coupler and transmission to lower small vibration? Or would the torque of the motor shred it. I'm thinking just like a piece of inner tube or something just not to have metal on metal or am I over thinking it lol. I'm putting a new strut brace on my sailboat and am getting ready to align everything. The strut was broken in half when I bought the boat so I'm starting from scratch. Lots of measuring. And a new beafier strut brace.

[OHFORPEATSAKES]

not sure what feeler gauge you were using but certainly not .003

[blakehughes]

What size is that locking nut on the rear motor mount (attached to the transmission)

[kz]

So how do you know you have not lifted the shaft to rub on the stern tube

[good-boy-ringo]

.003 - .005 but that gage you are using is a lot larger than that, ggg.

[marcgg]

Is this supposed to be a how to video? Because it tells me absolutely nothing

[guyclifford]

Very vague explanation. No engineering or mathematical skills in this video. You should not be trying to teach people when you’re not an engineer