[C320-list] Engine alignment

[Chuck and Kathy]

Bruce:  I used that same technique, but the shaft was so far out of
alignment, that I couldn't move the engine far enough to get it into proper
alignment.  I'm concerned that the shaft is off center due to a misaligned
strut.  Has anyone had that problem?

Chuck Mueller
Northwind #676

From: "Bruce Heyman" <bruceheyman at cox.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Engine alignment
Message-ID: <00c601ca6729$07829980$1687cc80$@net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Chuck,
We aligned our prop shaft last year and the improvement was so dramatic that
I wish we had done it a couple of years earlier.  Our main alignment issue
was vertical and ended up raising both the forward and rear engine mounts to
make sure that the prop shaft was closer to the center of the log.
We used the method that has you taking a million measurements and then
averaging everything.  I think someone on the list commented that it was
more complicated than a lunar insertion and I agree but; it did work.
While sometimes at idle it sounds like the world is coming to the end as
soon as you are over 8-900 rpm and in gear it is smooth and quite.
Bruce
Somerset #671 SoCal

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Chuck and
Kathy
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 5:02 PM
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Engine alignment

Has anyone else had any problems with engine alignment?  I replaced my
cutlass bearing last spring and thought that was the cause of vibration.  In
trying to align my shaft and engine, I drilled out the forward engine
mounting brackets in order to shift the front of the engine to port.  The
engine pan is almost hitting the fiberglass and I'm still a little
misaligned with a gap on the port side of the shaft connection.  It almost
seems as if the strut is not at the correct angle.  That, of course, would
lead to both vibration and cutlass bearing wear.  If I offset the rear of
the engine to starboard, the engine shaft will not be centered on the prop
shaft.

 

Any thoughts or experiences?

 

Chuck Mueller

Northwind #676