[C320-list] Cutless Bearing Project

[Joe Luciano]

I think that if you altered the alignment negatively, you would experience increased vibration / noise at certain rpm’s.  If there is no change in the amount of vibration or noise, I wouldn’t spend the time and money to do an alignment.  Also, I can vouch for inspecting the bellows on a PYI shaft seal before doing a time based replacement at 6 years.  My bellows is now 15 years old and going strong.  I inspect it on haulouts and clean it up, checking for cracks and tightness of the clamps.  My bellows doesn’t look much different than the day it went in, so I think their recommendation is very conservative and likely based on some legal recommendations from the company lawyer rather than a factual deterioration.  Just my opinion….

Joe Luciano
Second Wind
#1024
> On Nov 12, 2020, at 12:58 PM, Jeff Smith <jeffreyssmith at live.com> wrote:
> 
> Troy,
> 
> Quick question for you. Why are you pulling the coupler? I disconnected the shaft from the coupler and slid the shaft aft far enough that I could remove the bellows and install the new bellows with the spacer. I am asking my question because I wondered at the time if I needed to go back through an alignment procedure. I decided that I did not because I was simply moving the shaft forward and aft but that it was maintaining the same plane, because I did not mess with any of the engine mounts. Did I err in my thinking? This will be important to me, as I plan to haul out in the spring to paint the bottom. Now I am wondering if I need to check the alignment of my shaft.
> 
> Jeff
> #121, ‘94
> 
>> On Nov 11, 2020, at 8:41 PM, Troy Dunn <troutwarrior at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Thanks for the inputs folks.   I was initially just concerned about
>> scheduling the tools.   I was planning to hit the set screws and prop nuts
>> with PB blaster a few times starting this weekend and getting those out
>> and/or loose before getting to the main event.   But darn it all...Jeff's
>> thoughts on the PSS had me cruising over to the PSS site and wouldn’t ya
>> know it...6 years is the recommended replacement interval.   Seems like a
>> conservatively low number to me however I have no idea how old the bellows
>> is so as much as I wanted to avoid the snowball effect, it's looking like I
>> need to pull the coupler and at that point I may as well go ahead and
>> attempt a full alignment, here's hoping all my engine mounts are actually
>> still in great shape....let the snowball roll.
>> 
>> Off to read the coupler puller manual...yay me!
>> 
>> Cheers
>> 
>> Troy
>