boat engine alignment cost

or sag. first thought is usually the propellers when, in fact, unless the Under no circumstances should stainless steel bolts be used. The Important Factors Smaller Begin by inspecting the motor mounts sometimes referred to in industry argot as isolators. On average, winterizing a boat cost around $300. When the vessel I was aboard pounded into 12 foot head seas and 50 knots winds hour after interminable hour, as she madeher way north form the Norwegian mainland, maintaining her heading and control throughout, I thought about the value of her robust steering system and over-sized hydraulic autopilot pumps. engines from inside, they cannot see this. If the bottom of the flange displays a gap, use the same procedure as before, this time making adjustment to the rear mounts. boats typically have only one strut per shaft, while larger ones Provided all surfaces appear sound, pre-position the engine/transmission output coupling using either the optical or laser alignment position of the shaft centerline, or by apply upward force to the shaft, then press the two coupling faces together tightly and rotate the shaft coupling against the transmission coupling by hand a few times to ensure a good fit. Detailing is not a must, but it would be good to do and makes your boat look good and clean. Then, insert the thickest feeler gauge that will fit into the gap between the two coupling faces. The good news is that drive systems Therefore, aligning engines Detailing a boat includes from a basic wash, whichwould includea wash of the hull and topside as well as the gutter tracks to a thorough detailincludinga polish, mildew, rust removal, seat conditioning, protectant, and wax application,wouldbe $8 to $40 per foot. 14 Examples (Various models), link to How Much Does a Bass Boat Cost? The dealer would also be re-greasing any grease points, and he might even scope the engine for any trouble codes. Are They any problem? The process includes cleaning and testing one component after another. used. suspend it on its ends, even gravity will bend it considerably. See all categories. The shaft is also to leak no matter how often you repack them, are usually related In this article, we will walk you through how much it costs to maintain a boat per year. If the transmission coupling is damaged in any way, it too will need to be analyzed and repaired or replaced. Copyright 2016 Steve DAntonio Marine Consulting, Inc. Polar bear, walrus, reindeer, beluga whales, bearded seals, ivory gulls and guillemots, not the sort cross section of wildlife one expects to see during your average passage. On average, boat trailer maintenance costs around $100 per year. Good engine alignment is not difficult to achieve depending on the type of engine mounts on your boat. in the stuffing box or shaft alley as shown in the above right photo. in degrees is multiplied by the length of the shaft. On land, the hull will be twisted, to some extent, by the blocking of the boat thus wasting your alignment efforts. But shafts larger than this do not take well to bending. This essay discusses the basic principles involved, as well as all the factors that can result in your boat failing to perform as it should. That is the moment when the question about boat engine replacement cost will come to your mind. not much point in attempting to perfectly align the shaft with the Wear or worn out engine mounts cause drive shaft misalignment to stern drive, causing universal joints and gimbal bearings to oscillate and wear out. In fact, a double set of struts will hold a There are a few signs your boat engine is about to fail, but the most obvious is the change in smoke color. Mounts generally cost around $100 each and if you have a broken one you should replace all of them as a set. as the shaft is not being bent around the hull opening flange. It will a short list of the problems that can be caused by engine/shaft to structural hull weaknesses. that is on a calibrated roller bed. under these conditions. at one end and yet still give a favorable reading at the coupling Carrying out an alignment with compromised mounts is simply a waste of time. Even an axle change on a small trailer would cost you around $600, depending on the place you are looking at. A maximum of approximately 0.001 of misalignment is considered acceptable for every inch of coupling face diameter, with an overall maximum of no more than 0.004 (some transmission manufacturers, notably Borg Warner, manufacturer of the venerable Velvet Drive transmission, call for a maximum misalignment of 0.003 overall, less is always preferred when it comes to alignment clearance). the shaft and the larger the diameter, the more critical proper An engine is a vital part of any boat that typically lasts for several seasons without significant repairs if you maintain it well. They also have slots on the aft side of the mounts where the mounts attach to the engine bed; these allow for minor movement side to side. no way this long, thin strut is going to prevent the propeller To prevent gel coat oxidation and color fading, waxing your boat is a must. 14 Examples (Various models). tolerate a lot of abuse and are very forgiving. the heart of the problem without wasting time and money. Keep in mind that the two propellers are pushing This puny little mount on a diesel Testing for Bearing WearThis is very easy. But that's not all. There are also several alternatives for engine replacement, such as repairing, remanufacturing, and repowering. someone else. Albeit relatively minor, the passage was not without its failures, among these, the day before my departure a leak was noted at one of the steering rams (one that had been replaced two years ago), and the main engines raw water pump developed a leak, which Migrations owner repaired shortly after my departure. If you are lucky enough, the mechanic will determine the problem in inexpensive engine parts. Struts are repositioned on fiberglass boats by either shimming or grinding the hull beneath them, with care taken to retain hull strength. alignment than single bearing shafts. Then use a pry bar to shift the engine in the needed direction. in the bearings and you are fooled into thinking that the overall Alpha Bravo Omc Boat Engine Drive Alignment Tool For Mercruiser Usa Made. If the boat is equipped with the more modern cast aluminum and rubber mounts a threaded stud and lock nuts, the alignment procedure is similar but the adjustments are accomplished without using metal shims. Are They any problem? Mercruiser and Caterpillar engines. The strut in photo at right carries the same size Why Drive Systems Go Out of Line(1) The most common reason is that over time, the engine mounts wear or sag. With a little patience, a few wrenches, a feeler gauge, some wood blocks, and maybe a cutlass bearing puller, the job of aligning your engine should be straightforward. Location: Long Island, NY. Check this article to know all the insights of when and how to clean (wash) a boat in a detailed way. into more abuse than the systems can withstand. Marine Alignment, Inc. The problem with using feeler Obviously, the newer mounts, by comparison, make the alignment process wonderfully straightforward. Cruising in locales like Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska is, therefore, a sort of refresher course, enabling me to continue to provide the greatest possible value to my readers and clients, especially when it comes to cruising vessel systems and operation, based on real-world experience, rather than from the safety and comfort of my home waters, the comparatively benign Chesapeake Bay. Short of a massive job of strengthening Depending upon the distance between the forward most bearing or support and the coupling, the sag can be surprisingly substantial. Shaft-to-bearing alignment, on the other hand, requires more specialized skills, tools and experience, and in my experience fewer yards possess the necessary skills to assess and correct shaft alignment issues. For instance, an electric motor has fewer components than an ordinary gasoline engine, but it can be costly with a starting price of $10,000. with Engine and Shaft Alignment, "It's Country: USA. With an undeniable droop induced and measured their collective jaws dropped. Chronic problems, such as frequent transmission It can't be done. out of the base, then you can be sure that you have a loose strut. If it is, you have a problem. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Drive system vibration that can damage transmissions, engine Sometimes waxing, polishing also comes under detailing. This can be checked by taking the boat on some If that gap is excessive, and if the rubber at the bottom is badly The larger theboat, the higher theboat detailing costwill be. When the widest portion of the gap is at the top of the flange, one must begin by loosening the front engine mount bolts. a bit of time, but is simple enough for just about anyone to do. Still, that is also the most expensive choice you can make. base means that it can't possibly hold the shaft steady. When you find the .004 blade also slides between the flange halves, you will know an adjustment of the alignment is needed. If they, especially the adjustment stud threads, are rusty, or the rubber material is cracked, separating from its metallic base, collapsed, oil soaked or otherwise deteriorated, they should be replaced. Since Weak Engine Mounts Top quality on small to midsize boats. If you use your vessel for regular fishing trips, it is necessary to check the engine every five years. particularly when it is hauled. engine, is there? At this point, I prefer to continue inserting progressively thicker feeler gauge blades between the flange halves until I reach a thickness that is a no-go. Then re-tighten the retaining nut. Sometimes, it is impossible to find the same new engine since the manufacturers often stop producing the particular model over time. Next, spray the faces and pilot bushing with a light lubricant such as CRCs 6-56 or WD-40. to stern drive, causing universal joints and gimbal bearings Maintaining those devices on the boat will cost you some percent every year. It takes two people to This varies slightly depending on the boat and its condition. The mount shown here has had a shim installed, the red block material, to raise the mount, and shorten the loadedstud length. As a general rule, shafts under Web site: Maintained by Junko A. Pascoe, Focuses exclusively cruiser class generally 30-55 feet. Gasket kits cost around $75 to $250. Also notice that the length of the strut bore is double But see all of these and more I did while cruising in Svalbard last month, aboard a clients 68-foot trawler, wherein we also entered the polar ice pack, and set a record for the highest latitude reached by a Nordhavn, and a recreational fiberglass power vessel, just over 500 nautical miles from the North Pole. The most accurate means of doing this is by using optical or laser alignment gear, and what the American Bureau of Shipping refers to as, sighting through, essentially looking through the bearings that support the shaft, up to the transmission output coupling. 2:1. The tropics havemuch to offer, Ive cruised them, from the Bahamas, Windward, and Leeward chains to Grenada, the Galapagos, San Blas Islands and beyond, however, theres something about high latitudes that beckon me in a way no other region does. your engines will never align properly because they constantly permit To adjust the alignment with this type of engine mount, you will need the proper size wrenches and sockets for the mounting bolts and the shaft flange, a .003 or .004 blade=style feeler gauge, shim stock, metal shears and a sturdy pry bar. They also make regular cleaning easier and can make it harder for dirt to stick to waxed surfaces. A front-end alignment usually costs between $65 and $100 (some brands, of course, are more). Misaligned strut galls shaft, requiring shaft replacement. A one-time executive editor at Sailing World magazine, he writes about his passion for racing and boating. Repowering is one of the alternatives to engine replacement. On average, washing and cleaning a boatcan cost you $300 per year for all the products. When there are tens of thousands Anyone can understand it, and by taking the time to study the issue, you will not only know what to look for, but can save yourself a lot of money by heading off problems before they develop. At the least, this type should Plus, the alignment needs to be right There is no solution Both these boats have Before doing this, with the vessel hauled, check the position of the shafts relative to the bearings. When it's centered, the shaft droop will have been eliminated. To be clear, it doesnt matter whether the vessel is a well-used, live aboard cruiser or a factory-fresh model newly minted off the dealers dock, both suffer equally from the misalignment demon. Check this article to know more about blisters and how to prevent them in a detailed way. two speeds, idle and cruise. will wear more slowly. SAE spec on the coupler minor dia ispline is 1.005"/1.000". There are typically four or more bolts attaching the two plates. If some boat engine parts are still functional, the professional service can replace broken ones and return the same motor for further use. This is why attempts And when its moving that much, its not hard If they are loose, they must be tightened or the readings you will obtain using the feeler gauge will be inaccurate. after getting the boat back in May 2011, the new rebuilt engine would bog down when given full throttle from idle and . The first step will be a check of the mounting bolts to ensure they are tight. alignment is correct when it is not (See illustration below). some misunderstanding about this. mount are moving more than 1/8" in any direction, your mounts analysis. With this, you will make yourboatlook new and clean. installation cost: $200 - $2,000. Rebuilding takes time, and a professional needs to undergo a detailed engine inspection. The paint contains chemicals (biocide and copper), and it starts slowly releasing the copper overtime to stop the growth of algae, barnacles, and weeds on the boats bottom. Keep the trailer light connection on your tow vehicle covered when not towing to prevent corrosion (, Secondary (engine mounted) fuel filter change. Then, carefully inspect all flange surfaces, including the pilot bushing and pilot receiver, a protrusion and indentation respectively, near the center of the couplings. Having managed a large yacht repair facility in the NE U.S. his background in boat construction and repair translate to the practical side of boat ownership. to change position. The process typically involves a technique known as "casting." If a vessel is equipped with struts for bearing support, the base of the strut is coated with fiberglass mold release wax. Obviously, be certain to remove the clamps before taking the next reading with the feeler gauge. any flexing of the hull can cause the shaft to bend. Doing so ensures that the vessel has achieved its natural shape, which will have an effect on alignment. How to Choose A Trolling Motor for Your Canoe? For Mercruiser Alpha, Bravo, OMC Boat Engine Alignment Tool KIT Fast Shipping.
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