6CTA engine alignment

[lpmcc]

Hi All,

I need some help. I’m trying to finish a prop shaft/coupler alignment on my boat (’99 Seary 450EB w/ Cummins 6CTA’s, and they are v-drives).

I’ve determined that the front end (fan belt end) of the strb engine needs to move inboard, probably just 1/8” or so.  I have all the engine mount bolts loose, but can’t figure out how to scoootch over a 2,000 lbs engine.  The best Idea I have at the moment is to use a “come along” device attached to the port engine to pull the strb over.  But I’m afraid that I will pull the port engine out of alignment that way.

What is the best way to move the strb engine?  Ideas?

Thanks, as always.

 

Larry

Topic

[lpmcc]

Thanks for the help.  An update:  I used a come-along and a large C clamp attached to the opposite side stringer.  I was able to move the engine and improve the alignment, but I ran the boat this weekend and I still have the same wobble.  Either my alignment did not “take”, or there is something else going on.  FYI, I had the props, shafts, couplers pulled, ck’d and reinstalled, plus new cutless bearings and shaft seals.  It was fine before.  I should have followed “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy.

[Clark Leighs]

Different engine but also 2,000 lbs or thereabouts.

I used a screw jack from one of my old cars to push between the one side engine mount bracket and the mount on the other side.

THe jack base needs to placed so its base is catty corner across the mount bracket so the jack center line is online  with the   edge of the mount bracket.

It took some fiddling before I though of the catty corner orientation  but once set up like that it was easy to move the engine front.

I used a dial indicator to tell me how much I had moved it so I did not overshoot.

 

Worked quite well.

[Rob Schepis]

This post should include pictures of your mounts and the bolts you have loosened.  Gonna depend on the condition of your mounts an what they are sitting on.  You may need to lift, clean and lube the each mount resting surface.  Consider using a pry bar on the engine bracket against a block held on the side of stringer.

[Author]

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