Engine alignment help

[duck]

I was racking my brain for a way to get the alignment on my engine set without having the special tool.

The solution was so simple I can't believe it.

I took a cheapo laser pointer, and wrapped the handle with masking tape until it fit snug in the PTO splines.

I then rotated the engine, making note of the arc the laser pointer made on my garage wall.

I centered the pointer in the splines till the arc on the wall was as small as I could make it.

Then I shimmed the engine so that the laser line was as centered through the drive as I could make it. I blew cigarette smoke on the line to make it visible, it allowed me to measure the side to side and top to bottom alignment at the drive.

One very important thing.

DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE LASER. IT WILL CAUSE EYE DAMAGE.

 

[kustomkarl]

I see where your screen name came from..."DUCK"...don't look at the laser! :ack: :rofl:

Karl

 

[Chester]

I think I see a flaw in your procedure. Lets say you have a bent engine bed plate (from too much wave jumping). This would have the engine sitting too low. To correct this by shimming the engine using your method, you could shim only the rear mounts until the laser is centered through the hole but then it would be at the wrong angle (pointing up). A more accurate way would be to install the pump and center the laser in the impeller hole.

Chester

 

[duck]

yes installing the drive would be the most accurate way of doing it. But I wasn't going to rip the pump apart again to do it.

Since my doo uses a two piece driveshaft setup with a support bearing. I wasn't too worried about it.