When I purchased my Catalina 30 the engine and transmission have been removed. The shaft had a drip less seal, which really wasn’t drip less. I ended up purchasing the boat with no engine and as you can see from my other post replaced it with the beta 25. When we hauled the boat out I removed the drip less seal, and found out the person that installed the engine that had been taken out, aligned the engine to the shaft which was not centered in the shaft tube. Now even if I would have had a survey done on the boat they never would’ve found this out without removing the shaft.
Evidently the person that installed the engine that had been removed from my boat, did not center the shaft in the shaft tube, when they Installed and aligned the engine. As you can see by the wear marks from the shaft tube, the shaft to it was sitting on the bottom of the tube when it was bolted to the engine. The previous owner told me that he did not have any vibration or anything that felt wrong. I had the yard put in a new shaft tube,I also had them put in a new Cutlass bearing when they did this. The yard wanted me to install the engine so they knew where to align the shaft... The mechanic said he could not install the engine until the shaft was in place. He told the yard worker to do what’s best for the boat! In other words put the shaft in the new Cutlass bearing and align the shaft tube to that angle. Hence his words do what’s best for the boat!
The reason I am posting these pictures for the group to see is to show the importance of aligning the shaft in the center of the shaft tube. Before aligning your engine to the engine coupler on the back of the transmission, you need to align the shaft in the shaft tube is best you can to ensure that the shaft is not sitting or touching the sides of the tube. I hope these might be useful to someone in the future.
Evidently the person that installed the engine that had been removed from my boat, did not center the shaft in the shaft tube, when they Installed and aligned the engine. As you can see by the wear marks from the shaft tube, the shaft to it was sitting on the bottom of the tube when it was bolted to the engine. The previous owner told me that he did not have any vibration or anything that felt wrong. I had the yard put in a new shaft tube,I also had them put in a new Cutlass bearing when they did this. The yard wanted me to install the engine so they knew where to align the shaft... The mechanic said he could not install the engine until the shaft was in place. He told the yard worker to do what’s best for the boat! In other words put the shaft in the new Cutlass bearing and align the shaft tube to that angle. Hence his words do what’s best for the boat!
The reason I am posting these pictures for the group to see is to show the importance of aligning the shaft in the center of the shaft tube. Before aligning your engine to the engine coupler on the back of the transmission, you need to align the shaft in the shaft tube is best you can to ensure that the shaft is not sitting or touching the sides of the tube. I hope these might be useful to someone in the future.
