HELP!!!! Mercuiser Coupler Troubles?????

[DansBlown73Nordic]

I have a good friend with a 1987 Liberator Four Winns 24 F.T. 454. Last year the coupler on the back of the motor went bad. So we replaced the coupler and about 10 hours run time and it has gone bad again. It tears the rubber out of the center.
It was aligned perfect so thats not the problem.
Anybody have any ideas?????? This is a real HUGE pain in the ASS to change.... :yuk: :frown:

[1BIGJIM]

1987, is that an ALPHA drive?

[Tinkerer]

IT is an alignment problem.
That is the ONLY thing that causes the rubber to go bad.
Check the rear mounts - if they are saging it will still align but the front of the motor will be way too low.
I have locked my rear mounts in place with shims below and large washers and removal of the spacer on the top.
the back of my motors can't move.
I made this adapter so that I knew the alignment tool was parallel with the gimbals.
Also if the rear mounts are going bad they may allow the engine to lift on one side or flex on the front mounts- that is a very quick way to blow a coupler.

[gnarley]

I have a good friend with a 1987 Liberator Four Winns 24 F.T. 454. Last year the coupler on the back of the motor went bad. So we replaced the coupler and about 10 hours run time and it has gone bad again. It tears the rubber out of the center.
It was aligned perfect so thats not the problem.
Anybody have any ideas?????? This is a real HUGE pain in the ASS to change.... :yuk: :frown:
An 87 Liberator with a Merc in it? Anyone ever experience a coupler starting to go? What did it sound, feel and smell like? I think mine just started going and can hear something hitting inside the bell housing and smelled like epoxy or plactic getting hot so I'm pulling the engine to inspect. Better to fix it than get stranded and I was just getting ready to take it in SF bay. :mad: