Prop shaft alignment

[Dragboat Dad]

We are putting the boat back together after a complete disassembly to do the floors. Any tricks to getting the V drive to line up with the prop shaft, I was just going to use a straight edge to check it. It had washers behind the brackets for adjusting the angle.I'm assuming the engine angle isn't that critical because of the u-joints. Any advise greatly appreciated.

[DUCKY]

I have always used an angle finder (available at the hardware store), but a straightedge will work to get you close. When it's right, the propshaft should slide easily into the coupler without force, and come out the same way.

[Kurtis500]

Since my friend wouldnt listen to me a while back when I wanted to help him install the v-drive and shaft in a boat I sold him, let me tell you what can happen if you dont get it in right.
1-broken output shaft
2-stripped out collar
3-broken prop-shaft end
4-broken lip on log seal (wanted to sink, but fixed with half a tube of silicone)
5-seized bearings in the v-drive from imbalance and miss-alighnment
4 of these each ended thier own trip to the lake, two happened at once.
I think itsa all fixed now, but a simple mistake can be expensive.

[Rexone]

Dragboat Dad:
We are putting the boat back together after a complete disassembly to do the floors. Any tricks to getting the V drive to line up with the prop shaft, I was just going to use a straight edge to check it. It had washers behind the brackets for adjusting the angle.I'm assuming the engine angle isn't that critical because of the u-joints. Any advise greatly appreciated. Actually engine angle is "very important", in that it needs to be "parallel" to the vdrive top shaft and offset vertically between 1-3 degrees.
Here's a recent thread on this subject:
Driveline angle
And here's a link to a driveline angle tech page:
Driveline angle 2
[ March 22, 2003, 01:25 AM: Message edited by: Rexone ]