My mechanic says an alignment can take anywhere from 3 to 8 hours,

Posted By: Craig Hershoff
Date: 2/1/08 2:26p.m.

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In Response To: Are you saying that the cutless bearing is slightly worn? Vibration problems are (pic) (norm ex-nimble new orleans)

and at $80/hr I figured that I'd take a chance that the original alignment, with new engine mounts, would be ok. What's hard for me to understand is why it runs smoothly at fast rpms if the alignment is off. Also, I don't know if the cutlass bearing is worn, just that the strut holding it is slightly bent from the vertical. When I hauled the boat, i checked for any play in the bearing, and there didn't appear to be any. On the other hand the engine has 3000 hours on it, and I doubt that the cutlass bearing has ever been changed. Maybe I should try to straighten the strut (without cracking the gelcoat where its bonded to the hull, if possible). Has anyone with a similar boat noticed whether the strut is intended to be straight or bent? Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. Craig Hershoff, Gypsy Rose