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PostPosted: Wed Jan 29, 2020 7:52 pm 
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Tadpole

Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:09 pm
Posts: 2
Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum and would like to share my experience removing the engine and replacing the coupler in our 2001 Horizon 200. The job would not have gotten done without knowledge obtained from this forum and thought I'd share details learned along the way.

Backstory
We bought the boat just a few months prior to the coupler failing. Long story short: CHECK YOUR GIMBAL ALIGNMENT!!! I am 100% sure the coupler would not have blown had I checked the alignment.

Root Cause of Coupler Failure
After putting the engine back in we found it out of alignment by about 1/4"! This distance is more than you could ever adjust out. After scratching our heads for half a day, we pulled the engine (for the 2nd time) and found a 2nd set of washers on the transom shield underneath the motor flange. The washers that were originally found in the right place (above the motor flange) were not the correct spec (too thin) so it is highly likely the person who last pulled the motor placed the washers on the transom after pulling, put the engine back in and couldn't find them so they replaced them with another set.


Disconnect/Reconnect Checklist:
  • Water hose to steering cooler (runs from transom shield to steering cooler)
  • Steering hoses
  • Trim/ tilt control wire
  • Engine control wires
  • Engine power wire
  • Trim tilt sensor
  • Negative batt cable and boat harness neg wires to starboard engine
  • Ground wires on port side of engine + Transom ground wire into Bell Housing stud
  • Pos batt cable to starter
  • Loosen/Tighten port exhaust hose clamps (leave riser in place)
  • Remove/Install starboard exhaust riser
  • Throttle linkage
  • Shift cable connection at outdrive
  • Outdrive (use molly lube on spline; replace water intake gasket; replace o-rings on driveshaft)
  • When taking motor out make sure to watch for connected wires that the V/P manual will not tell you about: e.g. ground from the transom bracket to the motor and wires from the boat harness to the engine.

Things to replace or do while engine is out:
  • Steering rack (replace or fix leaks; VERY tough to do in a 2001 Horizon 200 with the engine in)
  • Bilge pump
  • Blower and blower hose
  • Trim sensor
  • Clean the bilge
  • Gimbal bearing (the coupler went for a reason - better safe than sorry)
  • Inspect/replace the outdrive bellows

Things to check while engine is out:
  • Tighten square nut on rear engine mounts and maybe locktite them. Loosening automatically tightens the bolt and square nut but tightening the top lock nut naturally loosens the bolt and square nut leaving you with a really tough job of tightening the lower bolt square nut combo after the motor is back in.
  • Make sure your front engine mounts are adjustable. It’s almost impossible to unsieze any of the nuts on the front mounts once the motor is in.
  • Make sure your rear mounts are situated right. Washers go on top of the motor flange!
  • Replace your trim sensor. It was tough enough with the engine out. No idea how anyone does this with the engine in.

Things to avoid:
  • Don’t bend your flame arrestor during engine removal/installation; This model year is NLA and hard to find used as well

Horizon 200 specific items:
  • The 2001 Horizon 200 has an extremely tight engine compartment with a very deep pocket which makes getting to the back of the engine a job for a contortionist. It is a HUGE pain. I probably would have passed on buying the boat had I realized the compartment was designed this way.
  • Remove all of the bench seat. You’ll be tempted to leave the stringers in but your need the room to lay down
  • I had to remove the starboard exhaust riser to get to the rear engine mount; also noticed it made it easier to put the engine back in.
  • Use a tie down strap to tilt the engine up... otherwise you’ll need to remove the port exhaust riser as well

Special tools used:


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 30, 2020 8:17 am 
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email admin your custom rank

Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Posts: 5661
Location: Long Island NY
This is why, I have said for a long time you really should be pulling the drive and checking alignment. In this case you would have not been able to avoid the repair because the when the engine was replaced the wrong washers were used, but in most cases if you are pulling the drive once a year or at least every other year you will know it when its off, and can investigate why. If you buy a new boat it should be done while under warrantee and a new to you boat should be done as well before you start using it.
If you do this regular maintenance the gimble bearing, u joints, the drive itself will all last much longer. Leave it on and never check will result in a big enough bill to make some just sell it.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 30, 2020 4:52 pm 
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Tadpole

Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:09 pm
Posts: 2
LouC wrote:
This is why, I have said for a long time you really should be pulling the drive and checking alignment. In this case you would have not been able to avoid the repair because the when the engine was replaced the wrong washers were used, but in most cases if you are pulling the drive once a year or at least every other year you will know it when its off, and can investigate why. If you buy a new boat it should be done while under warrantee and a new to you boat should be done as well before you start using it.
If you do this regular maintenance the gimble bearing, u joints, the drive itself will all last much longer. Leave it on and never check will result in a big enough bill to make some just sell it.


Totally agree! Once you get over the initial hump of building or buying an outdrive cart and alignment tools, it really isn't that bad of a job.

Also, given the pressures involved on the spline, a grease high in molybdenum disulfide (e.g. Loctite 51048 Moly Paste Anti-Seize Compound) should be used on the spline instead of regular grease.


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:09 am 
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Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:16 am
Posts: 296
thanks for taking the time to write that up! Don't think its something I would tackle but its folks like you that share the information that might make it possible.

_________________
Jon Miller
1998 four Winns Horizon H200
Volvo Penta 4.3 GL
Newtown, CT
Image
untitled-545 by millerjont, on Flickr


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2020 9:05 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:26 pm
Posts: 5661
Location: Long Island NY
I hope this post encourages people to start doing their own drive service once a season since it is not really hard or technical and can help you avoid expensive problems. In 18 years of ownership I’ve replaced the gimble bearing once (leaky bellows) replaced the bellows 2x (2005 & 2016) and the drive still has the original u joints. And I have not had to change the alignment in all this time. You just need normal hand tools, an alignment tool and an outdrive cart.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II


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