V-Drive alignment

[skipmac]

I have a Pearson 422 with a Walter V-drive and will have to realign the drive train when I launch (new motor mounts and 3 years on the hard). The problem is, this system has 6 motor mounts (3 pairs) and I'm not sure of the correct order of adjustment.

Details.

1. The engine, transmission and V-drive are all bolted solidly together as one rigid unit. This is not the V-Drive model that is separated from the transmission and connected with a shaft and universal joint.

2. The motor mounts are located: [1] at the front of the block (aft in the boat since the engine is mounted backwards), [2] back of the block actually on the transmission housing, [3] on the V-drive.

3. My original plan was to adjust the alignment using the mounts at the extreme corners i.e. [1] and [3] and then take up the slack in the middle mounts [2]. However, Walter tech support tells me that the V-drive was shipped to Pearson without motor mount brackets and that mounts are not used or needed to support the V-drive. They would offer no further comments or suggestions beyond that.

4. Now my guess is to align the system using [1] and [2] and when done, take up the slack on the V-drive [3].

Any expert opinions or experience in adjusting this setup?

NOTE!! I have installed engines and done the standard 4 mount alignment and know that procedure so no need to go back to the basic "get a feeler gauge, measure clearance on the flange, rotate, etc, etc, etc."

Thanks
Skip

[Sailmonkey]

for the sake of making it easy, and having predictable engine movements, I'd use the mounts at the extremities (assuming the mounts on the V-Drive are the same as the others and that the V-Drive is substantial enough to support the weight of the engine). Then just take up the mounts in the middle enough to take the weight off of the v-drive mounts, check the alignment again, lower the v-drive mounts a hair and back off the middle a hair. In my skull this would nearly equalize the loads carried by all the mounts.