V-drive Removal - Before or After

[edwardc]

I'm getting ready to remove my late-model A4 with v-drive (due to a cracked block. See thread http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4312 ) and I have a question.

Is it generally preferable to remove the v-drive before or after hoisting the engine out of the boat. It would be easier to do on the bench, but I'm concerned that it will unbalance the engine when it's hanging from the lifting eye on the head.

[tenders]

I hoisted my engine out of the boat with the v-drive installed and would definitely NOT want to mess with removing or reinstalling it in the boat. The engine with v-drive attached is maneuvered easily enough while suspended from the lifting eye.

[edwardc]

I hoisted my engine out of the boat with the v-drive installed and would definitely NOT want to mess with removing or reinstalling it in the boat. The engine with v-drive attached is maneuvered easily enough while suspended from the lifting eye.

Interesting... I just talked to Ken at Moyer, and he recommends removing the v-drive before hoisting.

Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

[ndutton]

None of the manufacturers where I worked ever removed the V drive for lifting, always lifted as a single unit. This probably had more to do with time and money than with anything technical. Still though, that's how it was done.

Space and access may be an issue for you. We always lifted our engines in before the deck was mated to the hull.

[tenders]

I'm thinking maybe I ran a loop of line around the v-drive and around the lifting cable to keep the drive from flipping down? Whatever I did, it wasn't complicated. Disassembling/reassembling the v-drive in the boat would be complicated, at least by my definition given my installation.

> We always lifted our engines in before the deck was mated to the hull.

Now that's cheating!