Flywheel housing alignment tool

Abstract

An apparatus and method for aligning a housing such as a flywheel housing with a crankshaft or other rotating member. The apparatus includes a main shaft and a mount by which the main shaft is mounted to the center axis of a member rotating in a housing. A sleeve is received upon and rotates relative to the main shaft and is provided with a mount for a dial indicator. The dial indicator is positioned so that any misalignment between the rotating member and the housing is output by the dial indicator as the sleeve is rotated relative to the housing. Depending upon the output of the dial indicator, the position of the housing is changed relative to the rotating member to align the center axis of the rotating member with the center axis of the housing.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . Apparatus for aligning a rotating member with a housing using a dial indicator comprising: 
 a main shaft;    a mount for aligning the main shaft with the center axis of a rotating member within a housing; and    a sleeve received upon said main shaft for turning relative to said main shaft and having a mount formed thereon to which a dial indicator is mounted, the dial indicator being mounted to said sleeve in a position in which the contact point thereof contacts the housing when the sleeve is turned on said main shaft for outputting a measurement of any misalignment between the housing and the rotating member.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said mount comprises a plate mounted to the rotating member having a hole therein for receiving one end of said main shaft.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising means for retaining said sleeve on said main shaft.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising a member received on said main shaft for frictionally engaging said sleeve to resist undesired rotation of said sleeve relative to said main shaft.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said frictional engagement member comprises a tension bolt received within said main shaft and a tension washer for contacting said sleeve when said tension bolt is tightened.  
     
     
         6 . A method for aligning a housing with a member rotating therein using a dial indicator comprising the steps of: 
 mounting a main shaft on a member rotating within a housing in alignment with the center axis of the rotating member;    rotating a sleeve having a dial indicator mounted thereto on the main shaft with the contact point of the dial indicator in contact with the housing; and    adjusting the position of the housing relative to the center axis of the rotating member until the dial indicator outputs a measurement indicating an acceptable alignment between the housing and the center axis of the rotating member.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  additionally comprising resisting rotation of the sleeve on the main shaft.