Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

[Bt Doctur]

Those of you who purchase the newest gimbal bearing or transom repair kit from Mercruiser be warned that the new gimbal bearing is NOT GREASABLE.
There is no grease hole or grease channel in the outer ring, and no pin hole on the bearing to allow grease in. This was in a transom repair kit for a Bravo.
Talk about lack of maintance!!!!!!!!,this is a better idea from mercruiser. I can`t type what i really think of it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Talk about lack of maintance!!!!!!!!,this is a better idea from mercruiser.

Ayuh,....
I noticed that the Alpha 1 transom assembleys from about 84- 85, are the Best, Most Lubeable....
After that, about every year another grease fitting Disappeared....

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

The u-joints in my 96 Alpha 1 gen II are not grease able, why should the gimbal bearing be??

 

[AZSenza]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Yeah, I went from an 85 Alpha to a 97 Bravo...what a shock, at LEAST I can lube the Gimbal!

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Yeah, I went from an 85 Alpha to a 97 Bravo...what a shock, at LEAST I can lube the Gimbal!

And you should be able to lube your u-joints too.

But no grease for a bearing? I can understand the u-joints, they don't "move" a whole lot. But a bearing that is spinning from the moment the engine starts???? Insane to not have an external way to grease it. What are you supposed to do? Pull the drive every year, pull the bearing, and repack it? Like trailer wheel bearings????

 

[Schmoe]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Aren't the Gen II's "lubed for life?".

 

[abj87]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Lubricants are much better than they were even ten years ago. Most bearings are sealed for life and you don't give them a second thought. Your not going to see a difference in life expectancy.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Lubricants are much better than they were even ten years ago. Your not going to see a difference in life expectancy.

Ayuh,.... Right,......
Considering that a well greased bearing will last virtually ForEver....
I Disagree....

 

[abj87]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Ayuh,.... Right,......
Considering that a well greased bearing will last virtually ForEver....
I Disagree....

And sealed bearings dont last.....

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

And sealed bearings dont last.....

Any Grease is Better,..... Than No Grease

Sealed bearings dry up its just a fact and once that grease is dried up that bearing is as good as gone.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Sealed wheel bearings in cars are good for at least 100,000 miles. I have seen a move towards sealed bearings in more than one industry...
Car wheel bearings
Marine Gimbal bearing
and I just purchased a new riding mower where the bearings on the deck are sealed.

I think it's just the way of the world. Less maintenance placed in the hands of the owner equals less premature failure due to lack of maintenance (I know that there are tradeoffs here). They even reccomend something like 7,000 miles between oil changes for some cars now. My car requires no tune up for 100,000 miles. Even the air filter is designed for 100,000 miles before replacement.

 

[AZSenza]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Yes my u-joints are greasable! Lubed for life means the life of the bearing LOL.
Seals dry up/out, once the seal allows air or water in the bearing is toast, all seals eventually dry up, wear out or rot. +1 on a properly lubed bearing will last for ever, at least longer than you will...

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

Sealed wheel bearings in cars are good for at least 100,000 miles.

And some cars today do not have a dipstick to allow a person to check or add trans oil, because a manufacturer does something does not make it right.
Sometimes things are changed to make the product cheaper to manufacture, sometimes the changes are made to improve the product and sometimes parts are designed to fail to bring a customer back for parts and service.
In this day and age it seems manufacturing savings and bringing back a customer for parts and service are considered to be a good thing, seems that way in many cases today anyway.

And the old style tapered roller bearings would last 300,000 miles with a couple of gobs of grease during its life, the grease gets gobbed in every 100k when the front rotors would get replaced.

Also lubed for life unit bearings = $100+, set of roller bearings = $30.

I love new cars, I love old cars but one thing all cars and other mechanical beings are going to need to survive is grease, oil and lubrication.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Premptive strike: I can`t grease my gimbal bearing

I remember when I would take my Oldsmobile to be services and they would lubricate the chassis. Zerk fittings were everywhere. I'm pretty sure that my '07 ford doesn't have a single grease fitting on the whole thing. Sounds like tha marine industry is doing the same thing.

As I said in my first post I realize that there are trade offs with sealed bearings.

windsors03cobra, I think you are correct about the mixed motivations for changes in design but let me point out that change is usually met with resistance. Sometimes changes are for the better and sometimes it is just a step back in quality for the sake of manufacturing. I work with a guy who still can't stand fuel injection on cars. I'm sure that there are others on this site that would agree with him and I'm not trying to start a debate but I think the general public prefers fuel injection.

Sorry to carry on but I love this stuff. (don't even get me started in plastic intake manifolds)

 

[Blueeagle]

Hey guys, a lot of good info here about the sealed and unsealed gimbal bearings; quick question, do you think it is possible that the new sealed bearing is still made with the outer ring grease hole and inner track to allow grease to flow through even though it is sealed (for the purpose of letting grease just go unrestricted). this pic is the new gimbal bearing for my volvo penta perhaps you guys can share your thoughts. thank you in advance for your time.

 

[Bt Doctur]

If the tolerance ring is greasable, remove the corrugated ring and look for the hole. Only way to check the bearing itself is to remove the bearing and look for the tiny grease hole in the outer part