Greasing gimbal bearing

[arrkerr]

I just put in my new gimbal bearing and was careful to line up the tolerance ring with the grease hole and mark the location and line it up when installing.

When I shoot grease in, it is coming out around the outside of the whole assembly, not through the cutouts on the back of the bearing housing.

Picture is attached, and you can (hopefully) clearly see what I mean.

Is this correct, or have I messed something up? Just want to make sure I've got everything right before completing the assembly.

Thanks!

 

[jtybt]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

I'd say you just over greased it. At least now you know there's grease in there.

From now on, about 10 pumps from the small grease gun is all you need.

 

[Don S]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

You should be getting grease coming out around the inner part of the bearing, not around the outside like that. Some is normal, but most should be going into the bearing. You can even see a shiny ball bearing at about the 2 oclock postion between the dark colored races in your picture. Nothing is getting in there.
Something isn't right. Are you sure you got the gap in the tolerance ring open to the grease zirk?

 

[arrkerr]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

I'm sure I got it lined up, and I can't imagine it could have moved while hammering.

What are my options at this point?

If I pull it, I"m going to need a new one, which is going to really stink in so many ways. Clearly the passage is opened if I'm getting grease out around the edges, so that can't be the problem. No way to re-allign anything at this point with out yanking it... but I was sooo careful to get everything lined up!

Arrrrgghhhh.

 

[arrkerr]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

Actually I went back out and what looked like a bearing in the picture was actually a fleck of white pvc. I used a 3" pvc pipe to drive in the bearing and it created a tiny mess. Far from ideal, I know :-( I should post a thread on using the 3" pvc, and my experiences (doable, but not worth the effort unless you're a major cheapskate).

 

[Don S]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

Have you turned the inner bearing so see if that would help? May just have one of the ball bearings over a hole.

 

[jtybt]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

Curious how old the drive is. There has been two sizes of gimbal bearings made. If someone forced the larger one in on an older housing and you put the correct smaller bearing in, that would account for the grease squeezing out between the outer bearing carrier and the gimbal housing.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

Assuming the new bearing is GREASABLE , Merc has been coming out with sealed bearings but the hole in the housing is still there.Old school was to just replace the bearing, should you need another ring ,PM your address.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

You should be getting grease coming out around the inner part of the bearing, not around the outside like that. Some is normal, but most should be going into the bearing. You can even see a shiny ball bearing at about the 2 oclock postion between the dark colored races in your picture. Nothing is getting in there.
Something isn't right. Are you sure you got the gap in the tolerance ring open to the grease zirk?

Don corret me if I am wrong but I am thinking he might have lined up the out side ring of the bearing ring But might not have lined up the main grease hole of the bearing with the out side ring where the ring splits it self in half. The other reason I say that is because although it has been a while for me now but I believe I see a dimple in the bearing at around 2 oclock under the grease, I believe I was use to seeing that dimple at more like 10-11 oclock area as a norm but I could be wrong, What do you think? Unsure Also I guess it could be a after market bearing and not from mercruiser.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

If you were to remove the ring and inspect the carrier you would find a grease groove around the carrier,.The idea of locating the hole over the grease hole is not really necessary because the grease will find it`s way around the outside of the carrier to the inside groove and then to the hole in the bearing itself.Locating it with the hole seems to grease the bearing faster.

 

[Don S]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

I see a dimple in the bearing at around 2 oclock under the grease, I believe I was use to seeing that dimple at more like 10-11 oclock area as a norm but I could be wrong

There is a dimple (usually white) in the outer race, and yes it's usually at the 10 or 11 oclock position. But I don't see it on this bearing at all. I't not in backwards, not sure why it isn't there, but the groove Bt Doc mentioned should be there, and a hole.
Problem is, there is NO grease getting to the bearing because you can see the shiny ball bearing in the pic at the 2 oclock position.
If it was mine, I would pull the bearing and replace it, and find out why it didn't take grease.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

arrkerr could you open this link and scroll down to 4A-17, Before you installed the bearing did you see the hole in the photo? And line it up also? http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/14/14a4.pdf

 

[jtybt]

Re: Greasing gimbal bearing

Yup! If you look at the distribution of the grease squeezing by the bearing carrier, there's none at the grease inlet and more just past it and much less at the opposite side from the grease inlet. Looks like the opening to the ring is at the opposite where it should be but enuff pumping should get the grease into the bearing, SO, as long as you're at this point and removing the bearing will destroy it keep pumping grease till you see it coming out between the races.