MC1 Gimbal Bearing

[jstucky]

First time boater and poster here. Bought a 1975 Newman Plaville for cheap cause it had the 302 V8 and I'm a classic Ford engine guy. Don't know a darn thing about the MC-1 stern drive so I got a service manual and I'm trying to learn. Of course the drive needs work. There was a little water in the drive when I drained the oil. After I removed the drive I found the U-joint rusted. When I reached in to examine the bellows area I accidentally pulled the Gimbal bearing and it came out by hand. Its rusted tight. I cleaned up the bearing area afraid that I was going to find it was all tore up. It actually looks fine but I am confused because It doesn't look like the service manual. There is what appears to be a large bearing race/retainer with a heavy snap ring. The manual doesn't mention anything about a snap ring. There is no way a new bearing would go into the retainer without the retainer coming out first. Could the bearing have been installed incorrectly? Can anyone explain how a new bearing goes in because it doesn't match the manual? Do I need to remove the snap ring and pull out the retainer with a slide hammer? I cant get it to let me post a picture. Thanks in Advance! John S.

 

[Bt Doctur]

You have a very early drive and yes the snap ring is removed, then the plastic housing and brass strips. You use the new type bearing with the tolerance ring, obtain the correct tool to install it . NOTE : you will not be able to grease it unless you install the bearing with the slots aft, and remove the bearing to physically grease it and then reinstall it. Have a pic of a tool I made for a customer who had this older drive.

 

[jstucky]

Here is a picture looking into the Gimbal housing. For some reason it let me upload it now.

 

[Bt Doctur]

 

[jstucky]

Thanks BT, Do you know the part number of the installation tool? I don't see that mentioned in the service manual either.

 

[jstucky]

Thanks. So the picture you posted is for installing the bearing? The old bearing had a hole in the side of the race that aligned with a zerk on the outside of the housing. Are you saying that this cannot be used to grease the new bearing--and that it will have be greased by hand?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Yes remove the snap ring and plastic collar if left in there

 

[Bt Doctur]

d this made click to enlarge

 

[Bt Doctur]

From manual 1 click to enlarge

 

[Alumarine]

It looks to me like your housing has the grease nipple channel.
At the 1:00 o'clock position of your picture is there a grease nipple?
I know my 1974 does.

 

[Bt Doctur]

for some reason I cant open the posted pics,almost like something is wrong with the site, no edit feaure any more too

 

[jstucky]

Marc, yes there is a grease nipple on the outside at about 2pm with a tube that connects to a hole in the retainer. The bearing race has a hole in it where it would have aligned with the grease nipple.

 

[jstucky]

Unless I'm crazy, the retainer that is remaining with the snap ring don't look to be plastic--but some sort of metal. I'll look at it again when I get home. I'm most confused at how the gimbal bearing got on the outside of this retainer.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Now I`m puzzled, the very old housings did not have a provision for grease, If you have a nipple on the outside of the housing test with grease gun. If grease does come in then ,mark the spot ,rotate the tolerance ring untill the hole is visable and mark the housing with a sharpie where the hole is, insert bearing into housing lining up the marks You need to drive on the outside of the bearing, on the housing ring NOT ON THE BEARING

 

[Bt Doctur]

pm me some pics of the bearing and housing.

 

[jstucky]

Thanks BT, I will send and post some additional pictures when I get home later today.

 

[jstucky]

BT, Will do. I will send and post some additional pictures when I get home tonight.

 

[achris]

Hi John,

You might like to have a look at this video. -> https://youtu.be/C6NsazweZyw

Chris......

 

[jstucky]

Chris-thanks for the video. That was helpful. Here are some more pictures of the Gimbal Bearing area. Picture 1432-shows the grease entry into the bearing retainer (term?) (which is definitely metal and held in with the snap ring). Picture 1433 shows the grease tube molded into the housing. Picture 1436 shows the zerk on the right outside of the housing. I confirmed that grease comes out the entry inside from this zerk. Picture 1437 shows the bearing. Picture 1438 shows what appears to be a grease entry hole in the bearing. After looking at it again, it appears that the bearing could be turned sideways and pushed behind the retainer to install but I'm not sure what holds it there on the backside. The bearing was on the front side of the retainer when I found it. If a new bearing can be put on the inside of the retainer and the grease hole is aligned with the grease entry port, what keeps the bearing from turning so the grease hold says aligned? Does any of this make sense? Hopefully these pictures come through. My bearing doesn't look like any of them in the service manual. Thanks for the help!

 

[Bt Doctur]

you have a greaseable housing and bearing . Why you have a snap ring is a mystery. If the aluminum tolerance ring is in there you could not have simply removed the bearing . Not physically possible Remove the snap ring and remove anything else thats in there. Post the remains