An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

[EarlyWood]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

bump ..for those who are just getting back from boating

 

[ziggy]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

for those who are just getting back from boating

yep, a rough day boating for sure...83* and a mild breeze... it was rough to be sure....

as fer yer snap ring. i'd gamble.... it don't have it in the later drives. alphas. it ain't gonna prevent the gimble brg. from miss alingning with the grease hole. friction will hold it in place. i drove my new gimble brg. assy. in. just past the snap ring land. so what's the snap ring do since it ain't in contact with it...?

 

[EarlyWood]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

There's no doubt the boating must have sucked yesterday, ziggy.( now where's that emoticon??
I'm willing to gamble, if I lose , I lose. I'm not willing throw a lot of money into this '73. I'll be yur guinea pig here.. just need a mechanic to throw the thing in cause I'm not wanting to buy the tools at this point. May change my mind later..

Because it was such a lousy sunny Sunday for boating, my luv and I pulled this thing outta the weeds and played with paint. Now all I need is a motor for this thing..( i know wrong forum)



the interior is from the previous owner, def lacking the proper vision..

no, it's not what you think

i just spent my camera battery on these without getting the pics of the drive shaft pitting..



hey, i'm hoping for a Don S weigh in on my situation...how does that happen?

 

[EarlyWood]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

I really need advice.
I just got off the phone with a mechanic, who has worked on this boat in the past. He says that putting a new gimbal bearing in without the snap ring, thus the new housing, is going to allow the drive shaft to pull the gimbal out of it's home. He says the drive shaft moves in and out of the gimbal. Says there are two rubber o-rings on the shaft in the channels at the bearing location. Says moving the shaft in and out will cause the bearing to work itself out meaning rumbling, rattling etc.
I'm at a loss, not having the tools and feeling I don't have the time to do this. I'd like him to just do this, put it in, based on what I'm reading here regarding the lack of snap rings after '72 or '73 but that's like me telling him his business based on what I read on the internet and this most likely won't bode well. Besides, now I need more encouragement here regarding the movement of the shaft causing a bad situation. If I had the tools and time, I'd do this and not worry if it failed but I don't want to pay someone to do this against their will and then have the bearing fail.
Notice in the pic that the two grooves are different size. The mechanic, who hasn't seen this, said they should be the same size. Can anyone offer insights on this? I really need to move forward or bale and go back to my 14' aluminum for which I don't have an outboard motor yet. I'm also paying $650.00 dock space for the summer, having prepaid earlier and now have no boat.
I guess if you guys told me the mechanic is wrong I'd go to someone else willing to do the install. Or I'll take you up on the offer of lending me your tools and I'll guinea pig this thing, trying to find the time.




Pic below: two channels of different size..unusual? These are for O-rings?
I tried downloading the manual no success yet. Thanks for any and all info.

 

[Bondo]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

Ayuh,.... That Input Shaft is Beat,...Scrap Metal....

Replacing the Housing is only going to Fatten that Mechanic's Checkbook,...
That's a MAJOR Undertaking.....

I'd put a New input shaft on that drive,+ a New gimbel bearing assembley into that housing....
And Go Boating.....

Btw,....
That shaft moves Thousandths in the gimbel bearing,... Not Inches.....
'course,... Your Old 1 wouldn't move,... At All.....

 

[JustJason]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

I agree with Bond-o on the shaft....

As far as the transom plate, you can always ask the mechanic to drive in the bearing and tell him you won't hold him liable if the bearing further trashes the housing should it move. Maybe he can note it on the work order he gives you that he is doing the work against his own recomendations... cover's everyones but that way

 

[ParallaxBill]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

I just pulled my drive on my 72 this past Sunday. It has a snap ring but it isn't required to hold in a replacement gimble bearing as has been noted several times. I may put mine back in because it sure isn't going to hurt anything.

I was lucky pulling my drive on account of suspected gimble bearing noise. I had a small hole rubbed in the starboard side of my u joint bellows and water came in. I caught it early and everything came out nice and slick (no rust). I even got my snap ring out using a nail setter, a good grip and two screw drivers. I own several snap ring tools but none looked stout enough for that big ol' snap ring.

Good luck on getting your drive back together. I've got to order parts and an alignment too for mine. I'll be making a bearing driver if my current set doesn't have one that fits right.

 

[EarlyWood]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

Thanks for all the info..
I'm getting frazzeled. For a new shaft, I don't know if I need the long yoke or the short yoke..
hey parallax, we were both working on '73 drives this past Sunday (as well as aluminum)...and it was a beautiful day here in Vt.... arrggghhh

 

[Bondo]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

I don't know if I need the long yoke or the short yoke..

Ayuh,.... You need the Short Shaft.....

Both Napa,+ iboats carries it, you only need the Shaft,...
Not necessarily the joints too...

The picture of the ebay 1 was Not an acceptable picture.....
A New short shaft shouldn't be much more than twice the ebay price of the Used 1...

 

[EarlyWood]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

Okay. Not buying that one. New it is. A quick primer on removing the u-joint pins from the yoke is what I need now. I'm a needy guy, I know. I see there are c-lips. Can I get a big sledge hammer and beat this thing out?

 

[Bondo]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

Can I get a big sledge hammer and beat this thing out?

Ayuh,...
But,...
You'll have Better Luck Pressing it....

 

[EarlyWood]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

I was kinda joking but...
the clips need to be pushed, pried, or pulled off,...or not? If so, got a trick. I made a feeble very quick attempt at pushing on one with a screwdriver. I honestly don't have a lot of time and any questions that appear dumb reflect this.
thanks again

 

[ziggy]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

You'll have Better Luck Pressing it....

yep, that'll work best. i hate to suggest harbor frieght and their chineeze tools. but they've got a $30 ujoint press that worked real good. much better than a bfh anyways... along with this..http://www.iboats.com/U_Joint_Adapt...3788370--**********.482470794--view_id.271201
ya can make short, not hard work, of removing and replaceing them...

if yer gonna do the back ujoint too, ya will also need one of these....http://www.iboats.com/Spanner_Nut_W...3788362--**********.482470794--view_id.271181

as ya can't get the press close enough with the retainer nut in place...... + torque wrech capable of 150ish ft lbs to put the nut back where ya found it.....

as for the clips, prying i think. i used a screwdriver with a small hammer for the tight ones.... also broke a couple too.......

 

[JustJason]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

i use this

http://www.otctools.com/products/detail.php?id=1815

its pricey but it's not chineese and it doesn't break. As far as what Ziggy posted for that adaptor I just use a plain old socket.
You don't really need the spanner wrench for the ujoints. I just grind down a tab or 2 if the press doesn't clear.

 

[ziggy]

Re: An Upper end removal failure '73 Mercruiser 120/140

I just use a plain old socket.

yep, that works too. but the proper tools work better..... the adaptor locates on the boss of the ujoint proper....

You don't really need the spanner wrench for the ujoints. I just grind down a tab or 2 if the press doesn't clear.

yep, many do that too. with much success from what i've read... personaly, i prefered not to ruin the integity of my retainer nut on general principles.....

its pricey but it's not chineese and it doesn't break.

i'd be first in line to badmouth chineeese tools. i hate supporting their cause. however the tool is heavy enough that it seemed to stand some torture. at the very least it is better than a bfh. myself, if i was gonna do gobs of ujoints, i'd spring for a real press too. but for lack of $'s and the fact that i just ain't gonna do that many i don't think. i sucked up my pride and got the chineeese one. i've used the bfh method before, and it usually causes me grief...... so the chineeese tool for me was half way in between a real tool and a bfh...... fwiw. the chineese press + the adaptor + removing the retainer nut made short easy work of ujoints....

guess it's different strokes for different folks as the saying goes.... choose yer poison..........