Bravo 1 Upper Gears - Pinion Depth

[Slide]

I'm replacing the upper gears in my Bravo 1 and going from 1.36 to 1.50 ratio. My drive is a 1998, SN 0L750627, and my new gears are the post-SB 2001-17 style.

Everything has gone together fine up until installing the pinion gear, I replaced the pinion bearings with new ones but the pinion depth will not set right. I replaced them straight up with new ones of the same Timken P/N, but I noticed that Mercruiser sells a full bearing kit P/N 31-86763A2. Did Mercruiser also change this bearing stack for the new style gears? I noticed that the new pinion is shorter than the old. Is that the bearing set I need?

EDIT: to clarify, the pinion is too deep. It seems like the shim is wrong.

 

[alldodge]

There was a change in the gear set from Merc. Appears you may need a change according to the buliten

 

[Bt Doctur]

https://www.mercruiserparts.com/bulletins/001/04//2001/EN_17.PDF

 

[Slide]

Yes, I have read the service bulletin thoroughly, that's how I knew what gear set kit to order. I got the A3 version based on my drive SN.

The SB does not mention the pinion gear bearings at all. I can't find any reference to these parts being changed, but mine don't fit.