CRACKED GIMBAL RING

[JIm Cook]

Just replaced coupler,[lotta work], only to discover <br />cracked gimbal ring at the upper swivel shaft.I am thinking of doing it myself to meet our vacation plans for Lake Powell. I know I would need a hinge pin tool and from what I have read, it looks like<br />one has to drill 1-1/8" holes into gimball housing.<br />If anyone has a tip or two, we would be most <br />thankful. I do have a Clymer manual and intend to<br />open it tonight. 96 Bravo III, 7.4L freshwater use.<br />700 hrs. and no trouble until now except impeller<br />and coupler.

 

[Don S]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

Forget the Clymer manual, it will only cause you problems. Use the Mercruiser manual. Here is an online manual link.<br /> Merc manual #11 <br /><br />While that method has worked for many, I have had those plugs leak, they are hard to drill, harder to tap and a PITA to do the job. It's much better to pull the engine (Again) to do the job properly so you don't have 2 of your 1-1/8" holes with plastic plugs keeping water out of your boat.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

I had a friend break an ear off a gimbal ring. He cleaned it up and put it back together with JB Weld and that was 2 or 3 seasons ago and he boats in salt. I don't know if it would work for your case but it is perhaps something to think about...

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

JB Weld is good stuff but the crack is at a very high stress point. So high a stress point that welding is not an option. How does one get access to 3/4" nut that is on top of the swivel shaft. It <br />appears inaccesable even when looking at it from inside the boat. Does one have to remove the transom<br />plate also to get to the nut? You would think a simple access hole on top of this assembly would<br />be disigned into it for easier maintenance.

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

Local dealer says the engine MUST be removed to <br />replace gimbal ring. Mercstuff.com suggest otherwise. I sure dont want to remove engine if<br />not required. I have Captains Call Exhaust which <br />complicates things. Any opinions out there?<br />The clock is ticking for vacation trip.<br />96 Bravo III in Mariah Z240.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

only other option is the cheesy ares hole saw kit. if you had your boat at my shop either the engine would come out or you would find a dealer that wished to deal with the cheesebone kit. good luck

 

[JasonB]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

I did this job on my pre-alpha last year. Pain in the posterior is being nice. I did the holes through the housing and sealed the daylights out of the plugs. Agree that taking the engine out may be better unless you are very confident with the hole saw and tap. Making the threads is a severe PITA. Doable, and under the same circumstances, I would do the same way, but if I had the time when it had to be done, disassembly would have been the way.

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

I wonder why the gimbal ring breaks at that spot.<br />Jason, why did you have to work on yours?

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

Also, given the choice of pulling the engine and<br />realigning it, it seems the drilling and tapping<br />would be by far the natural choice. I can drill and tap with confidence, but I gotta ask, was there any thing else that made it particularly difficult and<br />did yours require replacement of the small oil seal<br />up in the gimbal housing?

 

[Don S]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

Did you look (and read) the information in the manual link I gave you above. It explains exactly how to do the job. They just don't tell you it probably won't work the first time or how hard a job it actually is. But you're about to find out.<br />Good Luck, you're going to need it.

 

[a.d.mobile]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

good job on that link don s. I went to there site and could not find it? have a good one bob..

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

Don S., when I opened the link to the manual, I find only pages 1 thru 14. Should I see more?

 

[Don S]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

go to page iii, and run your curser over the section letter (A,B,etc) of each section. The cursor will change when you are over the link.<br />They aren't always obvious links.

 

[JasonB]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

Mine was worn out and had too much slop in the steering. My "operation" was successful. Don is right about the difficulty of the job, it is doable and I did it in about 3 afternoons, but it isn't for the faint of heart.

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

You guys are scaring me, but I'm gonna get'er done.<br />Was the hardest part removing the 3/4" nut?

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

Well, got'r done in 10 hrs. and did not "hurry" the job.As a foot note, I work in Stillwater,OK., and<br />I am in the Mercruiser plant almost weekly. If I<br />come across a suggestion box, I may suggest that the<br />1-1/8" acces hole be incorporated into the design.<br />I know it would be another machining process, but<br />the only part I had a little trouble with was tapping the hole clean and straight.

 

[JIm Cook]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

PITA, just like Don S. said.

 

[JasonB]

Re: CRACKED GIMBAL RING

There's a company that make a wrench just for getting that blasted nut on/off through the hole, but they want $60 if I remember right. After doing the job, I decided I would have been better off spending the cash for it, but at least the new nut had the indentations for screwing it down with a small punch (the old one was smooth, real PITA to get off).<br /><br />Glad to hear you were able to get it done. The threads also caused me some grief, but I was able to clean up my mess.