Defeated!!!!!!

[flyer4ever]

I hate to admit it but I'm defeated after breaking every home made puller and even a rented 3 jaw slide hammer, that gimble bearing has found a home. I'm going to have to take this boat to a dealer 50 miles away so he can charge me $100 to pull this bearing. I'ts an Alpha 1 witha 3.0. I'm afraid of breaking the gimble ring or worse. This has a very high suck factor. Just thought I'd share that with everyone!

 

[ErieRon]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

Sorry to hear that..that does suck ! If it makes you feel any better...most of us have been there too

 

[JustJason]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

I've never bad a problem with my OTC puller with modified Snap-on jaws. And i've had some bearings that were an absolute BEAR to pull. Spend the 100 bucks on a quality tool. You'll get the bearing out and you'll still have the tool. You know you need an installer tool as well right?

 

[guyaverage]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

Are you doing this with the bellows and bellhousing still installed? I asked a local Merc tech what they do with a stuck bearing, he said "we whack it even harder until it pulls out". Lovely.

He said, however, if the bellhousing and bellows are removed, get a 1/4 inch drill bit, and drill holes all around the outer bearing ring. Drill them as close as you can get them. (Using your replacement bearing, you will have to measure the depth of the outer ring and mark that measurement on your drill bit, so that you dont drill so deep you go through the ring and into the gimbal housing.) Anyway by doing this you will relieve some of the tension between the gimbal housing and the outer bearing ring, and a couple of light taps with the puller will yank it right out.

I tried it, and he was right. I probably could have pulled it out with my fingers at that point.

 

[flyer4ever]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

I'm completely amased how tight those things are in there. I've studied the drawings of these and can't figure why they have such a tight fit. I'ts not like its going to fall out. And I quess the older ones even had a snap ring too. Talk about overkill. Anyway I had to get away from the thing before I did something I would regret. Boats! are we having fun yet?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

I'm completely amased how tight those things are in there.

Ayuh,... Thing is, they're Not, it's just a resistence fit,...
Til you add alittle Corrosion...

You can still get it out yourself, with a few pieces of scrap steel,+ some ingenuity...

Get a piece of threaded rod, 1/2" or larger,+ a few nuts to fit...
Slide the rod through the bearing,+ add a couple big washers(big enough to grab the bearing), and a nut on the inside of the boat...
On the outside,.. take a stout piece of steel, punch a hole in the center to clear the threaded rod through, put a nut,+ washer on it,+ start tightening...
This stout piece of steel needs to be able to bridge the hole in the gimbel housing, resting on the outside edges...
The tighter you tighten it, it'll pull the bearing out, without all the hammering...

Btw,... your attemp at building a slide hammer with a 4lb. hammer, needed a 20lb hammer...

 

[flyer4ever]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

I understand Bond-o what your saying, and that would work great if you had the motor out, but how would you put washers and a nut on with no access to the back side of the gimble bearing?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

This is on your Merc Right,..?? What motor is it,..?? 3.0l,..??
You should have atleast an inch or 2 of play space to reach in there....
I didn't say it would be Easy....

 

[Grumman59]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

He said, however, if the bellhousing and bellows are removed, get a 1/4 inch drill bit, and drill holes all around the outer bearing ring. Drill them as close as you can get them. (Using your replacement bearing, you will have to measure the depth of the outer ring and mark that measurement on your drill bit, so that you dont drill so deep you go through the ring and into the gimbal housing.) ....

I just did exactly that. My gimbal bearing was in there so solid I thought I would damage the transom with the 5 llb slide hammer puller. It made no impression at all.

You don't need to drill right at the edge because there is a channel in the outer circumference of the bearing where the retainer ring sits.

So once you've drilled through the outer flange, you can squirt penetrating oil into the holes and it will seep around. I drilled about eight holes, spaced all around. The bearing is only aluminum, so drills easily. Just watch the depth. The bearing is 1-3/32" thick so 1" will be safe.

When you use the slide hammer puller again, a slight change in tone will tell you the bearing is on its way out.

 

[CJCJ]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

PB Blaster, let it sit overnight. It's worked miracles on my 'ol IDI.

 

[flyer4ever]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

I'm sorry Bond-o maybe I'm numb but are you talking about through the gimble housing or from inside the boat behind the motor?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

If you cant make one , pm me.

 

[flyer4ever]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

I accually copied your design and ended up bending the ears right off of it and had to fishout the ears with a magnet. Also I cant figure out how folks are drilling holes in this thing, It's about 11 inches in there . way down to the other side of the bellows. Maybe I'm missing something here. I would love to put large washers behind the bearing but don't know how you could do that. I'm sorry guys, but things are going down hill when your seeing RED!!!!! Please don't give up on me.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

Did you use tool steel? Mine have never failed yet.

 

[flyer4ever]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

No , I think it was just cold rolled.

 

[dingdongs]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

i tried like you for a couple of hours .i then made a plate up which fitted through the centre of the bearing with a drilled hole in it to which i put a washer and nut on as my reversible hammer can take threaded bar.about 3/8"was sufficient.i got it all set up and heated the ally casing bearing holder up evenly around with a plumbers torch.maybe to 150 degrees or so.afterwards the bearing moved immediatly with the reversible hammer to get it level with the casing and after heating up once more it was straight out.i wish i'd tried this before spending the best part of an afternoon on it.was out of a 1974 bayliner mutiny and god knows how long it had sat in there.the plate i used was only about 1/4 thick .clean as much of the grease out first so you dont set anything on fire.good luck.

 

[flyer4ever]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

This is the part I'm not getting, How do you put something through a blind hole and put on washers and a nut on it on the other side of the bearing? What am I not getting here ?

 

[flyer4ever]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

Is there access behind the motor between the coupler to the back side of the bearing?

 

[ErieRon]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

This is the part I'm not getting, How do you put something through a blind hole and put on washers and a nut on it on the other side of the bearing? What am I not getting here ?

Don't worry, you're not insane. You can't get a 1.5" dia. washer through a 1.375" dia. hole. I don't care who you are. So, reading all of this, I assume there is room on the inboard side to feed it through from the engine side. Don't know because I don't have your engine. Check and see if you have room inboard to feed the threaded rod through... and I'm guessing it will be easier with two people.

Additionally, bigger is better...meaning the ears on the puller you made probably need to be thicker if they are bending or breaking...the web thickness that is. A radius in the corner where the ears meet the body of the pulling leg will make it stronger as well.

I would also increase the size of the threaded rod in your case and use an appropriate ratchet (1/2" drive).

If you have an adequate plate on the other end that distributes the stress across the gimbal ring, you should be able to crank the sh!t out of it until it pops. A little tapping wouldn't hurt either while you're drawing on it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Defeated!!!!!!

Is there access behind the motor between the coupler to the back side of the bearing?

Ayuh,... In my barge, on my Alpha 1, Yes, I can put a finger on the Inside of the gimbel bearing....
From Inside the barge....