Gimbal bearing housing Bellows lip broken

[bigike]

95 King Cobra.

I noticed that the bellows wasn't connected to the pivot housing. Pulled the drive and attempted to fit the bellows but the bellows was smaller than the ID of the pivot housing. So i pulled it off and found out it is for a SX, and has a smaller pivot housing bellows bore.

When i removed it i became aware of the gimbal bearing housing where the bellows is supposed to install was damaged. The SX bellows was mounted around the broken stub, on the larger portion, to be clear it's the necked down portion that is damaged. Anybody welded a new lip on these housings before? OMC/MERC/VOLVO all the same in this regard.

I assume that a u-joint or gimbal bearing let loose. I have access to a cheap transom assembly, but as i understand it the engine will need to be removed to gain access to the bolts for removal... I don't want to do that.

We will attempt to put the new bellows on the same way the SX was installed, and see if its not stretched to much and that a good seal is obtained.

I will replace the bearing, seal and u-joints, 0-rings, new hose barb and maybe a new hose. The hose that is on it isn't the stock piece and isn't molded, the molded hose is NLA big time haha. Has anyone used Brute Force u-joints before?

 

[sea wolf]

Re: Gimbal bearing housing Bellows lip broken

You're going to install a new bellows on that? If a piece of metal lets loose, there goes the u-joints & who knows what else. Wow.

 

[bigike]

Re: Gimbal bearing housing Bellows lip broken

i think the gimbal let loose and did the damage, i'm going to try and put the bellows on it, if that doesn't work, i'll clean it up have a machine shop make a bushing and have the lip welded on, IF THAT DON'T work.... New (used) gimbal housing. Just don't know if i need to pull the engine for that...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gimbal bearing housing Bellows lip broken

Has anyone used Brute Force u-joints before?

You're talkin Autozone right?



I am not really sure that they're much different than any other U-joints but Autozone will probably be cheepie's

I like to lean toward companies like DANA/Spicer TRW etc.....

If you click the following link, there's info on part numbers etc...

Look particularly at #20MUST HAVE Technical Information for DIYers.

I don't know if I would try to weld that gimbal mount. You probably could.

If I was going to do it, I would want to set it up on a vertical mill to clean it up.
Then I would make the piece on a lathe trying to match the alloy used in the casting.

Then weld it together.

OTOH, I think I would just find another gimbal mount.....


.

 

[bigike]

Re: Gimbal bearing housing Bellows lip broken

it's on the the lip the bellows connects to. my buddy will look at it and see if its doable, i'm not a welder by any means.

i'm going with this spicer http://www.actionmachineinc.com/7260seriesnongreasableu-joint.aspx , supposed to be cold forged vs the Brute force pieces being hot forged.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Gimbal bearing housing Bellows lip broken

it's on the the lip the bellows connects to. my buddy will look at it and see if its doable, i'm not a welder by any means.

i'm going with this spicer http://www.actionmachineinc.com/7260seriesnongreasableu-joint.aspx , supposed to be cold forged vs the Brute force pieces being hot forged.

Aluminum is pretty easy to weld if you have the right (GTAW AKA TIG ) welder ........ I have a Miller Synchrowave 180 and it does a REALLY nice job on aluminum if it's thin. Aluminum requires a LOT of heat.......(aluminium if you're in New Zealand!!)

There are some aluminum alloys that you cannot weld (period) ............ but they normally don't make castings out of them. Your gimbal mount is weldable, but I would want it out of the boat to do it. A good welder should be able to do it in the boat if he can get the TIG torch up in there easily.

If you're not going to keep the boat in salt water all the time, you'll probably be ok as long as you pull the drive every year so you can inspect for water intrusion.
(Mercury suggests doing it anyway!)

I don't know about Neapco U-joints. My Brother Inlaw owns a driveline machine shop in Ca. He's a stocking dealer for Spicer and a host of other drive line stuff. I'll ask him what he thinks of Neapco U-joints. Maybe they're the stuff to use nowadays!