Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

[bruceb58]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Yeah, do the same thing with wheel races. Makes install way easier.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Welcome, Searay D . . .

I like the freezer trick. Some good advice given. I have to admit, that I have not replaced the drive shaft o-rings on occasion,

Pictures and possibly a video are always helpful in these sorts of diagnostics. You mention the alignment tool, but did you do the engine alignment? I'd be taking things apart and re-verifying the installation at this point.

 

[Searay D]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Upon further review....I re checked engine alignment....(thanks to all who mention that) I believe that i may not have inserted the tool 100%... there is a spot where it stops and you can turn and pull out with two fingers...but I gave it an extra shove it inserted about an extra inch and at that point required a full grip to pull out. Thinking back when I mounted the drive it required the patented size 12 calibrated Merc kick(actually about 20 kicks) to get it to mate. Its my first time doing this so not quite sure how hard its suppose to be. Anyways it was very difficult getting to go all the way in. So I guess i'll start there....my boat has the 7.4 Mercuiser ...are there any resources online as how to properly do the job?

 

[bspeth]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Yes check the stickies at the top of this forum,there is also a lot of other great info. Get a helper and be patient with the process.The key is lining up the gimbal bearing to the coupler.I found that a whack on the bar with my palm was not enough to achieve this.If you stick your bar into the bearing you can really get a good pivot out of that sucker. Its in there like an eyeball.Good chance that that is the only issue if the drive came off easily.Make sure you have pivoted the bearing before making adjustments.If you have to make adjustments make them evenly on both sides.Take your time. Good luck.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Upon further review....I re checked engine alignment....(thanks to all who mention that) I believe that i may not have inserted the tool 100%... there is a spot where it stops and you can turn and pull out with two fingers...but I gave it an extra shove it inserted about an extra inch and at that point required a full grip to pull out. Thinking back when I mounted the drive it required the patented size 12 calibrated Merc kick(actually about 20 kicks) to get it to mate. Its my first time doing this so not quite sure how hard its suppose to be. Anyways it was very difficult getting to go all the way in. So I guess i'll start there....my boat has the 7.4 Mercuiser ...are there any resources online as how to properly do the job?

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... The Greatest internet resource on the web is Don'S Adults Only section, found at the top of the I/O forums here at iboats,...

Start with clickin' #5, to answer yer direct question,...

When ya got time, click #2 to find yer motor, 'n drive factory Manuals,...

Good Luck,...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

These instructions came form the guy I bought my tool from:


1) Once you have the engine height close enough to fully insert the tool without force, then you can start working on setting the proper alignment.

2) Take your time, getting it close enough to insert the tool the first time can sometimes be the hardest (most frustrating) part.

3) Coat the end section of the tool (the smallest diameter area) with a light coat of grease and then insert it fully into the coupler.

4) Without turning the tool, pull it straight out and look at the depth of the teeth marks in the grease.

5) If the teeth marks in the grease are deep on the top side and shallow on the bottom side of the tool then your motor is too high.

6) If the marks in the grease are deeper on the bottom than on the top then your motor is too low.

7) Adjust the engine height accordingly.

8) Keep checking the depth of the marks in the grease until they are equal in depth on top and bottom.

9) Sometimes as little as 1/8th of a turn on the adjusting nut can be the
difference between being properly aligned, and just having it "close"

10) Lightly Grease the splines on the shaft (and on the coupler if you can) with
Spline grease prior to assembly.

 

[Searay D]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

bsepth wrote......The key is lining up the gimbal bearing to the coupler.I found that a whack on the bar with my palm was not enough to achieve this.If you stick your bar into the bearing you can really get a good pivot out of that sucker. Its in there like an eyeball.Good chance that that is the only issue if the drive came off easily.Make sure you have pivoted the bearing before making adjustments.


Can someone explain how to pivot my bearing?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

The Alignment tool has the leverage needed to pivot the gimbal. Usually, that is the first thing you do with the alignment tool to get it to line up with the coupler. since you were able to get the tool to go into the coupler part way, you already have that basic alignment. It sounds like you are more into the engine aligning part of the process.

 

[bspeth]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

You just insert your bar and pull or push in the direction you want to pivot it.it will actually move a lot,more than I thought it would.That was my whole problem and I started adjusting before I got the bearing aligned. Tookforever.How did the drive come off ? easy or hard?Look up mercstuff.com and look at method a of removing the gimbal bearing and it will give you a good idea of how much movement you can get from it.

 

[Searay D]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Thank you tpenfield....I checked the alignment and it looks as if the motor is a little high ......I would have guessed it would have been low due to the constant weight of the motor on the mounts....Is one more common then the other...being high or low when aligning after Gimabl replacement?

 

[Searay D]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Thanks bsepth....It came off pretty easy...I'll check out the site too.

 

[bspeth]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Dude I think your bearing was not aligned with the coupler and I would pull that sucker and inspect it.there are certainly more experienced menbers on this forum and Ted is certainly one of them,it just makes sense to me that if the drive came off easy,was a pita going back on, then the noise.Does this make sense guys?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Since the drive was actually put back on and the alignment tool actually made it into the coupler, the bearing angle is fine. Now he just needs to adjust the engine angle.

The ability to grease the bearing may mean the bearing needs to come off.

 

[Searay D]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Since the drive was actually put back on and the alignment tool actually made it into the coupler, the bearing angle is fine. Now he just needs to adjust the engine angle.

The ability to grease the bearing may mean the bearing needs to come off.

I put the installation tool back on the alignment rod and wacked it a few times.....then I tried to grease it again...still squirts out the backside of the bearing....so definitely have to pull the bearing....can I reinstall it? if it was just misaligned with the grease filler tube? or should I get a brand new one and start over?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

I would get a new one because pulling it puts forces on it that it wouldn't normally get.

I would prefer not using an alignment tool to whack the bearing in. I know they sell it that way but I wouldn't do it.

When you mark the bearing the next time, do it so that you know where the hole is. You may need to use a file and make a scratch mark.

 

[Speakrdude]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

How else would you install the bearing your not using the tool?

 

[BigDog98]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Welcome to iBoats! :happy:
When you installed the bearing in your gimbal did you make sure that the inner hole of the gimbals bearing lined up with the hole in the actual gimbals? I have had the same situation as you before and it turned out that the main reason it happened because i installed it the wrong way and then i burned out the bearing. Or is also maybe that you installed the bearing on the wrong side but i would not know if there was a difference. And did you use the genuine mercruiser installation shaft? Also i would really recommend for you to purchase this book called Seloc it could be found on the iBoats store. seloc - iboats Good luck and enjoy your stay on iBoats!! :joyous:

 

[thumpar]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Welcome to iBoats! :happy:
When you installed the bearing in your gimbal did you make sure that the inner hole of the gimbals bearing lined up with the hole in the actual gimbals? I have had the same situation as you before and it turned out that the main reason it happened because i installed it the wrong way and then i burned out the bearing. Or is also maybe that you installed the bearing on the wrong side but i would not know if there was a difference. And did you use the genuine mercruiser installation shaft? Also i would really recommend for you to purchase this book called Seloc it could be found on the iBoats store. seloc - iboats Good luck and enjoy your stay on iBoats!! :joyous:

:facepalm: That book is only good for a kneepad while working. Use the factory manual from the adults only thread.

 

[achris]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

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:facepalm: That book is only good for a kneepad while working. Use the factory manual from the adults only thread.

Agreed... Factory manuals only...

 

[Searay D]

Re: Gimbal bearing install gone bad?

Welcome to iBoats! :happy:
When you installed the bearing in your gimbal did you make sure that the inner hole of the gimbals bearing lined up with the hole in the actual gimbals? I have had the same situation as you before and it turned out that the main reason it happened because i installed it the wrong way and then i burned out the bearing. Or is also maybe that you installed the bearing on the wrong side but i would not know if there was a difference. And did you use the genuine mercruiser installation shaft? Also i would really recommend for you to purchase this book called Seloc it could be found on the iBoats store. seloc - iboats Good luck and enjoy your stay on iBoats!! :joyous:

Ii'm a decent mechanic...but new to wrenching on boats..(funny thing is I've had 4 or 5 boats but never had any issues till now....I'm a little confused on the inner hole of bearing lining up with the hole in the actual Gimbal....Please elaborate.... or are you talking about the grease filler hole....If so I did my darndest to align it...but the mark came off during installation (thanks to Bruce s suggestion that won't happen again)
As for my tool its an after market...its what I could afford...so I need to make it work.