Gimbal Bearing

[Sashap]

TWO DAYS! Two days I have now lost to this bearing. Mercruiser 3.0 with Alpha One Phase II.
Firstly, I live in an area where tool stores etc are not well stocked. Everyone can promise they will get what you need by Thursday - not saying which week. I have a very well equipped shop for all kinds of tools, toys and manufacturing equipment. I also like to make my own special tools if I can't get it right away.

I have gear pullers of every variety (except slide hammer). The stores in town have the same as I do (except slide hammers!). Two stores had really nice professional $200 to $300 sets. I am not about to spend that on something I will maybe never need again. My limit is $100 and that is a stretch.

Before I get comments starting, "well harbour freight...", I need to stop you and say "Rural Canada". Mail from USofA takes a good 2 weeks to 30 days. Don't ask me why. Plus duty rates have gone up too. My point is that buying online is not really an option, especially when I would like to do the project over a weekend.

So, I made a great puller based on a rocking device that slips through the hole and catches the back side. I was sure that it would work without a hitch. Stupid me. That damn bearing is so stuck that I actually stripped the threads on the puller. I made a new one and it didn't fare much better.

Mechanics around here don't work on weekends because the fishing is good. I don't blame them. I wanted to go too but I can't because I decided to do this quick job of changing the bearing.

I don't have anything to make a slide hammer with because I don't want to drill a hole through my sledge hammers.

I saw some stuff online where some people drilled around the aluminum carrier and then got things moving. I tried that to no avail other than I now have to clean all those aluminum shavings from the tube.

I am tempted to hook one of my trucks to the trailer, further secure the boat to the trailer and then hook a chain or something to the puller that is still in the bearing hole and use my other truck to yank it out. This scares me though because I can't see what is going on while I do this.

I desperately need some advice here. Keep in mind my shortage of the proper tool (if even a slide hammer would help at this point) and where I live and it is a weekend.

Help?

 

[thumpar]

What kind of stores do you have? Autozone here does a loan a tool that ends up being free. What they do is sell you the tool but you return it for full refund.

 

[Sashap]

What kind of stores do you have? Autozone here does a loan a tool that ends up being free. What they do is sell you the tool but you return it for full refund.

Nope,
Nobody loans anything here. You have to buy it. The only two who had a slide hammer wanted $300 for the set. Not gonna happen. Around here so many of the places act like you have to earn the right to do business there. Ridiculous.

I saw a thread that said you could rotate the bearing in the carrier. Is that hard to do? If I could do that, then I could just cut the aluminum with a sawzall.

I did not try to hammer it back in first then try pulling though. Just saw that.

Other ideas are welcome.

 

[Sashap]

If I could turn the bearing in the carrier, could I just push it in towards the motor and then have room to cut the aluminum part?

 

[Rick Stephens]

I have done some crazy stuff to get stuck studs in or out and bearings in and out One of the simplest is to freeze the carrier best you can. I usually use a CO2 or nitrogen tank, but I have heard of it done using canned air with the can turned upside down. I have also seen a number of people fab up pullers that are essentially a washer behind the bearing, a threaded rod, and a nut to tighten over a hunk of iron spanning the bell housing. I do not know what the risks are to the bell housing or the pivot pins doing that, but you can certainly put some serious ooomph on the damn thing.

I think I'd skip the chain to the kenworth truck. Might be too exciting for my tastes.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Go to the electronic shop and pick up some freon ( keyboard cleaner)

Use a heat gun to heat up the gimble housunf. I normally prop up the heat gun and get a beer

Then remove tge heat gun, flip the can of freon upside down and hit the bearing for 20 seconds.... Then with a gloved hand, pull the bearing. Worse case, a hit by the slide hammer

 

[Sashap]

Go to the electronic shop and pick up some freon ( keyboard cleaner)

Use a heat gun to heat up the gimble housunf. I normally prop up the heat gun and get a beer

Then remove tge heat gun, flip the can of freon upside down and hit the bearing for 20 seconds.... Then with a gloved hand, pull the bearing. Worse case, a hit by the slide hammer

I have some of that spray. Don't have a beer, so will have to go to the store. Drank my last one in frustration today.

 

[tpenfield]

It might be easier for you to move to an area with greater retail or shipping options

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

1 added idea
Threaded pullers also work well on gimbal bearings -- If needed wondering if you can rig something ( not sure what you have on hand ) -- Hardest part would be getting something behind he bearing that will hold in place under force.

 

[mr 88]

There should be two 1' slots opposite each other on the aluminum race. Put something like a hammer handle in the bearing and push down or up so that the bearing rotates where the slots are. get in perpendicular to the slots and it will pull out. I have had stuck races before and never bothered replacing them ,just put the new bearing in and made sure that the race was taking grease and reaching the bearing.

 

[89retta]

Where are you at up here in the great white north ?

 

[Sashap]

It might be easier for you to move to an area with greater retail or shipping options

Actually I am working on that!

 

[Sashap]

Where are you at up here in the great white north ?

150 mile house in bc. On the old gold trail.

 

[Sashap]

1 added idea
Threaded pullers also work well on gimbal bearings -- If needed wondering if you can rig something ( not sure what you have on hand ) -- Hardest part would be getting something behind he bearing that will hold in place under force.

That is exactly what I made. Stripped the thread!

 

[Sashap]

There should be two 1' slots opposite each other on the aluminum race. Put something like a hammer handle in the bearing and push down or up so that the bearing rotates where the slots are. get in perpendicular to the slots and it will pull out. I have had stuck races before and never bothered replacing them ,just put the new bearing in and made sure that the race was taking grease and reaching the bearing.

Nope, it’s mounted with the slots inward.

 

[mr 88]

Well someone installed the race wrong ,at least in my book its backwards. Good luck !!

 

[thumpar]

The slots are supposed to go forward on anything but the very early Mercs.

 

[Sashap]

Well someone installed the race wrong ,at least in my book its backwards. Good luck !!

In every video it says the dot is at top on the outside with slots in. Apparently your way is referenced as the old way. No idea why it was changed.

 

[89retta]

150 mile house in bc. On the old gold trail.

I know its a bit of a drive but might be a good idea to go to Kamloops.

 

[Bondo]

In every video it says the dot is at top on the outside with slots in. Apparently your way is referenced as the old way. No idea why it was changed.

Ayuh,.... To keep nitwits from replacin' only 1/2 of the gimbel bearin' assembly,....