Gimbal came out on input shaft

[reddog12]

I replaced my gimbal bearing last season. I pulled the mc1 out drive today to replace the u joints and the gimble came out on the input shaft! The bearing seems fine and I couldn't see any cracks in the gimble housing. Ire installed it with the proper tool and it took 4 or5 wacks with a 3 lb hammer to seat it. Why would it come out and is this a problem? Thanks

 

[dubs283]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

i have only seen that happen on units that have not been serviced for a long time and the bearing is usually rusted/fused onto the saft

did you install the bearing with the proper tool??

was the tolerance ring in place when you intsalled it??

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

I used the disc that goes on my alignment tool to install it. If the tolerance ring is the wavy metal band around the outside, then yes it was I place.

 

[dubs283]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

wow, thats odd - was the bearing oem?? and go into place with a tight fit??

like i said i have only seen 'em come out on the shaft due to severe neglect

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Yes the bearing is oem , and like I said it took 4 or 5 wacks with a 3 lb. hammer it reinstall it. Also it was located right on the o rings on the shaft ( the correct location? ) when Ipulled the out drive. It did NOT take excessive pressure to pull the out drive.

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Anybody have any thoughts on this? There was no damage to the gimble bearing. It wasn't spinning it the housing. Should I just leave it and try it?
Thanks

 

[Pete104]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

How old? Is it original driveshaft?
Why did you need to replace it originally?
How did you remove the brg before installing this one?
Are able to remove the gimbal brg from the driveshaft now, without any resistance?

AND, you don't use an alignment bar to install A GIMBAL BEARING!

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

It is the original out drive. The boat was new to me last year and the first thing I did was replace the bearing because it was rough . I don't know how old the input shaft is but it and the splines look good. The bearing came off the shaft pretty easily. With my alignment tool I have a steel disk that pins to it ment to set the gimble. To remove the gimble bearing I used an axel bearing puller with threaded rod through a steel plate. I built this puller years ago and it works well for me.
Thanks

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

I replaced my gimble bearing last season. Ire installed it with the proper tool and it took 4 or5 wacks with a 3 lb hammer to seat it.

AND, you don't use an alignment bar to install A GIMBAL BEARING!

With my alignment tool I have a steel disk that pins to it ment to set the gimble.

Pete is right and this might be your problem, you may not have seated the bearing completely using the alignment bar, It's not designed for this job.

When the bearing is seated you should hear a different sound.

Are you using merc part numbers 91-30366T1 Gimbal Bearing Installation Collar Number 3, 91-29310 Plate Puller, 91-37323 Driver Rod and 91-32335T Bearing Head to install the gimbal bearing in the MC-1, R-MR, Alpha One and Alpha One Gen II drive units?

Alignment Tool Assembly Kit #91-805475A1 should not be used to install a gimbal bearing.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Pete is right and this might be your problem, you may not have seated the bearing completely using the alignment bar, It's not designed for this job.

When the bearing is seated you should hear a different sound.

Are you using merc part numbers 91-30366T1 Gimbal Bearing Installation Collar Number 3, 91-29310 Plate Puller, 91-37323 Driver Rod and 91-32335T Bearing Head to install the gimbal bearing in the MC-1, R-MR, Alpha One and Alpha One Gen II drive units?

Alignment Tool Assembly Kit #91-805475A1 should not be used to install a gimbal bearing.

Actually, some of the "alignment bars" ARE designed to be a driver for the gimbal bearing. The problem may in the placement of the pin holding the driver disk to the alignment bar. It may be too far back on the bar, causing it to bottom in the coupler before seating the bearing completely. On mine, I had to drill the bar for the pin, to match my drive. The instructions that came with the bar state to push bar all the way into the coupler, with disk seated on bar and against a seated bearing, then back out about a 1/4". That is where the disk should be pinned and sit against the seated bearing, to ensure it seats the bearing with at least 1/4" before bar bottoms out in coupling.

I can see a possible problem not having the bar 100% centered when driving the bearing in, cocking it just a wisker, and making it not a good install. An alignment plate bolted to the drive mounting studs to hold the bar in near perfect alignment would rectify that one.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Interesting, I was not aware that you could or should modify your alignment bars to install a bearing, It seems like it would be easier and safer to use this step rather than mercs smaller driver rod (15 inch) that they recommend using. Thanks 04fxdwgi.

Did either of you guys buy your bar from mercstuff?

Also reddog12, is your tool set up like this?
http://www.mercstuff.com/gimbalbearingdriver.htm

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Fun Times,
My tool is similar. The disc is the same, you just drill a hole through your alignment tool in the right spot and the disc attaches with a recessed hex Heath bolt. This way the alignment tool slips into the coupler and helps align the gimble. I bought the kit off of eBay.
Before summer I am going to pull the motor so I can rewire the power trim and replace the steering cable. At that time I will try to set the gimble farther( I case my tool is bottoming out before the gimble is completely set).http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALIGNMENT-G..._Parts_Accessories_Gear&vxp=mtr#ht_2663wt_689. This is the tool set I have.

 

[Pete104]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

That's MY problem! Nothing should be aligning bearing as it is going into place.
Line up the grease hole, get it square & drive it home. If it is following another "quide" in the coupler, your never going to have alignment.
My original question; Taking the bearing off the driveshaft. How did you take it off?

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Pete,
I just taped it gently and it came off. The oring tension was all that was holding it on.

 

[dingdongs]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Pete,
I just taped it gently and it came off. The oring tension was all that was holding it on.

my 1974 i believe mc1 drive had a large circlip to hold the gimbal bearing in to stop it from pulling out but i thought it was unneccessary as mine took about 4 hours to remove.i did put the large circlip back though.i believe this circlip wasn't used on the alpha drives.
this may be missing from your drive and its function may well have been to stop the bearing coming out with the shaft.

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Thanks D D,
I did check and there is no grove for a snap ring.

 

[andrewddrennon]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Did you buy the right gimble bearing???

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Interesting, I was not aware that you could or should modify your alignment bars to install a bearing, It seems like it would be easier and safer to use this step rather than mercs smaller driver rod (15 inch) that they recommend using. Thanks 04fxdwgi.

Did either of you guys buy your bar from mercstuff?

Also reddog12, is your tool set up like this?
http://www.mercstuff.com/gimbalbearingdriver.htm

Not mercstuff. I bought mine off fleabay for a shop in Chicago. A buck 30 for the alignment bar, bearing driver, seal driver, bellows ring driver, bellows expansion tool and hinge pin tool. Good quality stuff and good instructions on how to use it / set it up to work correctly.

May only use it once a year, but worth every penny, IMHO.........

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Fun Times,
My tool is similar. The disc is the same, you just drill a hole through your alignment tool in the right spot and the disc attaches with a recessed hex Heath bolt. This way the alignment tool slips into the coupler and helps align the gimble. I bought the kit off of eBay.
Before summer I am going to pull the motor so I can rewire the power trim and replace the steering cable. At that time I will try to set the gimble farther( I case my tool is bottoming out before the gimble is completely set).http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALIGNMENT-G..._Parts_Accessories_Gear&vxp=mtr#ht_2663wt_689. This is the tool set I have.

The way I did mine was to put the gimbal driver on the bar and put a tyrap on the bar right behind it, as tight as I could get it. As I slid the alignment bar into the coupling, the driver pushed the tyrap back on the bar until the bar bottomed out in the coupling. When I pulled it out, I placed the gimbal driver ring 1/4" further inboard of the tyrap and there is where I drilled the hole. TADA.... Done. Gimbal bearing seats 1/4" before the bar bottoms out in the coupling.

 

[reddog12]

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Re: Gimble came out on input shaft

Did you buy the right gimble bearing???

You know it's been a year since I bought it so I don't have the part #. Don't the mc1's and alpha's all take the same bearing? I wouldn't put it past me to order the wrong part but how many different gimbles are there for Mercs ?