growling **not gimbal or ujoints**

[fieromx3]

so a growling noise has started happening halfway through a boat trip. i get a growling rotational related noise during a hard turn left and right and when i am trimmed down all the way or up too high. if i have it trimmed just perfectly when the driveline is straight the noise is gone. gets louder with more RPM'S and load on it. i have already replaced the U-JOINTS and GIMBAL bearing. i can also hear it on land when ran on the muffs, if i turn it all the way left or right and bring the revs up enough i can hear the growl (and NO i am not revving too high where the waterpump will be starved of water).

im not sure what it can be if it isnt the gimbal bearing or u-joints... its a 1987 mercriser 260hp 350CID with an alpha gen 1 drive. all bellows in good shape and were just replaced and no water intrusion has happened. drive oil is still at proper level and is still the proper color and no chunks found on magnet

 

[Bt Doctur]

gimbal bearing not seated fully in the housing

 

[fieromx3]

you think it could be? i had a new gimbal bearing installed by a marina when i had the engine put back in. after one outing with it it started the growling. so i replaced the ujoints thinking the bearing is new. it made no difference so i put in a new bearing i had laying around myself, i pounded it back it in as far as it would go ( yes i pounded it back in on the very outer edge part NOT the bearing so it woldnt get ruined!) and still has that sound.. the alignment is perfect, i had the shop also align it obviously when the engine was put back in and the drive goes in the coupler like butter. the engine mounts are still solid and so is the transom and stringers.

 

[fieromx3]

i did notice though, i know the gimbal bearing needs to be pulled out via a puller or a slide hammer. i got a slide hammer but all i had to do was literally touch the bearing and it fell out.... was weird. will the bearing in the actual outdrive make these noises?? if they do it just seems a little weird they would do it with almost no load on them while in neutral and on land. im still learning boats some but i know cars very well (have been an auto tech for a few years now)

 

[Bt Doctur]

If you used a drift of some type to install the bearing you peened it over doing so. This prevents it from seating all the way. You need the driver or make something like this .

 

[Bt Doctur]

................

 

[204_boater]

i had the same symptoms with my alpha 1 gen 2 ended up being the upper gears in the case. took the top of the gear case cap off and there was 2 teeth missing off the gears.

 

[Rick Stephens]

204 is correct - three things can growl - u-joints, gimbal bearing and gears. Pop the top. Pull the drive and double check the u-joints and gimbal bearing. I have also heard u-joints make a LOT of noise if the bellows is full of water for whatever reason. The u-joints acting like a blender in the liquid can be pretty loud.

 

[Scott Danforth]

i did notice though, i know the gimbal bearing needs to be pulled out via a puller or a slide hammer. i got a slide hammer but all i had to do was literally touch the bearing and it fell out.... was weird. will the bearing in the actual outdrive make these noises?? if they do it just seems a little weird they would do it with almost no load on them while in neutral and on land. im still learning boats some but i know cars very well (have been an auto tech for a few years now)

if you didnt have a press fit, your old bearing had spun in the housing. so you could be hearing the new bearing spinning in the housing as well.