Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

[T-Max]

I'm talking about the "Method A" procedure -

http://www.mercstuff.com/gimbalbearing.htm

because I have that version gimbal bearing.

There's an oil seal behind my bearing that will obviously be destroyed and need to be replaced if I use this procedure. Does that oil seal get replaced from the back as well (obviously would go in BEFORE ya drive the gimbal bearing home).

If I'm not going to do the "Method A" procedure, then I guess I'm going to use a slide hammer / puller, huh?

__________________
1986 212 Galaxy LX
Mercruiser 170

 

[83vert]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

I used the B method when I replaced mine and did not need the seal behind the bearing because the new bearings dont need to be lubed. I dont see anything wrong with method A though. Just my 2 cents

 

[Don S]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

That is just a cheap way out. If a marine shop was to do that, they would get labled as hacks, and not knowing what they were doing. Which is how it should be.
You can't buy the inside of a gimbal bearing, you get the whole thing, in a matched set. I would worry about any online place that posts that backyard junk.

Have a look at this 1985 service bulletin. Yeah, 25 years ago.

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Bullet/85/85_26.pdf

 

[65holiday]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

tmax, i am amazed....it took me thirty seconds and three taps! with a hammer... the bearing rolled out... i thought i bought the wrong one but it has a radial curved outer race also... i assume i just insert the new one and gently tap it into place. thank you... awesome!!!!! don s does'nt seem to like this method but will it be acceptable?, that is what the marine shop sold me... a curved ouuter race bearing...i'll wait till tommorrow and measure the new bearing , i think its only 7 years old... should be the same size.i bow!!!!!

 

[65holiday]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

now i"m confused... i guess i'll check to see if the entire assy is available before deciding the method... mine is a 1965 so i'll have to find out, all the marine supply house sold me was the inner bearing. will check back

 

[T-Max]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

Thanks Don -- and thanks much for the service bulletin. While I'm at it, can you 'splain why I keep reading that you have to use the alignment tool after installing the gimbal bearing (I note that the service bulletin doesn't mention this). This is said to be required so as to line up the bearing with the engine so that the outdrive will go on.

Seems to me that once you drive the bearing home, that's it. What's to line up unless you somehow put the bearing in crooked -- which doesn't even seem possible if you drive it home, or even just nearly home.

Plus I haven't read what it is that you do to 'line things up' in the event that your use of the alignment tool reveals that things need to be aligned.

So, what's up with this alignment tool business? I really can't see how replacing the gimbal bearing could affect engine / bearing alignment. Now, if you've R & R'd the engine, or messed around with the motor mounts, that's a different story.

__________________
1986 212 Galaxy LX
Mercruiser 170

 

[Don S]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

now i"m confused...

Yes, you are, because you are giving advise to someone with a completely different gimbal bearing setup than what you have on your old EZ system.

 

[sparky71]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

someone else will chime in ,but I believe it is to set the angle.You install aligntment tool thru new bearing and tap up down,side to side.I did what was recommended here when I changed my bearing.

 

[Don S]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

While I'm at it, can you 'splain why I keep reading that you have to use the alignment tool after installing the gimbal bearing

As you can see in method "A", the inside of that bearing can move around. When installing a COMPLETE new bearing, you do have to align the inside part of the bearing to the coupler, and adjust the Gimbal bearing to the coupler and the coupler to the gimbal bearing in small steps of adjustments till all is perfect.
Then you know your coupler will not fail due to alignment issues.

 

[T-Max]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

As you can see in method "A", the inside of that bearing can move around. ...

Okay, I think I'm getting the lay of the land now. I can also see from Method A that the outer race of the bearing appears to be curved, as 65holiday noted with his bearing (tho' I know you noted that he has a different setup). So if it is 'curved,' as it does appear to be, I can understand how it could move around a bit inside the 'cartridge' (as that part is termed in the service bulletin you linked). That is, it appears that it can turn somewhat in the left/right or up/down directions. Thus you can move it a bit, using the alignment tool, to get it lined up with the engine so that when you install the heavy outdrive, it will slide right in.

I assume this is by design and that the bearing cannot actually spin around inside the cartridge, lest the grease hole(s) no longer line up. Of course, the service bulletin shows the grease hole in the bearing aligning with the 'groove' in the cartridge, which I assume is a 'grease groove.' Thus even if the bearing should spin a bit in the cartridge, the grease can still get to the grease hole in the bearing via the 'grease groove.'

And the reason you want to replace the bearing and cartridge as an assembly is because, as the service bulletin notes: The bearing is selectively fitted to the cartridge during manufacturing and must remain together as a matched set.

Thus they are fitted to each other and there's thus less of a chance (or no chance) that the bearing might get sloppy inside the cartridge and start spinning inside the cartridge, which you definitely don't want happening.

So now it all seems to make a lot more sense to me. I think I'll try Method A for getting the bearing itself out. 65holiday said that his came out easily with just a few taps, so I'll give mine a try. It's shot to heck, so no harm done if it doesn't budge using Method A.

But it seems to me that the benefit of using Method A might be that after getting the bearing out, the cartridge might come out more easily. I saw somewhere where a really stuck assembly can be gotten out by drilling small holes all around the cartridge to relieve the outward pressure against the case. Seems like maybe removing the bearing first might have the same effect.

Thanks again for the great info, Don

__________________
1986 212 Galaxy LX
Mercruiser 170

 

[T-Max]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

One more thing on the gimbal bearing alignment issue -

You obviously have to have the outdrive off in order to use the alignment tool and, indeed, to change the gimbal bearing. So, rather than spending the bucks to buy the tool (although I don't think it's all that expensive) I'm thinking that you could simply use the driveshaft, assuming you've pulled it out of the outdrive.

That's kinda what I'm doing now, in a sense, but related to another issue which I'll start a thread on in a few minutes. Now, I anticipate that some responses might involve the work involved in removing the driveshaft from the outdrive, and I have to confess that I removed mine several years ago and therefore don't recall what was involved.

But having the driveshaft removed, as I do, I'm guessing that it can be used in place of an alignment tool to accomplish the same mission. It might be a bit more work to get it done, but I'm thinking it will work with a bit of patience.

Any thoughts?

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

The drive shaft can not be used to correctly check alignment because:

It is splined and can not accurately check grease marks from the couple on it to see where it needs adjusting.

The clearances on the alignment tool are much tighter than the yoke.

While waiting for my alignment tool to arrive I messed around with a spare yoke to align it. Got it nice with the yoke, put the alignment tool in and I was not even close.

You can either have one made or get one online, they are all over ebay

The specs for the tool are in the adults only section at top of forum

 

[T-Max]

Re: Has anybody actually done this gimbal bearing removal procedure?

Thanks for your input, Eric. I was a little curious about your use of the word couple because I thought I'd seen it used before and wasn't sure what it referred to. In fact, I thought Don had used it in his post to me in this thread.

But I now see that Don used the correct term, which is coupler. And using that term, I came up with this good hit -

http://www.sterndrives.com/precisionparts/371.html

As you can see there, they recommend having your engine alignment checked every year because it's crucial to avoid problems with, and damage to, the coupler.

So now I know to get the alignment tool and get everything properly aligned.

Assuming I get that far with this project at some point.

Thanks again for the good info.