merc outdrive advise needed

[my3wags]

Hello Everyone,
First time poster here. Been lurking for awhile and now I need advise. Here is a little background. 1990 Hardin Marine Tahiti/Carabiean. Merc 260 Alpha 1 gen 1. I've had the boat for 19 years problem free. Appears that I've had a bad ujoint bellow for a long time. Followed all of your proceedures on getting things off and cleaned, painted and replaced, bellows, gimble bearing, shift cable & bushings, u joints ect (thank you) While I was doing the u joints I found that yoke shaft is a bit worn. should this be replaced? also found that the water was passing the seal on the upper outdrive. The bearings look like they got very hot. see pic. should these be replaced? also some of the spacers cracked in half?? looks like I will have to replace those. I will replace the seal and oring on the inner drive yoke and there is one other seal down in the upper housing under the drive shaft/bearing. how does one get that out??
Sorry for a first long post.. you guys have been a great help.

Thanks
Erik

 

[ziggy]

Re: merc outdrive advise needed

While I was doing the u joints I found that yoke shaft is a bit worn. should this be replaced? also found that the water was passing the seal on the upper outdrive. The bearings look like they got very hot. see pic. should these be replaced? also some of the spacers cracked in half??

i assume the yoke shaft your talking about is the one that has the drive gear on one end and the ujoint on the other. i had water intrusion into my drive also. i had rust on my yoke right at where the seal rides at. i replaced mine for that reason. i also replace my brgs. on the drive gear yoke. i was told here that they were ok. but like yours. mine were blued. in the s/m, blue brgs is cause for replacement. i replaced them. kinda pricey though. i don't know which spacer your talking about. i woulda thought an alpha1 wouldn't have had the spacer. anyways. if ya get the brg. set. for me and my mc-1 drive. the spacer came with the brg. set.

and there is one other seal down in the upper housing under the drive shaft/bearing. how does one get that out??

again, i'm assuming were talking about the very bottom seal in the upper. the first item that the lower drive shaft passes though on the way to assembling the upper to the lower. if so. that seal just pries out. smash a new one in...

hope i made the right assumptions...

 

[my3wags]

Re: merc outdrive advise needed

Thanks for the reply. I should have made my self a little clearer. sorry I posted this last night in a dither after opening that thing up

i assume the yoke shaft your talking about is the one that has the drive gear on one end and the ujoint on the other. i had water intrusion into my drive also. i had rust on my yoke right at where the seal rides at.
the yoke that Im talking about is the one that goes through the gimble bearing. that is what the pic is of. Its the strangest thing that just the inner most part (closest to the u joint) was worn I found one so I have it on the way.

i'm assuming were talking about the very bottom seal in the upper. the first item that the lower drive shaft passes though on the way to assembling the upper to the lower. if so. that seal just pries out. smash a new one in...

that is correct ! so pretty much straight forward. got it thanks

The spacer I was speaking of is right under the spanner nut. I found that too so its on the way.

Bearings !! wow, your not kidding about $$ on the fence about those??

Thanks again.....this site has a great deal of info.

Erik