Pounding the u-joints in & out.

[BinLurkin]

Since I'm doing a lot of this lately, I called my buddy, the machinist, up to ask him to install the u-joints on my latest caper. I was gonna' pay him to watch. I said I wanted to buy the hydraulic press, $159.oo at the local "Harbor Freight Tools" dot com, but wanted a refresher course in how to do it safely. Don't want to put an eye out here. He told me they do it just like we do, a hammer & a drift. I'm flabberghasted. I've been gassed before but never flabbered. Ain't that somethin'? Wer'e paying doctors wages for repairs & their still working in the stone age, just like us. And we thought we were getting our monies worth. Not.

 

[Trent]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

Dont beat them! Press them. If last but not least use your vise to press them.

 

[BinLurkin]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

Thank you Trent, very fast reply. I know, I just don't know what to think of this machinist telling me that. I'm still going for the press myself. Sounds downright reasonable at that price & then I can do the job right. Especially since the boat dealers don't seem to be able to do it. Thanks, Been'

 

[BinLurkin]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

 

[BinLurkin]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

I mean, leaving the circlips out of the u-joints. What the devil is going on out here in Calif? My God, $85.oo an hour at flat rate & I get this crap. I'm PO'd & pushawed at the same time.

 

[denniz]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

If I understand you correctly, you had a shop install the ujoints, left the c clips out. why dont you take it back? Watch them if you have too.Find a better mechanic? Some of us are actually worth what we get paid.Bring it to Texas Ill fix it. Dennis

 

[granpafish]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

I'm more concerned that you are gassed, flabbered, POed, and pushawed all at the same time. In Caleeefornia yet! I'm pretty sure that you have violated several enviornmental laws. I don't have any of the knowledge necessary to help you, just couldn't resist replying about your list of symtoms. I have most of them on a daily basis just getting out of bed. Great descriptions. Good luck. Granpa

 

[jlshields]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

BinLurkin, I press them out with a big C clamp and use a socket to receive them. Press them back in too. Be sure the clamp is steel and not alum.

 

[flashback]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

I did mine this winter and used a large C-clamp, it worked great............better than a press.....

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

I've been banging out u-joints for years.Presses are ok for replacement,but hammering works best if you want to reuse the u-joint.You can control not losing the needles better.Just make sure you use the right hammer.My u-joint hammer weighs 8oz. and does a great job. (1/2 pound is correct).<br /><br />As for the press mentioned earlier,if it is the one that uses what looks like a porta power ram and pump,IT IS FANTASTIC ! ! Just treat the UPS guy nice.Delivered weight on mine was 185 lbs.<br /><br />DHP

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

hello<br /> wow high dollar tooling<br /> I use a hammer and just tap them in and out.<br />hold the assy in one hand and tap with the other. if your careful it takes minutes and is painless.just dont pound on the caps and crosses. i never reuse the old ones and most times use a vice to replace the new ones. however in the field sometimes I do it the old fashioned way. there is even a trick to do the alpha ones without removing the shaft but I dont recommend it.<br /> good luck and keep posting

 

[flashback]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

I have a pre alpha and was able to change them without removeing the shaft, just filed the corners off of two of the tabs on the casting just enough to let the caps pass by...

 

[BinLurkin]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

Well, I guess I'll just keep using my vise too. I just got the unit apart, a 1978 260 Mercruiser. Not only did the moron leave out two u-joint circlips but he punched a hole in the top of the new bellows with the screwdriver he used to put the new bellows on with. That's partly why it was wet in there. The other part is that the aft hose clamp on the bellows was half on & half off. Is that what they call a half fast job? He used 5/8 auto radiator hose for that hose back there too. Not only that he said he replaced the gimbal bearing too but the one I see in there looks like it has a lot more time on it than the 20 minutes I ran it. It's froze up, won't turn at all. Not only that while the drive shaft was wobbling around there & banging on the side of the motor it ripped off about 1/3 of the flange there that the front part of the bellows seals on. So I paid him about $400.oo for a new bellows, gimbel bearing, & u-joints & 5/8 hose. Now I am doing the work over again & buying the parts again too. I don't know what I'm going to do about the forward bellows flange at this point. Looks like there might be enough left there to make a seal. If not it looks like I have to pull the engine to replace that part? Anybody know about that?

 

[fireship1]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

Hello, Yep...If the transom plate has to come off....the engine must come out. You can check eBay for another, as new ones are quite costly. I know there is a company on the web that remans them. Might be ebasic power.com. Maybe someone else will chime in here and tell you where a cheap transom plate can be had. eBay is probably your best bet.

 

[Trent]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

They make a repair kit to fix those broken flanges and you dont have to pull the engine.

 

[qystan]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

Take a look at this option.<br /><br /> http://www.ghrkits.com

 

[Trent]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

That would be the one........

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Pounding the u-joints in & out.

BinLurkin, I replaced my U-joints this winter. I too used the vise and the correct size socket as a drift. FYI, I took the old joints to the local auto parts store and we matched them up. The price was $10 each, versus the $45/ea mercruiser wanted. We need to see if they last as long (or longer).