Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

[lakeerieboater26]

I have a 1991 mariah with a mercruiser alpha one. I am replacing the bellows and the gimbal bearing. everything was going smooth until i attempted to pull the gimbal bearing. I used a 3 clawed slide hammer puller and it didnt move a millimeter. I have also been trying to find a way to make a puller myself instead of buying one since they are really expensive. Does anyone have pictures or drawing of a device that I can make myself? Also, a boat mechanic was trying to tell me that the u-joint bellow he gave me which says "mercruiser alpha one gen II " is the right one. But I thought my boat was a gen I. it doesnt have a pipe clamp on both sides like the one i took off it. its just on one side and the other side is smaller, has a metal ring inside it and doest fit around the fitting. Help me out guys. thanks.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

Don't have anything better to do so I looked it up:

Alpha 1, 1983-1990 # 6225577-> OD469858 Bellows P# 60932A4 (no ring)

Alpha1 genII 1991-1995 # OD469859-> OF679999 Bellows P# 816431A! (ring)

91 Was a transition year, so there is a chance you could have either one. Check your serial # and it will tell you which one you have.

This ia a good site for looking up part numbers: http://www.mercruiserparts.com/mercruiser_parts.asp Good luck!

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

Heres mine

 

[lakeerieboater26]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

thanks for the parts number. i will check the serial number tomorrow as well.




Bt Doctur, what does the end piece connect to ? is there just a bolt on the other side that you crank on?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

there is a nut on the other end of the threaded rod not visable, the plate has 4 guide holes that accept the top 2 studs on either side of the housing

 

[lakeerieboater26]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

Well, I still couldnt pull the gimbal bearing out. I bent several steel plates with my homemade device and couldnt get it. I had to tap the bearing with a chisel until it turned horizontally and then I cut it out with my grinder. after I made two cuts into the bearing and pulled the bearing balls out the rest of the parts came off. I then used a 3 clawed slide hammer and pulled the outer aluminum ring off. What a fiasco ! But I got it. If the gimbal bearing had not given me a problem, replacing it and the bellows was really not a bad job to do myself. saved about 400-500 bucks !

 

[MikeM40]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

Bt Doctur
That tool looks awesome
you could sell those

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

I just use a long home depot 1/2" or maybe 5/8" carriage bolt and a stack of 3 or 4 washers (3/4" and progressively larger until grabbing the brg.).

Tip the washers in behind the brg. and rattle them around a bit till they catch the brg. and pull snug

then I place my puller plate or have even used channelock pliers on their side over the gimbal housing, so the bolt comes out through the slip-joint, holding it snug all the time, then another washer and nut for pulling
tighten the nut and out it comes.

I have had ZERO luck using slide hammers. You need slow steady pulling.

 

[mikeneal]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

I made one from an aluminum plate and a "T" welded to a length of chain and astud welded to free end. Quite ugly but effective.

 

[jtybt]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

me too

It's basically a wobble head puller.

You can buy a 3 head set on sale at harbor freight for about $25

I like boat dr's

 

[BF]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

mine came out easy with a 20 lb slide hammer (loaner tool from auto store... so free to me). The trick (if there is one) is to tighten/expand the jaws with the thumbscrew on the puller so that they cannot slip out of the bearing. Mine was out after 5 or 6 good whacks... but it did take a good whack. a 5 lb slide probably would not do it.

 

[MikeM40]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

Alot of good Ideas
I'm going to replace the gimbal bearing at the end of the season.
I have the alignment tool but not the bearing driver. I saw a couple of theads where some folks have used 3" PVC pipe any other ideas or homemade drives?

 

[arrkerr]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

I went the 3" pvc route. I had two problems.

First, its really (really) hard to keep it flat on the bearing, while holding a 2x4 on the other end, and hitting it with a small sledge. Lots of things have to lay flat. Something could probably be constructed to make it easier.

Second, the 3" PVC was actually too large (outter diameter) to drive the bearing in all of the way. I had to shave the outside a bit to get it in the final 1/8".

Also, it wasn't a show-stopper, but little bits of the pvc chipped off when hammering. I really cleaned up the area afterwards.

Its probably the one tool that I wish I'd had bought, since it was a real pain using the PVC. But it worked, and was only about $5 at lowes.

 

[Surfdancer]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

Alot of good Ideas
I'm going to replace the gimbal bearing at the end of the season.
I have the alignment tool but not the bearing driver. I saw a couple of theads where some folks have used 3" PVC pipe any other ideas or homemade drives?

I made one out of some scrap aluminum bar stock (3" diameter or so) a long time ago. I tapped it for 1/2" pipe in the center so I can screw in a piece of sch 40 pipe for a driver handle.

I also have used a CV joint bearing slide hammer to remove stubborn (salt water rusted) gimball bearings before. These have a hardened toggle that you can put through the center and catch the back side quite nicely. If you are working with older drives, make sure you remove the large retainer ring first. Don't ask...

 

[freeone]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

gave $20 and my id to the local marine shop and borrowed his.

 

[norowing]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

The not recommended method, but it workrd for me: 1 hardened steel pin,
10' x 1/4" chain, 2 wheel chocks, 1 Ford F-250 pick-up.
Came right on out !!!!

 

[HappierWet]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

The not recommended method, but it workrd for me: 1 hardened steel pin,
10' x 1/4" chain, 2 wheel chocks, 1 Ford F-250 pick-up.
Came right on out !!!!

OMFG!!!!!!
That's the one I want to see pictures of.

 

[norowing]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

I should have taken some pics, at least that way if I had experienced a catastrophe, I could post it under the Stupid Human Tricks forum.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

I just used a slide hammer, $30 at harbor freight. Installed with a short section of 3 inch aluminum tubing I had on hand.

 

[mike456]

Re: Homemade Gimble bearing puller !!!!

If you live near an Auto Zone store (mostly in North East I think) they have a free loaner tool program (you buy it used and they agree to give a full refund if returned in 60 days). They have a slide hammer puller that works perfectly. Its the kind that has 3 fingers to grab the inside of the bearing, 3 or 4 slides of the hammer and it's out.
BTW. To reinstall the new bearing I bought a pvc pipe fitting (3"?) at Home Depot. The outer edge of fitting is the right size to match the outer edge of bearing. I mounted the pipe fitting on a piece of pipe, taped the bearing to the fitting, just enough to hold it), put it in place and hamered it home.
Once installed you must have the pole tool needed to adjust the bearing to the engine. I'm not aware of any tricks around that.