Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

[tjb1231]

I am tearing apart a 1989 Alpha one to do a bellows job. while in there I am going to replace a trim switches, and gimbal bearing. I also noticed gear oil in the u-joint bellow so I am going to look at the yoke but I don't have the special tool yet to tear it apart.

My drive has the two bolts holding the trim unit wires. How the heck do you get to the top bolt? I imagine there is another special tool needed.

For the gimbal bearing I followed this procedure to remove it. Can I just pop the middle of the bearing out of the new bearing and put it in? http://www.mercstuff.com/gimbalbearing1.htm It seems that they should be paired.

Lastly, what are the chances my yoke will need the rolling tourque or will it have the retaining ring? Before I buy the special tool and then another special tool for the rolling torque, I may just take it to a shop to replace the yoke and seal.

Thanks

 

[tjb1231]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

I found an article online that said to bend an open end wrench in the shape of an S to access the top trim wire retaining bolt. I am not sure if I could do this because I do not have a vice. Any other suggestions?

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

You would need to heat a wrench red hot to bend it. But its not a bad idea. I went through the same thing & was able to get them off with an offset wrench & patience.

Not sure about a special tool made just for that but perhaps the experts hare can advise.

 

[antsmands]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

I tried for two day to get that top bolt out with no success. I even ground down a 7/16 socket and still had no success. I am going to try to fabricate a wrench to get this thing loose and I will report back. The design was nuts but I hear they change the design to a single bolt in later models.

 

[tjb1231]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

I can see why people just cut the wires and connect the new switches. I am trying to do this the right way but it's really frustrating.

 

[Blacksting]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

Before you install the bearing , freeze it for about 6 hours . It'll slide right in . remember to line up the small grease hole in the side , very important . and DON'T hit the bearing's inner race , you'll ruin it for sure . you'll need an alignment tool , as the bearing won't be perfectly square and plumb to the coupler . can you tell i'm a carpenter ? you have to slide it in , check for grease marks on its' side , top or bottom splines . if its' not uniform all the way around the entire shaft , its' not set right . i was fortunate to have a friend w/ a junkyard and lent me an old driveshaft to use and within 4 or 5 tries , i had it perfect . remember , you're working w/ micrometers , just think small .

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

You can only do the rotate to remove trick if you have the outer gimbal shell with the little slots at the top & bottom. If you have a regular non slotted shell you will need to remove and replace the bearing & shell as an assembly. The freezer is definitely essential for the reinstall if you are doing the center only.
Also if you are turning the new bearing into it's spot with the bell housing on you can turn the boat steering to the left to get a pry bar in the bearing center. Since you are doing trim switches you will have the bellhousing off, so do the gimbal bearing with the bell housing out of the way.
I resealed my drive this winter, it's an 89 and has the rolling torque style of bearing cluster.

 

[tjb1231]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

Mine does have the slots to remove the bearing. I can remove the bearing part easily. I wasn't sure if I could just put a new bearing in its place or the whole assembly has to be replaced. It seems to me they would be paired and should both be removed and replaced together. The outer shell that is left after removing the bearing is in good condition.

 

[tjb1231]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

I give up on the trim switch retaining bolt. After 2 days I am just going to splice in a wire. Very frustrating.

 

[Blacksting]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

if the outer shell is fine , go for it . its been frozen in there for a long time and won't budge . all that matters is the bearing getting grease , it does'nt move and its straight . just make sure your bellows are in good condition , any water getting in there and youj'll be doing it all over again .

 

[CableGuy1978]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

I disagree with changing only the bearing itself and not the entire assembly. If you happen to get a bearing that is from a different manufacturer then it may not match up exactly with the ring from the original. Besides, you risk damaging the new bearing when installing it, or damaging the ring when removing the old bearing. It's easier to deal with them as a set. I read somewhere that Mercruiser began installing them with the slots facing inward to prevent that short cut.

From my own experience with gimbal bearings I would say get the proper tools for the job, a decent puller, a proper installation tool and alignment bar. You will get a lot of use from them if you plan on doing your own work. I found a puller on eBay that works by turning a nut to draw the bearing out, and it works like a charm! I have never had any issues with pulling a difficult or frozen bearing, at least not yet anyway...

 

[achris]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

if the outer shell is fine , go for it . its been frozen in there for a long time and won't budge . all that matters is the bearing getting grease , it does'nt move and its straight . ....

[size=+1]SERIOUSLY BAD ADVISE ! ! ! [/SIZE]

Merc released MANY bulletins advising not do what he's suggesting, and for very good reasons... Replace the bearing WITH the carrier it comes with.... Yes, you can buy the bearing without the carrier and save a few dollars, but how good is that saving going to look when your replacing a gimbal housing because of the damage done by not doing the job properly in the first place?

Chris...
(And I will NOT enter into any discussion on the validity of doing a half-asses job!!!)

 

[achris]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

Mine does have the slots to remove the bearing. I can remove the bearing part easily. I wasn't sure if I could just put a new bearing in its place or the whole assembly has to be replaced. It seems to me they would be paired and should both be removed and replaced together. The outer shell that is left after removing the bearing is in good condition.

Merc changed the way they put the bearing in around the early 90's, specifically so people couldn't just remove the bearing without the carrier. I suggest when you put your new one in, you put it in with those slots facing forward (towards the front of the boat), so in the future nobody is tempted to remove the bearing without the carrier....

Chris.....

 

[Blacksting]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

Merc released MANY bulletins advising not do what he's suggesting, and for very good reasons... Replace the bearing WITH the carrier it comes with.... Yes, you can buy the bearing without the carrier and save a few dollars, but how good is that saving going to look when your replacing a gimbal housing because of the damage done by not doing the job properly in the first place?,.........why would merc make a carrier w/ notches if they did'nt want you to replace JUST the bearing ??? when you respond make it bold plz...

Chris...
(And I will NOT enter into any discussion on the validity of doing a half-asses job!!!)[/QUOTE]

 

[tjb1231]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

I did some more reading and decided to pull the whole bearing. The article I linked to happened to be the first webpage I came across when trying to find advice to replace the bearing. The webpage leads you te believe it is ok to just replace the inner bearing. My bearing came out with 3 pulls of a slide hammer. The new bearing should be going in the next day or two and alignment will be checked when the tool i ordered shows up.

 

[Blacksting]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

when i did my gimble bearing i was just as sceptical as you about changing the entire unit , thats why i asked two experienced boat mechanics w/ over 60 years experience between them . one lived about 30 miles away and didnt have time to stop by to take a look and the other was just down the road on the canal w/ a shop . so i took the boat down there and did it in his (alternate) drivewway . needless to say i had more than enough tools for the job and a parade of boat mechanics w/ enough wise cracks about my orange plastic tool box that i could bear . ,...........all for a 6pak of heinekens i got the job done and out on the bay in about 4 hours . ,.....some dogs bark at the mailman , some howl at the moon , some just sound like the ***** that they are ,...

 

[achris]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

.... The webpage leads you te believe it is ok to just replace the inner bearing. ....

It is NOT ok to replace just the inner bearing. The inner and the carrier are a matched pair... You can't just use any inner with any carrier... There are tolerances in the manufacturing process and that's why they are matched together... The 2 slots you see that allow you to remove the inner are there for the assembly process, not as a means to replace just the inner. In 1985 Merc had so much trouble because people were replacing just the inner that they changed the way they assembled the bearing into the gimbal housing in the factory. They set them up so the slots faced forward, making it impossible to remove the inner without pulling the carrier out....

Blacksting... I don't care how many 'mechanics' told you it was ok... The truth of the matter is that it is NOT.... Have a look at Mercury service bulletin 85-26.

View attachment 85_26.pdf

 

[ziggy]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

hard to argue with a mercrusier service bulletin...

 

[Blacksting]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

Blacksting... I don't care how many 'mechanics' told you it was ok... The truth of the matter is that it is NOT.... Have a look at Mercury service bulletin 85-26.

View attachment 147072[/QUOTE]


i still think youre over the top , when someone suggests break out the micrometer , i'll scratch my head and reconsider working on my boat . till then tone it down a wee bit . its' all fun and games till someone gets an eye poked out .
the bulletin seems more concerned w/ the little oil hole than anything , as were my guys . maybe they had more issues w/ it and tried to cta ???,....

 

[nola mike]

Re: Gimbal bearing, trim switch wire and driveshaft questions.

i still think youre over the top , when someone suggests break out the micrometer , i'll scratch my head and reconsider working on my boat . till then tone it down a wee bit . its' all fun and games till someone gets an eye poked out .
the bulletin seems more concerned w/ the little oil hole than anything , as were my guys . maybe they had more issues w/ it and tried to cta ???,....

"The bearing is selectively fitted to the cartridge during manufacturing and must remain together as a matched set.
Failure to do this, could result in a loose fit between bearing and cartridge and cause a noise similar
to U-joint knocking."

It actually sounds like the concern is doing a half-assed job by using mismatching parts leading to early failure/damage to other parts. Looks like the OP ended up doing it right anyways...