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    Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 1 -- Gimbal bearing

    Little update here ... and a follow-up question. Turns out that I had water intrusion into my drive bellows. Not enough to enter the boat through the gimbal bearing, but enough to cake the gimbal bearing and drive shaft in heavy rust sediment and corrode both of them all to hell. It was, in...
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    Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 1 -- Gimbal bearing

    Thanks Rick. The driver is completely relieved in that spot and makes zero contact with the inner race. It looks exactly like the tool you pictured, except doesn't have the centering shaft to ensure the alignment with outer race. I've never seen that tool pictured (relieved driver with a set...
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    Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 1 -- Gimbal bearing

    Chris, That's really a good and informative video on the bearing. I had no idea they were that flexible. That's some very good advice about installation. When I was driving the bearing in, the seal driver I used was mated to the *outer* race. The main difference in my tool versus the...
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    Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 1 -- Gimbal bearing

    CC: Thank you for your thoughts on the serviceable bearing. I like the idea of this as well. When I cross referenced the part from the diagram, it seems most of them had been superseded by sealed units, so I took the bait and tried it. I will be going back to a serviceable unit, assuming the...
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    Mercruiser Alpha 1 Gen 1 -- Gimbal bearing

    Good evening, I'm looking for a little advice on gimbal bearing installation. Quick context to question ... I have a 1988 Merc 3.7L tied to an Alpha 1 Gen 1. I've had the boat about 5 years and we run it quite a bit in the summer, and it has served us well. I have re-sealed the outdrive...
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    Alpha One Gen One -- melted seal and water pocket

    I have a 1988 Mercruiser 3.7 with an Alpha One Gen One. Despite the idiosyncrasies of the engine, it's been quite reliable for me and provided a lot of fun. This post concerns a finding during my annual maintenance on the outdrive. This year, those maintenance items included gear oil change...
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    Pertronix ignition on a Merc 3.7

    I have asked this question on these forums before in a roundabout way, but I have a little bit more information now. I am experiencing some intermittent hesitation at higher rpm’s on my MerCruiser 3.7. When the issue occurs, the tachometer begins to jump around a bit. I have unplugged the...
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    Mercruiser 3.7 heat exchanger repair

    Hello all, I have a1988 3.7L with a 4” heat exchanger. When I pour coolant into the reservoir, it comes out through the water inlet ports on the out drive. Obviously a leak in the heat exchanger. I have purchased a pressure tested unit from ebay but who knows how long that will last. Has...
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    Mercruiser 3.7L Ignition Issue

    Hey everyone! ​I have a 1988 Mercruiser 3.7L 165 HP (B954661) in a 1988 Celebrity Crownline. I've been having a great time with the boat this summer, but I've been experiencing a pesky issue related to the ignition. The basic symptom is that the tachometer is bouncing around a bit and the...
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    Mercruiser 3.7 choke question

    I've got an '88 Mercruiser 3.7 with an Alpha 1 gen 1 and a MerCarb 2bbl. I know the motors have their problems, but this one is in geat shape. I've done cam sleeves, alternator conv., pertronix with new coil, and a reseal of the upper unit. Boat runs great, for the most part. My issue is with...
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