Alpha hinge pins

My owners manual says to lube hinge pins with 2-4-C. I have an '05 Alpha #0W553872 and cannot find any fittings. The Merc parts catalog shows them on the forward side of the gimbal in front of the tilt/trim sensors. Have they been eliminated?

Re: Alpha hinge pins

You have the Design II gimbal ring, it has the greaseless hinge pins. They don't get greased.

Re: Alpha hinge pins

Hi

I have had the same Q - my merc dealer says that Merc has been elimination them (reduced production costs?) - i do spray mine with some "liquid grease" - probably they will survive long without lubrication - but it wont harm to lube them. I have a spray can with water resistent "grease" that penetrates and use it for lubricating the hinge pins.

The only grease fitting left on the new Alpha drives is for the Gimbal bearing.

BTW Merc has 3 types of grease for the stearndrive

1)gimbal/U joints grease
2) splines grease
3)2/4 grease w teflon for eg. propellershaft

My Merc dealer only use 1) and 2) he says that it is not nessesary to use special Splines grease - the 2/4 will do just fine on the coupler/splines.

Re: Alpha hinge pins

a little correction:

My Merc dealer only use 1) and 3) he says that it is not nessesary to use special Splines grease - the 2/4 will do just fine on the coupler/splines.

Re: Alpha hinge pins

my merc dealer says that Merc has been elimination them (reduced production costs?)

Click to expand...

Not exactly. The new design actually costs more. They have now installed a bushing in the gimbal ring. Before, the hinge pin made contact with the gimbal ring itself. The new bushing doesn't require lube. It actually costs more to manufacture than the older style, not less.


Regarding the grease. You dealer should be using the Spline Grease for the coupler splines, it stays in place much better than 24C, that is what it was designed for. You can use the Spline Grease for the prop shaft if you want (the prop shaft is splines to ya know) and eliminate the 24C. But that 24C also has other uses on the engine.

Re: Alpha hinge pins

Hi Don S

Glad you clarified that - i will be using the Splines grease on my stearn drive - My dealer is one of the oldest family run Mercruiser dealers in Scandinavia (www.triton.dk) but I am not shure he is right about the grease ofcourse there is a reason why Merc makes this Grease

Re: Alpha hinge pins

I'll try to locate the service bulletin Merc put out years ago about the spline grease.

Re: Alpha hinge pins

Thanks Don!