OK, OBviously I've never done this before, but I still feel awful silly...
I'm still working on mercruiser alpha 1, and am in the process of changing gimbal bearing, bellows, ujoints, and a few other odds and ends. I've read the how tos in several places, used to work as an auto mechanic, have been trained as a machinist, etc... and this thing is starting to make me feel like a moron!
I'm down to changing the ujoints.
Ordered heavy duty ones and transom kit with bellows, etc in it, bought bellows adhesive and exhaust tube from the local dealer, bought an alignment tool (that mics dead on dimension wise and seems to work well). I've replaced the gimbal bearing and have the alignment feeling pretty good based on what I've read, have removed the old bellows (amazing that the ujoint bellows weren't leaking a lot worse a lot earlier - literally came to peices as I removed it, the exhaust bellows had blown apart the past time I was out and so I assumed that needed all of the above).
so the problem... I've started pressing the ujoints apart with a large c-clamp and socket - just like i have many times for a car... and I just realized that this ain't gonna work on the yoke directly connected to the outdrive... Hot only will the socket not fit, the bearing caps won't quite clear the ring nut that that is threaded into the upper gear the upper input shaft in place... I cleary do not have the proper tool on hand to remove the ring nut, and would quite frankly be afraid that I would not know how to properly put that segment back together. I suppose I could make one, but again unless someone explains that I could remove and replace the ring nut without risking assing up the upper gear obx in the process, I'm not willing to take a chance. The bellows hadn't been leaking for long - gimbal bearing wa still in decent looking shape, but there was a little water that came out of the ujoint when I pushed fresh grease in - not changing them isn't an option (not a good one anyhow).
so... any insight as to how to press the bearing caps for the cross closest to the upper out? I'm kinda stuck on this one. I am considering using a dremel tool to remove just enough metal from one of the notches on the ring nut so that bearing caps could be pressed out and back in at the one spot.
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer!
I'm still working on mercruiser alpha 1, and am in the process of changing gimbal bearing, bellows, ujoints, and a few other odds and ends. I've read the how tos in several places, used to work as an auto mechanic, have been trained as a machinist, etc... and this thing is starting to make me feel like a moron!
I'm down to changing the ujoints.
Ordered heavy duty ones and transom kit with bellows, etc in it, bought bellows adhesive and exhaust tube from the local dealer, bought an alignment tool (that mics dead on dimension wise and seems to work well). I've replaced the gimbal bearing and have the alignment feeling pretty good based on what I've read, have removed the old bellows (amazing that the ujoint bellows weren't leaking a lot worse a lot earlier - literally came to peices as I removed it, the exhaust bellows had blown apart the past time I was out and so I assumed that needed all of the above).
so the problem... I've started pressing the ujoints apart with a large c-clamp and socket - just like i have many times for a car... and I just realized that this ain't gonna work on the yoke directly connected to the outdrive... Hot only will the socket not fit, the bearing caps won't quite clear the ring nut that that is threaded into the upper gear the upper input shaft in place... I cleary do not have the proper tool on hand to remove the ring nut, and would quite frankly be afraid that I would not know how to properly put that segment back together. I suppose I could make one, but again unless someone explains that I could remove and replace the ring nut without risking assing up the upper gear obx in the process, I'm not willing to take a chance. The bellows hadn't been leaking for long - gimbal bearing wa still in decent looking shape, but there was a little water that came out of the ujoint when I pushed fresh grease in - not changing them isn't an option (not a good one anyhow).
so... any insight as to how to press the bearing caps for the cross closest to the upper out? I'm kinda stuck on this one. I am considering using a dremel tool to remove just enough metal from one of the notches on the ring nut so that bearing caps could be pressed out and back in at the one spot.
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer!