U-Joint Help. Which one?

Mkos1980

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
640
I am replacing the U joints on my 90 Alpha. It has a serial number of OD??????? meaning I need the newer ones vs the older ones from looking at iboats exploded view. In looking at the parts online, I notice that my current U joints have a diamond shaped indent by the greese fittings, the same as the older part number. I'm just wondering if somebody used the older design u joints awhile back. Are they even interchangable? Mine look like sierra 18-2104 but the serial number says it should be 18-2174
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,464
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Mine look like sierra 18-2104 but the serial number says it should be 18-2174

Ayuh,.......

The Difference is whether they use the snap-rings on the Outside ends(18-2174) of the U-joint, or Inside the yoke(18-2104).........
 

Mkos1980

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
640
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

My snap rings are on the inside. Should they have been on the outside from the factory and somebody used inner ones instead? Are they built with the same material? I'm using a SBC with a tad more power then the 350 Mag.
 

Mkos1980

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
640
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Bond, I think i am missing something. In looking at the pics on the webpage, they look identical besides the greese fitting area. both sets have the snap ring grooves on the caps that would go on the inside of the yoke..
 

flabum

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Messages
567
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

75832T 1 is the Merc part # for the u-joints.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Find an auto parts store (don't believe I am saying that) and get a couple of Spicer 5-1306X ujoints. They have grease fittings and work perfectly in Alpha drives with C clips inside the yoke.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,464
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

My snap rings are on the inside.

Ayuh,........ They Obviously Fit,......

Buy the 18-2104s...........

I'm using a SBC with a tad more power then the 350 Mag.

Those 2 U-joints have been used danm near Forever in Merc.s, Including the Bravos...........

Find an auto parts store (don't believe I am saying that) and get a couple of Spicer 5-1306X ujoints. They have grease fittings and work perfectly in Alpha drives.

Ayuh,...................

I'm gonna have to bookmark This thread..............................:D
 

SuperNova

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
1,455
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Bond, I think i am missing something. In looking at the pics on the webpage, they look identical besides the greese fitting area. both sets have the snap ring grooves on the caps that would go on the inside of the yoke..

Don't EVER trust the pictures in the parts books!!!!!! They may not ALWAYS be wrong--but you can never tell when they are right!:D
 

Mkos1980

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
640
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Ayuh,.......

The Difference is whether they use the snap-rings on the Outside ends(18-2174) of the U-joint, or Inside the yoke(18-2104).........


I accually called west marine and they mentioned both the 2174 and 2104 has c clips inside and that the sierra 6406 has the external snaps.

Don, I'm still trying to find a place that sells spicer. The local autozone and advance autoparts dont and they are having a heck of a time cross referancing them.
 

Mkos1980

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
640
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Well I found a x referance myself and that spicer unit would be for a 85-89 Chrysler Fifth Avenue. Did a quick serch and found both AZ and advance both sell a Brute Force High Performance Forged U -Joint for 15 bucks a piece. Only bad thing is that its perma lubed and no greese fittings. There are greese fittings on the lower priced brands though.
 

SuperNova

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
1,455
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Well I found a x referance myself and that spicer unit would be for a 85-89 Chrysler Fifth Avenue. Did a quick serch and found both AZ and advance both sell a Brute Force High Performance Forged U -Joint for 15 bucks a piece. Only bad thing is that its perma lubed and no greese fittings. There are greese fittings on the lower priced brands though.

Some people (me included) feel the "perma-lubed" u-joints are stronger because they are not hollow in the cross for the grease feed passages. They do seem to last just as long as the ones with a grease fitting, also. If I have my choice, I always go with the solid-body "permalubed" joints.
--
Stan
 

Mkos1980

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
640
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Just installed the automotive permalube ones and they fit like a glove!! Thanks Alot guys!
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Some people (me included) feel the "perma-lubed" u-joints are stronger because they are not hollow in the cross for the grease feed passages. They do seem to last just as long as the ones with a grease fitting, also. If I have my choice, I always go with the solid-body "permalubed" joints.
--
Stan

Stan,

Have you seen one break before in a sterndrive? All the ones I have seen fail are because of water or lack of lubrication ruining the bearings.
 

Mkos1980

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
640
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Here they are. Brute Force
 

Attachments

  • alpha 009.jpg
    alpha 009.jpg
    29.6 KB · Views: 2

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Have you seen one break before in a sterndrive? All the ones I have seen fail are because of water or lack of lubrication ruining the bearings.

I see the same thing. In every case it took many weeks and months of a LOT of noise before one failed and really tore things up.
They give plenty of warning, if you listen and don't expect them to heal on their own.
When you get water in your bellows, even fresh water, you need to replace the ujoints and gimbal bearing. The damage has started, you just can't see it or hear it............. Yet.
 

95yj

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 21, 2007
Messages
279
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

The Brute Force perma lubes are good UJoints. I run them in my Jeep with a 4" spring lift, 2" shackle lift and 35" BFGs. They will last as long as a set with zirt fittings as long as you keep your bellows in good shape and you won't have to get in there and grease them up every year.
 

SuperNova

Lieutenant
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
1,455
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Stan,

Have you seen one break before in a sterndrive? All the ones I have seen fail are because of water or lack of lubrication ruining the bearings.

I agree with this. My statement pertains to my experience with crosslubed u-joints failing in the cross and I have never seen a solid joint fail in the cross, which tells me the cross-lubed u-joints are inherently weaker in the cross area. But you are right....they do usually fail from water intrusion first. Although it's kinda funny............it's the greaseable ones that I always see failing from lack of lubrication..why is that???
--
Stan
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,464
Re: U-Joint Help. Which one?

Ayuh,.........

These are Outdrives,....... Not 1500hp Dragsters..........

The U-joints used in Outdrives are Soo Over-engineered that Breakage is a Non-existent issue.........

I'd rather have a Lube-able U-joint that'll Last darn near Forever when properly Greased,...........
Than a NonLube-able U-joint that's going to Wear Out in a couple of years, Regardless of What you do............

That's False Economy, False Security, False Everything........

I dare say,....... I've NEVER seen a U-joint broken from Too Much Load,.......
But,........
I've seen Thousands of them Junked from Lack of Grease..........
And,.......
That's Not opinion,.......... That's Fact...................;)
 
Top