Re: mercury black max swivel bracket
See if grease is exiting the top part of the swivel bracket. Probably not, which means the top bushing is dirty or corroded.
When I had this issue on my '93 Merc V6, I tied a rope around the lower unit and the swivel bracket, and twisted it like a tourniquet to make it tight. With the motor tilted all the way up, I was able to lift the motor a bit to allow grease to more easily exit the top bushing.
It is probably not a permanent fix like disassembly, but it is working for 2 years so far.
