Replacing Gimbal Bearing-Alignment Opportunity?

Grumman59

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
112
I just pulled the old gimbal bearing on my Alpha One but I haven't put in the new seal or bearing yet and I'm wondering if it would be easier to align the engine now.

I have an alignment bar complete with a bearing mandrel, so I can insert the bar into the splines and then slide the mandrel down into the socket where the new bearing will go. There's about 1/8" gap all around the mandrel, actually very slightly less at the bottom, probably due to the weight of the bar, but side to side, it's perfect.

The bar went in quite easily before I removed the bearing but it looks like the front of the engine may want to come down by just a fraction.

So my question is, would this method of alignment be as accurate as trying to read grease marks after the bearing is in, or not?
 

ErieRon

Chief Petty Officer
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May 5, 2009
Messages
463
Re: Replacing Gimbal Bearing-Alignment Opportunity?

No. Do it by the book. Put the new bearing in and align it.
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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70,468
Re: Replacing Gimbal Bearing-Alignment Opportunity?

So my question is, would this method of alignment be as accurate as trying to read grease marks after the bearing is in, or not?

Ayuh,... The Alignment is between 2 pieces of the driveline,...
The coupler splines/ motor,... To the gimbel bearing/ drive...
If the gimbel bearing isn't in it's home, you can't align it to anything....

Alignment is about a few Thousandths,... Not 1/8ths of an inch....
 

Grumman59

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 22, 2009
Messages
112
Re: Replacing Gimbal Bearing-Alignment Opportunity?

Ayuh,... The Alignment is between 2 pieces of the driveline,...
The coupler splines/ motor,... To the gimbel bearing/ drive...
If the gimbel bearing isn't in it's home, you can't align it to anything....

Alignment is about a few Thousandths,... Not 1/8ths of an inch....

I said the gap around the mandrel in the bearing bore is about 1/8" all around, not within 1/8". That would seem to indicate that the splines already line up with the bore of the gimbal bearing outer and it would also indicate that the gimbal bearing won't need to pivot in its holder.

No problem here with thousandths. I have numerous inside and outside mics and rebuild car engines and machinery all the time. But if it's better to look at grease marks, maybe you can put me onto a mic that reads grease. :D
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: Replacing Gimbal Bearing-Alignment Opportunity?

Aligning the engine with that mandrel in there vs the actual bearing will be close to impossible. Just wait to get the bearing in there.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Replacing Gimbal Bearing-Alignment Opportunity?

I think you should give it a try. Then note the hours on the hour meter. Then go for it, let us know how many hours it takes before the coupler goes out and you have to pull the engine to replace that $200-$400 part.
 
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