Tips for removing seal behind gimbal bearing on B3

undercover

Cadet
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
17
Merc manual says to use a slide hammer, but there's nothing to grab onto but rubber. I still have the bellhousing/bellows on and wasn't planning to remove them.

Are there any tips on how to get this seal out (now that I've already ruined it by trying the slide hammer method)?

Thanks!

P.S. - this is a 2004 Bravo 3 drive if that matters.
 

TimeZone

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
48
Re: Tips for removing seal behind gimbal bearing on B3

I was asking the same question a few days ago.

Grease Seal Removal

Not having much luck with pliers so I'm going to make a simple adapter for my slide hammer.

Cheers!
Ron
 

undercover

Cadet
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
17
Re: Tips for removing seal behind gimbal bearing on B3

Hmm... my search skills must be fading! Didn't see that one.

What type of adapter are you thinking? Until I can move it a scosche away from the flange behind it, I can't see how to grab it with much of anything. I can kind of get some purchase on it using a pick, but it's in too tight for me to pull it out by hand.

I'm now thinking I need to weld a longer handle on a mini (flat-type) pry bar and use another pry bar to force the edge down behind the seal. If I can do that, I can wiggle it to create a little gap behind the seal that I could then grab with a puller.

Let me know how yours works out, and I'll do the same.
 

TimeZone

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
48
Re: Tips for removing seal behind gimbal bearing on B3

Here is what I made up this afternoon.

seal puller.jpg

I was hoping it would get down behind the seal and catch the edge ot the metal ring. Similar to what you were thinking to do with the flat pry bar. The problem is the metal ring is below the flange it's sitting against, so even with this its just ripping away at the rubber. Same problem I had with pliers... Can't grab the metal part of the seal. I may just start working my way arround the edge with flat drivers at this point.

Let us know how you make out with your pry bar approach.
 

undercover

Cadet
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
17
Re: Tips for removing seal behind gimbal bearing on B3

Success! It was actually very easy once I had the right set of tools. I got this from Home Depot...

Dasco 3 piece pry bar set

And I already had these pry bars...

Harbor Freight pry bars

What I did was take the smallest Dasco pry bar and put it between the seal and flange behind it. Then I used the big harbor freight pry bar as a lever to drive the little pry bar down. Once I had that tiny gap, I used the medium Dasco pry bar to make the gap bigger and work it around the whole ring. Once it started, it popped right out. Hope this helps.
 
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