New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Hey guys, long time lurker first time poster.

I am about to embark on a full bellows replacement on my new to me 2002 Searay 176. I just got all my parts today including a new sierra gimbal bearing. I have some concerns about this bearing and need some advice. The place I bought it is giving me some conflicting info.

The first problem I noticed is that the bearing is sitting crooked in the carrier. I think this is ok since I can straighten it out with the engine alignment tool once I install it. I have included pictures to show what I am talking about.

The second concern is that the shop that sold it to me is telling me that the cutouts on the carrier face out toward the drive and everything I have read here as well as the service manual states the opposite. I called sierra and was basically told it doesn't matter but that the smooth side of the bearing should face the drive.....huh? He REALLY confused me and I could never get a straight answer after that.

My last concern is that if I look on the grease hole on the carrier I don't see any kind of groove where the grease can go, am I missing something here?

This all may be perfectly normal but since I am new to boat wrenching I just don't know and I really don't want to screw things up.

Here are the pictures
This first one show the bearing is crooked in relation to the carrier


This is just the other side, this side of the bearing is more flush with the carrier


This is a shot of the grease hole, where does the grease go?

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Ayuh,... It don't matter,....

The inner bearin' is Gimbeled inside the bearin' carrier...

It don't matter,....

The slots are set Inward to discourage fellas from swappin' Just the bearin', insteada the bearin', 'n outer carrier...

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Bond-o said:

Ayuh,... It don't matter,....

The inner bearin' is Gimbeled inside the bearin' carrier...

It don't matter,....

The slots are set Inward to discourage fellas from swappin' Just the bearin', insteada the bearin', 'n outer carrier...

Click to expand...

Thanks,
So does it matter that one side of the bearing is more flush with the carrier than the other?

Also does the grease hole look right? I was expecting to see a groove or something there for the grease to be able to get to the actual bearings inside the race.

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

tawilliams said:

Thanks,
So does it matter that one side of the bearing is more flush with the carrier than the other?

Also does the grease hole look right? I was expecting to see a groove or something there for the grease to be able to get to the actual bearings inside the race.

Click to expand...

Nope,... Don't matter...

Can't see the face of the bearin', but with that grease hole, I'm guessin' ya bought a Sealed, Non-greaseable bearin'...

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Bond-o said:

Nope,... Don't matter...

Can't see the face of the bearin', but with that grease hole, I'm guessin' ya bought a Sealed, Non-greaseable bearin'...

Click to expand...

Here is the face of the bearing. According to sierra is a greaseable bearing

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

If it wasn't a greaseable bearing, it wouldn't have the hole in it. Plus it would have black rubber seals between the outer and inner races.

Just line the hole in the bearing up with grease zirk hole in the gimbal housing. When you grease it, pump grease till you see it come out of the bearing, turn the bearing with your fingers and pump some more. When grease comes out all the way around, clean up the excess and you are done.

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Don S said:

If it wasn't a greaseable bearing, it wouldn't have the hole in it. Plus it would have black rubber seals between the outer and inner races.

Just line the hole in the bearing up with grease zirk hole in the gimbal housing. When you grease it, pump grease till you see it come out of the bearing, turn the bearing with your fingers and pump some more. When grease comes out all the way around, clean up the excess and you are done.

Click to expand...

Thanks Don, I understand how to grease it. What I don't understand is how the grease gets in the bearing through this hole. If you look at my picture of the hole in the carrier there is no hole or groove in the outer race of the bearing. There is a tiny gap on one side of that hole that may be where the grease flows but I was expecting a larger opening.

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Just trust the fact that it does, because I haven't taken one apart to look to find out why. But it does work when that outer hole and the tolerance ring (that wavy outer band) are open to the grease hole in the gimbal housing.

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Don S said:

Just trust the fact that it does, because I haven't taken one apart to look to find out why. But it does work when that outer hole and the tolerance ring (that wavy outer band) are open to the grease hole in the gimbal housing.

Click to expand...

I have and there is a groove on the inside of carrier and a hole in the outer race of the bearing itself. The grease follows that path. As already stated, just make sure the tolerance ring and the hole you can see in the carrier line up, then line those up with the grease nipple in the gimbal housing and Bob's your uncle, grease gets to the bearing....

Chris......

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

tawilliams: I'm curious what tooling you ended up buying to do this replacement? Happen to have a list what you ordered? I have seen the full assortment of tools, but not sure what a DIY guy can get away with as a minimum. Thanks.

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

pyrotek said:

tawilliams: I'm curious what tooling you ended up buying to do this replacement? Happen to have a list what you ordered? I have seen the full assortment of tools, but not sure what a DIY guy can get away with as a minimum. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... That depends on the size of the tool kit the Diy'er is startin' with...

If ya got an array of sockets, in 1/4", 3/8", 'n 1/2" drive, along with end wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, 'n the like...

The only "Special" tool needed is the Alignment bar...

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Well this is my first rodeo :laugh: so what I am doing my not be the best way but I ordered an alignment tool and the bellows install tool. The parts I ordered came with the hinge pin tool and I plan to rent a slide hammer to get the gimbal bearing out. Plan to use either a 2x4 or possibly make a tool out of the old gimbal carrier and 2x4 to hammer the new bearing in. I am a little nervous about it all but I am pretty good and following directions and looking for the answers so we will see how this all goes.

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

tawilliams said:

Well this is my first rodeo :laugh: so what I am doing my not be the best way but I ordered an alignment tool and the bellows install tool. The parts I ordered came with the hinge pin tool and I plan to rent a slide hammer to get the gimbal bearing out. Plan to use either a 2x4 or possibly make a tool out of the old gimbal carrier and 2x4 to hammer the new bearing in. I am a little nervous about it all but I am pretty good and following directions and looking for the answers so we will see how this all goes.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you're on the right road.... Good luck with it all, and I'll bet when you're all done you'll wonder what you were so nervous about...

Chris......

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

achris said:

Sounds like you're on the right road.... Good luck with it all, and I'll bet when you're all done you'll wonder what you were so nervous about...

Chris......

Click to expand...

This kinda reminds me of the time I put bigger cams in my Harley. That was a major job and when I got it all done I closed my eyes and hit the starter hoping to not hear really bad sounds. What I heard was sweet music coming out of the pipes.

When I am done with this job I will probably not sleep until I get it back in the water to make sure it still floats

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

Not to highjack the thread or anything but I just replaced my gimbal bearing (it didn't seem to overly difficult) and I ended up with the sealed Sierra one.
My question is: For you guys in the profession, what kind of life are you seeing (on average) out of the replacement bearings?
Just curious.

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

tinkerguy70 said:

Not to highjack the thread or anything but I just replaced my gimbal bearing (it didn't seem to overly difficult) and I ended up with the sealed Sierra one.
My question is: For you guys in the profession, what kind of life are you seeing (on average) out of the replacement bearings?
Just curious.

Click to expand...

Don't know, only use OEM, and as long as they get regular greasing (for the grease-able ones) and not flooded (water in the bellows) they last a long time. My current engine has the non-grease-able and is 6 years old, still perfect. My old engine (1994 in a friend's boat) is still running the original factory fitted bearing.

Chris.......

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

So here's another question for all you knowledgeable fellows. If I get the drive off and the bearing moves freely and has no play should I just leave it alone? My bellows are not leaking and I am only doing this replacement because the boat is 11 years old and I am pretty sure they have not been replaced. Boat has about 200 hours on it. If I don't replace the bearing right now and just do the bellows will I have an issue just replacing the bearing later when it needs it?

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

tawilliams said:

So here's another question for all you knowledgeable fellows. If I get the drive off and the bearing moves freely and has no play should I just leave it alone?

Click to expand...

Absolutely!

tawilliams said:

My bellows are not leaking and I am only doing this replacement because the boat is 11 years old and I am pretty sure they have not been replaced.

Click to expand...

There is an issue with Gen II bellows that Merc refuses to acknowledge (no surprise there then :facepalm. The inside end of the hinge pin protrudes about half a thread too far. When the steering is turned the end of the hinge pin just rubs on the outside of the bellows, and after a few hundred hours of use they will fail (and let the ocean in). I have done quite a few now, all with exactly this problem. The way I fix it is to throw the hinge pins in a lathe and machine off the excess. Fixes the problem permanently.

tawilliams said:

Boat has about 200 hours on it. If I don't replace the bearing right now and just do the bellows will I have an issue just replacing the bearing later when it needs it?

Click to expand...

Replacing the bearing later (if it ever fails) will be no problem with the new bellows in place.

Chris...

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Re: New gimbal bearing -Quesitons

By the way, those tools are not that expensive anymore. I bought some tools recently, all genuine: (prices in euro ($1 = 0,77 euro exl 21% tax)

91-805475A1 ALIGNMENT TOOL KT 53.28
91-17256 WRENCH 24.15
91-12037 SHIFT CABLE REMOVAL TOOL 8.70
91-12427T TOOL-SHIFT ADJUST 0.57
91-78310 HINGE PIN TOOL 4.13
91-45497A1 EXPANDER ASSY 20.18
91-818162 TOOL-SLEEVE 14.72
92-86166Q1 ADHESIVE-BELLOWS 17.45
91-34569A1 PULLER ASSY 50.98
91-37241 PLATE 30.10
91-37323 DRIVER ROD 3.01
91-66274 TORQUE WRENCH 78.27

Total incl tax €369.70 = $480