montejw360
Petty Officer 3rd Class
- Joined
- May 22, 2011
- Messages
- 88
just received my new perma-lubed gimbal bearing for my mc-1/pre-alpha 1979 outdrive that my 470 bolts up to. the engine was out of the boat, but has been re-installed. i already had a new gimbal bearing installed, aligned the engine up to it, but had to make a big adjustment to the engine to get it aligned, like lowering the front of the engine over 1/4".
so i decided to start over. i pulled the g/bearing with a slide hammer, tossed it. i didn't have a proper install tool when i installed that bearing, i used a brass punch going around the aluminum carrier tapping it in. anyway, i had to make the big adjustment on the engine to get it aligned. wanted to start over, pulled the g/bearing, tossed it. have a new bearing.
i'm looking at the bearing and can see that the g/bearing is in the aluminum carrier crooked. if i put the bearing on a flat surface (sitting on face of bearing inner race) and spin it with my fingers the carrier looks like a top that's slowing down and starting to wobble.
i bought the sierra bearing install and puller kit ($$$) hoping it had something that would help get the bearing aligned up with the carrier, but it won't help.
i also have seen in the mercruiser manual a procedure showing after installing the bearing in the gimbal housing inserting the alignment tool and tapping it side to side, and up and down to help align the bearing with the engine. but in my case the engine is so far away from where it used to be aligned i'm not sure that will help.
it sort of seems like a chicken and egg problem, which came first? put get the bearing perfectly aligned in the carrier, install it, install and align the engine to the bearing, or install the engine (aligned to what???) and align the bearing to it. it seems like you would want to get the bearing and carrier aligned and align the engine to that.
so, at this time i'm going to try and get the bearing lined up in the carrier before installing it. don't think it's going to be really easy, have to go around the bearing outer race and tap it down at the high point going around and around until it's lined up.
to me if i get a straight edge sitting on the face of the inner race to be parallel with the face of the carrier in all directions it's lined up. that's what i'm shooting for.
unless someone has a better idea....
so i decided to start over. i pulled the g/bearing with a slide hammer, tossed it. i didn't have a proper install tool when i installed that bearing, i used a brass punch going around the aluminum carrier tapping it in. anyway, i had to make the big adjustment on the engine to get it aligned. wanted to start over, pulled the g/bearing, tossed it. have a new bearing.
i'm looking at the bearing and can see that the g/bearing is in the aluminum carrier crooked. if i put the bearing on a flat surface (sitting on face of bearing inner race) and spin it with my fingers the carrier looks like a top that's slowing down and starting to wobble.
i bought the sierra bearing install and puller kit ($$$) hoping it had something that would help get the bearing aligned up with the carrier, but it won't help.
i also have seen in the mercruiser manual a procedure showing after installing the bearing in the gimbal housing inserting the alignment tool and tapping it side to side, and up and down to help align the bearing with the engine. but in my case the engine is so far away from where it used to be aligned i'm not sure that will help.
it sort of seems like a chicken and egg problem, which came first? put get the bearing perfectly aligned in the carrier, install it, install and align the engine to the bearing, or install the engine (aligned to what???) and align the bearing to it. it seems like you would want to get the bearing and carrier aligned and align the engine to that.
so, at this time i'm going to try and get the bearing lined up in the carrier before installing it. don't think it's going to be really easy, have to go around the bearing outer race and tap it down at the high point going around and around until it's lined up.
to me if i get a straight edge sitting on the face of the inner race to be parallel with the face of the carrier in all directions it's lined up. that's what i'm shooting for.
unless someone has a better idea....