Gimble bearing install

[aarons 470]

82 glasply merc 470.
Removed old gimble. Feeling inside I don’t feel a hole where the grease would come in from the grease zirk on the side of the gimble. Must be a thin slot?

when I set new one do I just eyeball where that grease inlet would be to the hole in the outer gimble bearing where you add grease? I thought there would be something inside to use as reference?

I think my gimble has the grease connection for the bearing? It is starboard and goes up at an angle into the gimble.

And i looked up what direction the gimble goes in, I’m reading it can go in either direction?

any ideas for a diy set tool?

thanks

 

[aarons 470]

Looks like this zerk would feed the gimble but don’t feel anything inside. And of course I can’t find my grease gun.

 

[Who me?]

yes thats the right zerk

 

[Rick Stephens]

Many of the current gimbal bearings sold are sealed units that are not greasable. If the one you purchased is, in fact greaseable and has the hole in the carrier for grease to enter, then line that hole up as best you can aimed at the grease zerk. There should be a round hole in the gimbal housing where the grease zerk passageway connects.

If you got a sealed gimbal bearing, it don't matter a bit. Drive it in.

You need an alignment bar and a decent driver for the gimbal bearing. No matter what, minimum tooling is an alignment bar.

 

[aarons 470]

I had a marine shop set the engine after it was rebuilt, do I still need the line up bar? If so I see different tool kits you guys have a recommended one that has bar and driver?

bearing has the hole for grease so I’ll line it up with zerk shaft.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Most al the tools are the same for the most part. I picked something off Amazon or eBay years back, works fine. Might as well get a combination alignment bar and gimbal driver, anything else is probably unnecessary. And yes, you check alignment every time you install the outdrive. Out of alignment eats couplers and you end up walking back.

 

[aarons 470]

Thanks, new coupler in and really don’t want to pull engine again anytime soon.

So the way the bearing mounts, it can’t be adjusted correct? Any change of alignment would be engine mount? Sorry I haven’t messed with any of this before.

 

[whiskeyRichard]

The gimbal bearing swivels in it's housing so that you can align it with the coupler.

A bump on the alignment toolbar when it is through the bearing but not seated into the coupler will move the gimbal bearing around in its housing.

Hope that makes sense.

wR

 

[aarons 470]

Got it, thanks.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Aligning the gimbal bearing is the least important part of using the tool and checking alignment. There are a zillion threads about aligning engines, I am not going to repeat them, getting the gimbal bearing aimed at the coupler is relatively meaningless when it comes to actual alignment of engine/coupler with said gimbal bearing. That task requires you to check that the coupler is straight to the gimbal bearing. You adjust that by raising and lowering the front engine mount(s)

 

[aarons 470]

Ok thanks Rick. Manual 3 I see the alignment procedure page for the 470 on page 2 C-6. Not much info, but says if it goes through gimble bearing and into coupler with no pressure, it’s good to go.
And adjust front mounts like you said if needed to get that easy fit up.

What is the procedure when installing the bearing and checking engine alignment.

Do I set the bearing then check engine and bearing alignment, Then adjust if needed? Seems like bearing would have to be set first, but since it can be adjusted also, I’m not sure.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Drive the bearing in - make sure it is all the way. The gimbal function is just aiming it at the coupler. The alignment is making sure the coupler, which is solidly mounted to flywheel, is pointed straight through the gimbal. The adjustment of the gimbal is an eyeball thing - look through it and move it so it points at the coupler. The coupler splines on the other hand needs to be EXACTLY right or the rubber coupler comes under enough stress to melt it or tear it apart. So you put a layer of grease on your bar and slide it in. Pull it out and see if the spline marks are even all the way around. Adjust motor until they are, and the bar will slide in and out with two fingers, slick as snot.

 

[aarons 470]

Thanks. lineup Tools on the way. I torqued the housing pins @80 with Loctite. I have read between 80-90 pounds for Torque on the MC1 drives? 80 felt like plenty in the aluminum, so I stopped figured I'd ask.

 

[Rick Stephens]

I thought the drive to bellhousing nuts were torqued at 50 lbs.

 

[aarons 470]

Hinge pin bolts, housing to gimble. I’ve read 80 and 90 for torque. 80 feels plenty tight right now.

 

[Rick Stephens]

Ah, hinge pins. Use LocTite as well on those.

 

[achris]

Thanks. lineup Tools on the way. I torqued the housing pins @80 with Loctite. I have read between 80-90 pounds for Torque on the MC1 drives? 80 felt like plenty in the aluminum, so I stopped figured I'd ask.

MC-1 HINGE PINS, 60ft-lb... (The later 1-R through to current, Alpha One Gen II are torqued to 110ft-lb...)
Loctite #35 is called for by the book.... Which is also Loctite 271

Bell-housing nuts (hold the drive on) get torqued to 50ft-lb, NO loctite.

Chris.....

 

[Rick Stephens]

MC-1 HINGE PINS, 60ft-lb... (The later 1-R through to current, Alpha One Gen II are torqued to 110ft-lb...)
Loctite #35 is called for by the book.... Which is also Loctite 271

Bell-housing nuts (hold the drive on) get torqued to 50ft-lb, NO loctite.

Chris.....

Thanks Chris!

 

[aarons 470]

I did it @80 with blue Loctite before I asked. :laugh: should I leave it alone or cause a problem later?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Blue is fine. . If you ever remove the bearing from the tolerance ring you will see how the grease gets into the bearing.
From th zerk thru the hole into the small grove in the tolerance ring. The grease travels around in this groove until it finds the small hole in the bearings outer race. Then it enters the bearing