Bravo 3 outdrive overhaul - propeller shaft seal questions

[EisbaerLars]

Hi folks,

will not miss to thank @alldodge for his great write up about the repair action of his Bravo 3 propeller seals and all the useful information in his thread!!!

Upfront doing the 2(4) seals on my dual Bravo 3 X's I digged out @alldodge's awesome writeup but still have questions and hope that below questions can be answered on top of his information given before I start this endeavor:

1. Does the prop shaft can be pulled out as soon as the bearing carrier has been removed using the bearing carrier tool and the outer propeller shaft bearing retainer has been removed using the outer propellershaft bearing retainer tool?

2. Along the manual to pull the inner seal a Slide Hammer Puller (P/N 91-34569A1) is needed - did you use such a tool or is there another method to get that seal out?
Willing to buy a Slide Hammer Puller with differend jaws (inside/outside) since I can use it on my cars as well from time to time but not sure what minimal diameter the jaws have to have - found one which supports a minimal diameter (which will be the inside hole of the smaller seal) of 1.18" (3cm) - not sure about the diameter of the prop shaft/inner seal inside diameter since can't measure with boat still in water.
Could the outer seal in the bearing carrier be pulled as well with such a tool instead of wedging it out from the other end of the bearing carrier?

3. The manual says as well that to reinstall the seal a special Bearing Installation Tool (P/N 91-805352T) is used to press the seal in again - have a big hydraulic press as well as a whole set of press rings in different sizes handy and saw that you used a hose clamp and the old seal to do the job - but - how far has the seal to go in the shaft - the manual describes it as press as far as the special tool bottoms out on the shaft? Has the seal body just go flush with the shaft or does it have to go as far as the bearing ring inside the shaft allows?

Thanks for your help!

Cheers
Lars

 

[alldodge]

Welcome

1. Does the prop shaft can be pulled out as soon as the bearing carrier has been removed using the bearing carrier tool and the outer propeller shaft bearing retainer has been removed using the outer propellershaft bearing retainer tool?

To remove prop shaft both carrier and retainer must be removed.

2. Along the manual to pull the inner seal a Slide Hammer Puller (P/N 91-34569A1) is needed - did you use such a tool or is there another method to get that seal out?
Willing to buy a Slide Hammer Puller with differend jaws (inside/outside) since I can use it on my cars as well from time to time but not sure what minimal diameter the jaws have to have - found one which supports a minimal diameter (which will be the inside hole of the smaller seal) of 1.18" (3cm) - not sure about the diameter of the prop shaft/inner seal inside diameter since can't measure with boat still in water.
Could the outer seal in the bearing carrier be pulled as well with such a tool instead of wedging it out from the other end of the bearing carrier?

As mentioned in my thread I tried the slide hammer and was not able to get it out. I wound up splitting the seal to remove. Figured I would buy the correct tool and use a press if I needed to do it again

3. The manual says as well that to reinstall the seal a special Bearing Installation Tool (P/N 91-805352T) is used to press the seal in again - have a big hydraulic press as well as a whole set of press rings in different sizes handy and saw that you used a hose clamp and the old seal to do the job - but - how far has the seal to go in the shaft - the manual describes it as press as far as the special tool bottoms out on the shaft? Has the seal body just go flush with the shaft or does it have to go as far as the bearing ring inside the shaft allows?

Didn't have much problem installing the seals. I looked at how far down the originals were before removing and re-installed at about the same depth.

Do get the new style double seals and don't use the 2-single seals

 

[EisbaerLars]

Thanks alldodge, which one would be the right tool to use a press instead of the slide hammer?
Do you have by any chance the part numbers of the new style double seals?

Thanks

 

[alldodge]

New seals
1 each Small inner seal 26-8M0033407 (replaces 2 each lip seals)
1 each Large outer seal 26-861694 (replaces 2 each lip seals)
Dimensions 3 - 3/8 OD, 2 - 1/2 ID, 13/16 wide

Use manual 28 and on page 3D-26 it list removal tool as 91-862064A1
If you do not have the manual, then need to get it first

 

[EisbaerLars]

Have the manual here

Regarding the inner seal - this part catalog lists 26-861695 as the seal, but as well as no longer available.
Does 26-8M0033407 superseed 26-861695 in my case?

Just to clarify - have 2 Bravo 3 X Diesel installed with serial #'s 0M172099 and 0M172086.

On the fence with getting the seal kit 26-76868A04 to change the O-Rings and other gaskets as well when I have it appart - this includes the 26-8M0033407 in that offer.
This seal kit is as well listed for the Bravo 2 drive - that said there will be some leftover parts which I probably pay but not use.
Or does it not make sense and instead buy the 4 seals and 2 big O-Rings for the retainer and being done with it?

Thanks!

 

[alldodge]

Note: A Bravo 3 lower is the same on a Standard B3 all the way to B3 X and XR. The upper housing is the only difference.

Parts I listed are the correct ones.
While even Mercruiser Parts list both seals (37 and 42) and item 37 as NLA if it's selected it shows 45 pieces in stock. My assumption is this is done so only the newest serial number will show it in stock, but just guessing

Latest B3

 

[EisbaerLars]

Thanks for clarifying the Bravo 3 / X / XR topic.
So should I go with the 26-76868A04 ?

 

[alldodge]

I remember buying a B3 lower reseal kit and it came with the older seals. The kit in your link looks like a B1 kit

The B3 lower kit isn't much, and this kit is aftermarket. Unable to find a number for the Merc kit. I might just buy the seals individually.

 

[EisbaerLars]

Got you - it says "Fits Bravo I, II, III & X" and the 26-76868A04 is in the spare parts chart for the B3 lower.

26-76868A04 supercedes 26-76868A2 as stated in the A2 parts description "Mercury-Mercruiser 26-76868A2 SEAL KIT has been superceded to a new part number. The newest part number is 76868A04"

But the pics on both in the parts catalog are the same.
I am with you as stated above - in that seal kits you pay for stuff which you don't need bcs it holds additional parts used for another type of drive unit.
That said it is just this ones I will change/replace:

37

8M0033407

----SEAL, Oil

40

805331

----O-RING

42

861694

----SEAL, Oil, Oil

Or did I miss some others to change?

 

[EisbaerLars]

That was a easy math - 2x single parts as above listed 282 bucks and 2x the seal kit which has even more in 274 bucks.
Will then go with the kits and see whats leftover.

 

[alldodge]

The number(s) after the A in the part number just indicate another supplier was used. the 26- is another reference for Merc category. The parts are the same

 

[EisbaerLars]

Could get this set from AliExpress but I am hesitant since I don't want to do the job twice bcs of crappy China parts