can't insert alignment tool after replacing gimbal bearing

[timbehnen]

I have a 1998 volva penta 5.0 SX - I just pulled and replaced the gimbal bearing using puller and insertion tool and alignment bar purchased from Mallory. I have two challenges
1) when I pump grease into the bearing, I see the grease coming out towards the stern (towards me) from between the bearing and where the bearing is seated. I'm not sure if it's going into the bearing. Is it possible I pushed the bearing in too far?

2) i can't insert the alignment tool into the cuppler. I checked the alignment before removing the original bearing and it was fine. I saw a post about inserting the alignment tool as far as you can and then rapping it with a rubber mallet from all four directions to get the gimbal bearing to align. I tried this and it made no difference. Not sure how hard I should try hitting the alignment bar.

Not sure how to proceed.

Thanks
Tim

 

[GA_Boater]

Harder.

A gimbal bearing is made to move inside the outer shell (forgot the name) and it's a tight fit. Hit it harder to line it up with the coupler.

On the grease - Is the new bearing sealed?

 

[alldodge]

Could be your older bearing had a lot of wear, so you may need to adjust the front mounts to do proper alignment

 

[timbehnen]

Harder.

A gimbal bearing is made to move inside the outer shell (forgot the name) and it's a tight fit. Hit it harder to line it up with the coupler.

On the grease - Is the new bearing sealed?

How do I know which way to hit the alignment tool to line it up? Right, Left, up, down ?
The bearing has an outter race that rotates with a 1/4 inch gap where a whole is visible so I assume this means it is NOT sealed.

 

[timbehnen]

Could be your older bearing had a lot of wear, so you may need to adjust the front mounts to do proper alignment

the bearing was not noisy or appear to be worn but I've had the boat five years and the previous owner had it 4 years and neither of us had ever replaced the gimbal bearing so I thought I should just to be safe.

 

[tpenfield]

You get the alignment tool in as far as it will go until it hits the coupler. Then you move the end of the alignment tool up/down left/right as you press it in until you 'find' the coupler opening. Then the tool should go in further. If your engine is aligned reasonably well it will go in to the coupler splines most/all of the way.

So, now you have the gimbal bearing lined up with the coupler . . . Next is to 'read' the grease marks on the alignment tool and adjust the engine mounts accordingly.

Lots of folks don't understand the first part of getting the gimbal bearing lined up to the coupler opening.

 

[timbehnen]

You get the alignment tool in as far as it will go until it hits the coupler. Then you move the end of the alignment tool up/down left/right as you press it in until you 'find' the coupler opening. Then the tool should go in further. If your engine is aligned reasonably well it will go in to the coupler splines most/all of the way.

So, now you have the gimbal bearing lined up with the coupler . . . Next is to 'read' the grease marks on the alignment tool and adjust the engine mounts accordingly.

Lots of folks don't understand the first part of getting the gimbal bearing lined up to the coupler opening.

Thank you Ted. I'll give that a try. What confuses me is that I've checked the alignment the last few years and only had to change it the first time I checked it. Since then it's been dead on, including when I checked it before pulling out the old Gimbal Bearing. Is it common to have to change the alignment after installing new bearing, when it was fine just before installing the new bearing? You can tell I'm a newby to this process. Sorry for the dumb questions.

 

[alldodge]

Is it common to have to change the alignment after installing new bearing, when it was fine just before installing the new bearing?

Not common, but also not uncommon. Your old bearing had a few thousandths play, and your new has no play, so you where dead on, but actually a little off

 

[BRICH1260]

Your grease slot may not be lined up with the grease tube. You may need to pull it back out and reinsert.

You may want to insert the alignment tool as far as it will go and climb inside the bilge and eyeball or "feel" where the tool is in relation to the coupler and adjust. It should go in fairly easy. Make sure your new gimble is seated properly against the housing.

 

[timbehnen]

Your grease slot may not be lined up with the grease tube. You may need to pull it back out and reinsert.

You may want to insert the alignment tool as far as it will go and climb inside the bilge and eyeball or "feel" where the tool is in relation to the coupler and adjust. It should go in fairly easy. Make sure your new gimble is seated properly against the housing.

Thank you for those ideas! I did not realize I may be able to inspect these from inside the bilge. Because of the tight space, I'm not sure that I am able to inspect visually or by feel the alignment tools position relative to the coupler or that the bearing is aligned against the housing ... but I will check tonight.

 

[DouglasW]

I think I may like to invent a tool that can help with this. All it would need to be is a tool like the standard alignment tool, but turned down a lot in the area of the gimbal bearing so you could always insert the tool into the coupler and then see how far off you are at the bearing. This is where someone replys with a tool that already exists ;-)

 

[Maclin]

I think I may like to invent a tool that can help with this. All it would need to be is a tool like the standard alignment tool, but turned down a lot in the area of the gimbal bearing so you could always insert the tool into the coupler and then see how far off you are at the bearing. This is where someone replys with a tool that already exists ;-)

I think AllDodge has one he used for a Merc, maybe even a Bravo. I am going from memory, so a 50/50 chance there

 

[alldodge]

The tool I have will determine how to adjust once the tool is in the coupler. Even with a new bearing it should not be that hard to get the tool started in the coupler, unless something is wrong, like if the rear mounts compressed, or front moved.

This is the alignment tool 91-863372

 

[DouglasW]

I don't understand the use of that tool. Is it meant to be used before the new bearing is installed?

 

[alldodge]

I don't understand the use of that tool. Is it meant to be used before the new bearing is installed?

Is not used to install the bearing, its used after installation. The alignment bar slides inside itm then into gimbal bearing and coupler. The tool is pressed up against the bell housing and the gap between it and the toold tells how to adjust the front mounts

 

[DouglasW]

But the OP is saying he can't get the bar into the coupler, How is that tool going to help him?

What I am talking about is a modified bar that allows it to be pushed into the coupler even if the alignment is off, by turning down the section that conflicts with the bearing. Then you could measure the gap around the bar at the bearing.

 

[alldodge]

But the OP is saying he can't get the bar into the coupler, How is that tool going to help him?

What I am talking about is a modified bar that allows it to be pushed into the coupler even if the alignment is off, by turning down the section that conflicts with the bearing. Then you could measure the gap around the bar at the bearing.

I'm only responding to the comment made by Maclin in post 12, this has no bearing on your comment

 

[DouglasW]

I'm only responding to the comment made by Maclin in post 12, this has no bearing on your comment

Maclin was responding to me.

 

[Maclin]

Sorry guys, I caused this course alteration, need to get this in a separate topic methinks. DouglasW , can you start a separate thread in the MerCruiser section? Apologizing again, I rememebered "a" tool but did not remember exactly how it helped.

 

[tpenfield]

Did we get this gimbal bearing set and the engine alignment checked yet?