change steering shaft

[Easymoney305]

How to change steering shaft and Gimble ring without pulling motor on pre alfa drive alfa 1 and 2

 

[Chris1956]

This is a real good question for the MerCruiser forum. I am not an expert, but I think you are SOL, unless you pull the motor.

 

[Scott Danforth]

How to change steering shaft and Gimble ring without pulling motor on pre alfa drive alfa 1 and 2

pulling the motor is the best option.

 

[harringtondav]

I think it's possible, but it would be the mother of all "build a ship in a bottle" exercises.
Merc makes a kit to access the clamp nut and bolt on the steering/tiller arm. It comes with a drilling template, pipe tap and two large pipe plugs IIRC. The intent is to access this hardware through holes in the sides of the upper gimbal housing to re-tighten a loose arm w/o removing the engine.
But you still have to remove the 3/4-16 nylock nut on the top of the swivel shaft so it can drop down through the gimbal ring. I don't know if a third plug in the top of the gimbal housing would let a socket this size pass through. ...doubtful. You could risk ruining your gimbal housing.
I'm small enough that I managed to squeeze behind my 4.3 and tighten the arm....1/16 turn at a time. I reckon doing the same with the lock nut may be possible. Reassembling the shaft, washers and lock nut while standing on your head sounds like more trouble than an engine pull

 

[kenny nunez]

The gimbal ring is the thinnest @ the 10 & 2 o’clock area. I used to use a 36” pair of bolt cutters or a reciprocal saw. Then it is easy to pull out the ring after removing the bottom shaft. It is possible to remove the upper mounting hardware without hole sawing the holes but it helps.

 

[Easymoney305]

Im in the process of changing the steering upper pin and shaft as we speak on my 78 silverline nantucket the parts showed up today. Now not everybody can do what im doing. I took a drimmal and cut the back plate above them Gimbal ring below the geese zerk where its says mercruser make the cut 1/4 in from the bottom of the recess and follow the lip up the sides and top remove plate you will have to eather make your own wrenches but you can get to the nut and pinch bolts and take it apart. When it time to reassembles it. this is what im doing I cut a piece of 1/8 in alum plate shaped it to fit what was removed it know how to Run a mig so im welding it back you must keep it cool and only weld short intervults and let it cool now if you get it all ready to weld find a welding shop and have them weld it on for you it beets pulling the engine. Just make sure its clean so they can weld it

 

[Easymoney305]

And why doing it that way I have hard time trusting plastic plugs and a plate with 4 bolts and silicone

 

[Scott Danforth]

Im in the process of changing the steering upper pin and shaft as we speak on my 78 silverline nantucket the parts showed up today. Now not everybody can do what im doing. I took a drimmal and cut the back plate above them Gimbal ring below the geese zerk where its says mercruser make the cut 1/4 in from the bottom of the recess and follow the lip up the sides and top remove plate you will have to eather make your own wrenches but you can get to the nut and pinch bolts and take it apart. When it time to reassembles it. this is what im doing I cut a piece of 1/8 in alum plate shaped it to fit what was removed it know how to Run a mig so im welding it back you must keep it cool and only weld short intervults and let it cool now if you get it all ready to weld find a welding shop and have them weld it on for you it beets pulling the engine. Just make sure its clean so they can weld it

I would have had the drive off and the motor out and back in in the time it took you to do all that.

 

[harringtondav]

I would have had the drive off and the motor out and back in in the time it took you to do all that.

Yes. I was intimidated by the thought of an engine pull. But I had to do it to replace broken front mount studs. The worst was bolstering the garage trusses so I could hang a come along chain hoist. The actual pull/replace was easy. I used the set up to help my pal pull his 350 Mag to replace his engine coupler.

 

[Grub54891]

I've used the new repair deal on a few, they make them for alphas also. You cut out the face of the upper ring. To me it's much easier and access is good. It comes with everything shown. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url...ved=0CA8QjRxqFwoTCPir972msPsCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAF