I have not decided whether to change the U-Joints. Here are the reasons To change them:
1) Water got into the U-Joint bellows and put water on the U-Joints.
2) The boat is primarily used in salt water.
3) My U-Joints DO have Zerk fittings and while that does make lubing them possible, it can allow water to get into the U-Joint bearings. I believe that the OEM U-Joints do Not have Zerk fittings.
4) Water *Might* have gotten past the seal in the Bearing Carrier and into the OD. I will create a separate post about that called "Did Water Get Into My OD"
5) The OD is already off the boat.
6) There was a slight rumble sound coming from the OD. That might have been the U-Joints but may have only been the Gymbal Bearing. The gymbal bearing has serious rust and will be changed.
7) The Bearing Carrier would be changed at the same time. There was corrosion on it that *May* have caused a leak into the bellows. I did repair it with JB-Weld and shaped it to match the original. Replacing the Bearing Carrier would make getting a good water tight seal more likely.
8) When adding grease to the U-Joints the grease that was pushed out was dark brown (Is that normal?).
Reasons NOT to change the U-Joints
1) The U-Joints are not frozen and they move freely and smoothly.
2) There was never a screech from the U-Joints even when steering hard over left or right.
3) I could do the repair without changing the U-Joints but change the bellows and gimbal bearing and see how that works. If there is still an indication of a problem, then I would change the U-Joints. I can remove the OD myself and reinstall it easily at a minimal cost.
4) The U-Joints and Bearing retainer would add approximately $800 to the cost.
5) The boat is a 1992 Horizon 200 and I may be selling it and upgrading in a couple of years.
Here is a picture of the gear oil from the OD. It is a blueish-green color.
