Coupler or Gimbal bearing

[kdmiller8251]

br />Out on the lake for a little bit and this loud noise starts coming from back of boat. Noise is constant wether in gear or not.<br />How do I tell if its the coupler or gimball bearing???<br /><br />Tallman

 

[orca]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

G'Day. Unlikely to be coupler. more likely gimbell brg or uni joints. try pumping some grease into the gimball brg greaser while the engine is running. <br />Drop the leg and check for water in bellows. inspect the gimball brg and uni joints.

 

[kdmiller8251]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

Whats a Leg???

 

[Trent]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

Outdrive

 

[RGENIE]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

MOST LIKEY THE GIMBLE BEARING. CHECK BY PULLING OUTDRIVE AND TURNING BEARING BY HAND. ANY ROUGHNESS IN SPINING WOULD INDICATE FAILURE. THIS BEARING COMES OUT VERY EASILY. CHECK FOR WATER ENTERING FROM BELLOWS. ALSO CHECK UNIVERSAL JOINT

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

If the boat still moves its not the gimbel bearing. Gimbel goes you dont move.

 

[kdmiller8251]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

Put it in gear but did not really check to see if it moved. Did not want to tear anything else up....<br /><br />Tallman

 

[Trent]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

Sorry, But I disagree. Gimble can be bad and the boat WILL move. They can get real noisy. Now if the gimble bearing is seized the engine will not even turn over like the engine is locked up (very extreme case).

 

[Walter]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

Yep....if the engine-to-outdrive drive shaft is turning...the prop will turn. Perhaps FSN is referring to the coupler. Usually, when the coupler fails...you'll have little to no drive shaft rotation...in other words...das boat don't move.<br /><br />I think you'd be wise to pull the outdrive and take a look see. It sure sounds like a failing gimble or u-joint to me. You're risking a catastophic failure if you keep running your engine though... If the u-joint is toast...and it grenades on ya...it's possilbe to lose much of your outdrive.<br /><br />Walt

 

[almost retired again]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

Hi Tallman,<br />Try turning the out-drive hard left, then hard right, if the noise increases in the turns and gets quiter in the center it's probly the u-joints. If the noise is the same all the way through it's probly the gimble bearing. Either way you will have to pull the drive. When you have it off do a good physical check of both.<br />Good Luck

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Coupler or Gimbal bearing

oops... did I say gimbelbearing? I wanted to say "coupler". Had a senior moment.