opinions: best way to replace swivel shaft and gimbal ring on bravo

[stang32]

so, i have done many of the gimbal rings by means of drilling a hole in the housing and knocking off the nut. i have yet to do it by pulling the motor and going in from the boat.
the boat i am doing now, i have easy access to pull the engine and wondering what others thought. i think that trying to unthread that nut in such a tight area may be more aggrevating than the beating it off from the outside but i wanted thoughts from anyone who has done it both ways.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Pull the motor

 

[alldodge]

If its easy to pull the motor I would go that route.
I replaced one by doing the Merc way with drilling to holes and it came out ok, but took some time. Many others have done the JR marine method and also did ok

 

[achris]

'Cleanest' job is pull the engine. And that's what I'd be doing regardless of how hard it was to get out!

Chris.....