Tr installation/ gimbal bearing problem

[rthomas]

I just changed the gimbal bearing and now I can't get the drive all the way in, it's about 1.25" out, the new bearing went on the input shaft all the way into the orings but tended to bind up a little on the shaft, I used Emory cloth to smoothe the tapered area of the shaft where it was binding, it seemed to work ok on the bench but not when the bearing is installed, I even pulled the input shaft off the drive to check the alignment and it's good. My guess is that a little sag in the ujoints is causing the binding is there a good way to deal with this? The old gimbal bearing was no problem, installing the drive was a two minute thing, what gives?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Did ya align the new bearin' with an alignment tool,..??

Did ya grease the input shaft, so it'll slide easier,..??

 

[rthomas]

I would buy a TR alignment tool if I could find one!, And we've tried lots of grease, a little grease, different grease...

 

[rthomas]

I think we may have figured it out, the gimbal bearing for a TR isn't like the one for the alpha or bravo, it's a sealed bearing commonly stocked by industrial suppliers, in fact my local mercruiser dealer couldn't identify the right bearing let alone get it, so we got one from a industrial place and the first one we got was tight, we went back to see about maybe a different bearing so they grabbed another one of the same as a reference and low and behold the new one has a must better fit.