Who To Believe About Greasing?

[kimbill]

We?re a relatively new owner of an ?88 OMC, 5.0L Four Winns. Recently, we initiated threads about the greasing interval for I/O gimbals and U-joints. Most replies suggested seasonal, or every two years. Over the last couple days, the folks on this northern Minnesota lake are all too anxious to help this ancient nimrod with the-too-fast-boat. They steered us to the two local guys who repair, and winterize, local boats. I called them both. The first guy says he never greases U-joints. The second person, and most widely used, agreed claiming he has never greased a U-joint in the years he?s serviced local boats ? including own his 23 Sea Ray He serviced our Winns, for the previous owner, for the past 10 years, and never greased the U-joint (The previous owner never lost a U-joint). Then, claiming he?s never replaced a U-joint on any I/O ???What the ____ is going on? Minnesotans ain?t immune??. Ok, ?.ok, ?.some of you are going to answer, ?Good luck buddy!?

Bill

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

Not all u-joints are serviceable......................the u-joints in my alpha 1 gen II for instance did not come fitted with greaseable fittings.

 

[danond]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

OMC says grease the u-joints. I'd trust the manufacturer before I'd listen to anyone banking on luck.

The zerks in the joints are there for a reason.

 

[Uraijit]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

You can probably "get away with it" for a long time, but if you have greasable fittings, it seems stupid not to take the extra 30 seconds and do it as part of winterization.

I know people who have never changed the oil in a vehicle in 3 years of owning it, too. They never had a break-down (or even a flat tire, as far as I know), and their engine ran fine for as long as they owned it...

Now that I've shared that with you, do you plan to quit changing your motor oil?

Even if your friends are right, and you can get away without greasing for a long time, what's the supposed benefit of NOT greasing? Are they telling you that there's some reason you shouldn't grease, or just saying you can get away with not greasing?

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should...

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

I'm prepared for the flames. I have never pulled my Alpha I outdrive to grease the u-joints. I shoot grease in the gimbal fitting and others on the back, but that is it. I didn't realize until I started hanging out here that people pulled their outdrives every year or so. I bought my 1985 boat in 1996 from the original owner. He had just had the bellows replaced. He mentioned the concept of greasing the u-joint periodically, but didn't because he wasn't doing it himself and figured he would just replace it when it went out. I have been doing the same. Now 12 years later, she still runs smooth and quiet and doesn't leak.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

mechanical things that move, like lub. if yer ujoints got a grease fitting, why would you not use it? on my mercruiser, lubing the ujoints is a every 100 hrs or once a year PM. per the book... what's your book say for your rig? i believe the book since it is written by mercruiser for my mercruiser....

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

As stated above my u-joints did not come fitted with zerks..............I ran for 12 years with no u-joint issues................last year while the drive was off I I pulled the brass plugs and installed zerks.............so mine have been greased only the last 2 of their 13 seasons..........................probably be the kiss of death for the u-joints

 

[45Auto]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

Lots of people never grease the u-joints on the driveshafts of their rear wheel drive cars either. Most of them get away with it. However, it's not real unusual down here (New Orleans, lots of water and humidity) to see them sitting beside the road with one end of the driveshaft hanging down.

Your call.

 

[kimbill]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

Good dicussions on gimbal-greasing ......Looks like it's a gamble. The next question is; (1) How much does the average marine dealer charge to grease the U-joint, and (2) How much does the same dealer charge to replace a U-joint? ............It's the same decision auto owners have with the mafgr's suggested maintenance schedules, some approaching $1500-$2000.........



Bill

 

[45Auto]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

Not sure if the "average marine dealer" would grease an OMC u-joints. Lots of them don't work on OMC's anymore, they've been out of business for about 10 years I think. Everything this century has been Mercruiser or Volvo.

At a dealer, Mercruiser would probably run you a couple of hours labor at $100/hour plus parts to pull and replace the outdrive. In the case of greasing the u-joints parts would be less than $10 worth of gaskets. Can't imagine OMC being real dissimilar, hopefully one of the OMC guru's on here will chime in.

I would estimate replacing the u-joints would add about another hour of labor plus $100 or so worth of u-joints to the bill.

The problem with not maintaining them is you may discover that you need a new one (old one craps out) when you're way offshore with your wife and kids, and the wind is picking up .....

 

[Lou C]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

Doing the u-joints on a Cobra, is really no different than a Volvo SX or Merc Alpha, you need to pull the drive to check for water intrusion, and to make sure the input shaft seal is not leaking in the bellows area. A leak in the bellows, and/or a leak in that seal ultimately can cost you a lot of money if not caught early. I do the R&R of the Cobra, check for water/gear oil leaks, and make sure the gimble turns smoothly and the u-joints don't bind or have excessive play. Takes a couple of hours, a gasket, some grease and muscle power. I built this stand to make it easier. Even if you have permanently greased u-joints, you are taking a chance if you never pull the drive. My boat is moored all season so it's a must. I pull it right after I winterize, that way if there is water it doesn't sit there all winter and any problems get fixed in the off season.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

grease on moving parts that were designed to be lubed... never hurts

piece of mind is worth a lot..

depends on whether the piece of mind thing is worth as much or more to you than the cost / hassle of lubing them...

On a merc anyway, if you're aligning the outdrive regularly which you really do need to do, you're already taking the drive off and you're talking about pumping some grease into the joints...

Don't have personal experience with the omc units, but I can't imagine that it is a huge deal to do based on what I've read...

OH, and on the "risk" side. I know very well what happen when you lose a ujoint on a car, truck or boat (these are personal experiences)... it ain't even a little bit pretty, especially when the cross makes it out of the yoke before you get the power shut down...

 

[45Auto]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

LOL - Just reminded me of the time I lost a u-joint in a 340 Duster a little over 30 years ago - was racing a Corvette at the time, had him by about 3 or 4 car lengths. Drive shaft went across the road in front of him and he almost went in the ditches (several times as it bounced back and forth in front of him) trying to dodge the thing.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Who To Believe About Greasing?

Here's a recent example of what happens when the rearmost ujoint on an alpha drive shaft (outdive yoke) fails and you do catch it before the cross makes it out of the yoke... if it makes it out, chances are the bellows gets shredded and you're well served by being a good swimmer.

All those bits of metal everywhere are pieces of the bearing cap that slipped out of the yoke and the teeth that are missing from the retainer ring on the drive... the bellows were full of metal chips and needle bearings. The one on the right is what it's supposed to look like...

were paddling our way to the next ramp to get a ride back to get the truck when a guy pulled alongside in a little stv tunnel hull and said "it's gonna be awful hard to get on plane like that".

funny... I have a 340 Duster (forest green with a white vinyl top and white interior...) drive shaft story from my "youth"... but it isn't as funny as yours, in fact downright embarrassing and entirely of my own making...