jonathan
21.05.2021 16:18:20
Ayuh. So what are ya waitin' for. more
See full version: Cost to replace Bellows and gimball bearing
Ayuh. So what are ya waitin' for. more
I'll let others tell you about the difficulty. I'm about to do all that on my 2 drives for the first time. I wouldn't try it if I wasn't generally handy, had a good selection of hand tools, and purchased a few special tools to do the job.
I bought all Merc OEM. That ran me $350/drive but I didn't want to cheap out on those parts. I don't need exhaust bellows, mine were changed over to tubes by the P.O. I won't be changing gimbal bearings unless I find something wrong when I pull the drives. I bought the drive gasket kits, u-joint bellows, shift cable bellows, shift cables, water hoses, trim senders and limit switches.
If ya follow the steps in the factory manual to a T, it ain't that bad a job, figure 'bout 4 hours. [links]
I am beginning to collect parts for winter 2013 (always thinking ahead) project of pulling motors and redoing my transom area. While I have it all pulled apart I figured it would be a good time to replace the gimbal bearing, bellows etc. I am not sure what all I would actually need to replace and was hoping someone could help me out.
Once an hour is quite often, you're taking on some pretty good water. Once is too often in my opinion. It may be your shift cable boot, they are the most common to leak. If it tears all the way you'll get water coming in pretty quick. You're also making your bilge pump work more, so if you burn out your pump and still have the water coming in, you could have a real problem. here
So what would the cost to redo the gimbal area on a Bravo One be? And what parts does that include? more
I'd first make sure that something is leaking without the boat running, it may be as simple as loose line or a broken hose clamp.
The single leading cause of bearing failure is water intrusion through a deteriorated belows. In those cases it's a no brainer. [links]
I just had mine replaced as part of more serious outdrive work and we used the ZR bearing which has a Merc retail of $98. My drive guy says the ZR bearing is worth the extra few bucks.
OTOH, if your bearing takes a crap on it's own and the bellows appears to be in good shape then there's no functional reason to replace it. However, in most cases the bearing and bellows were probably installed at the same time and are roughly the same age. To me it makes no sense to spend the time and money to replace the bearing and not spend the couple extra dollars to replace the bellows at the same time. I've seen more than once where a 5 or 10 year old bearing was replaced and in less than a year the boat was back in for a new bearing after that 5 - 10 year old bellows finally sprung a leak and took the new bearing with it. Now, if the bellows was replaced a few years ago and the bearing was not then doing just the bearing is more reasonable. It really comes down to a boat by boat decision AND your own personal preference. My personal preference is to replace all wear parts whenever I need to get into the drive housing. In the long run I think it saves me money keeps my down time to a minimum. here
Possibly you have the process recomendation confused? more
Usually if you have bad boots then you would also do a gimble bearing, other boots, cable etc while you are in there.. However to just do a bearing, the drive must come off & then you would remove the bearing with either a slide puller or a special reverse press merc tool to pull the bearing out.. ;) more
While you are here, check the upper seal where the upper steering shaft passes
through the gimbal housing. It is a thin oil seal which can fall out of place.
If the seal seating area is corroded away and the seal does not seal properly,
water will get up into the steering lever pocket inside the boat and cause all kinds
of rust and corrosion damage. Replacement of this seal requires removal of the bell housing
and gimbal ring. We suggest you review the procedures in the correct Service Manual.
Remove the trim cylinder attachment hardware and let the cylinders hang below
the boat with the hydraulic hoses still attached. Don't damage the hoses.
Make sure they are out of the way when you start removing the drive unit.
A complete inspection will require removal of the outdrive unit.
Place the shifter into forward gear before attempting to remove the drive.
The shifter MUST be in forward gear to remove or install the drive unit.
Insist on ONLY Mercruiser Factory Parts!
U-Joint Shaft Assembly and Cross Bearings
The u-joint shaft assembly is made of steel and it will rust if water gets into the bellows.
Under normal circumstances the shaft will have no rust at all.
If it has rust, water has been getting into the bellows.
The assembly has two cross bearings. The cross bearings need to be inspected.
A good cross bearing will have a "smooth firmness" to it.
Brand new bearings will allow the shaft to almost stick straight out without being supported.
Used bearings will be softer and the shaft will drop under its own weight.
Grab the u-joint shaft with both hands at either end and work the shafts in all directions
while you feel for any crunching, grinding, binding or free-play.
The cross bearings should have a velvet smooth feel in all directions with no free-play.
If the cross bearings feel bad they will have to be replaced.
We suggest you obtain a factory service manual manual to learn how.
Some drives require disassembly of the upper drive to replace the aft cross-bearing.
Pre-Alpha, Alpha One's and Alpha Gen II units all require disassembly of the upper
driveshaft housing to replace the aft cross bearing.
This procedure requires special
tools and knowledge. more
Usually the boat owner will suspect a gimbal bearing problem only after
they have heard a "growling" noise from the transom or drive area.
The growl will be more pronounced when the steering wheel is fully turned
to one side or the other.
Once this noise is heard immediate action must be taken to prevent further damage.
Put the clamp loosely on one end of the hose. real loose.
and put a little soap and water inside the hoses end. here
Now it's time to glue your u-joint bellows in place.
Do NOT install the bellows without bellows adhesive! [links]
The clamp must be properly positioned to face down. Use a 5/16" swivel 1/4" drive socket to tighten the clamps up. here
Now that both clamps are snug, you can get the hinge pins installed.
There should be fiber side washers on either side between the bellhousing and the gimbal ring.
If they look worn, replace them.
Align the washers and the bellhousing up.
Apply a drop of good lock-tight to the hinge pin threads and install the pins.
Once you feel that the bellows are fully in place, hold it there for 5 minutes to let the glue set-up.
Now take your 1/4" ratchet set with a long long extension and a swivel 5/16" socket on the end and snug up the clamp.
Inspect carefully to make SURE the clamp is straight and in place.
DON'T over tighten the clamp!!