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gcarter
06-29-2004, 09:00 PM
Hi guys;
I don't have the drive installed yet, just the gimbal housing. So the gimbal bearing is pretty accessable. It will be changed before the drive goes on.
Now I have a inside bearing puller with a slide hammer, probably 2-3 pound. So far the bearing hasn't budged. Does the Merc bearing remover have a particularly heavy hammer or do I have some issues? Any suggestions?

George

MOP
06-29-2004, 09:17 PM
George as you know I have pulled 1 or 2 in my time, if the bearing was put in dry no grease in the bore they can get a bit of corrosion around them and can be a pain to get moving. When you say you have an inside puller, does it have the heavy forged fingers. The stamped steel ones don't cut it on a tough bearing, try leaning away pulling the hammer toward you to make it hit more solidly. About the time your arm gets tired the damn thing will come out, borrow the proper install tool they love to cock and gouge the housing without it. Another thought your engine is still out, give it a few good whacks from inside with a long big punch, finish with the puller.

Phil

gcarter
06-29-2004, 09:27 PM
Phil, I thought it was something like that, dry that is. I had taped up the bearing and had the housing bead blasted, so it probably has some glass in it. My puller is the forged type. The engine is in for several more days while planning the cooling system, then it will come out. If I don't have the bearing out by that time I will try from the inside.
Thanks;
George

MOP
06-29-2004, 10:02 PM
George when you hit it from behind don't get to crazy, one of our guys did way back hit it so hard it busted the bearing leaving the outer ring in the housing. we did manage to cut two opposing slots in the race with a carbide blade in a saws all but it took awhile and still was a pain to hook the pieces out.

gcarter
06-29-2004, 10:09 PM
Run a bead inside the stuck race, when it cools and shrinks up it will loosen the bearing..
I'm sorry Scott, I don't understand.

George

mphatc
06-29-2004, 10:16 PM
What Scott is saying is weld a bead around the inside of the stuck race, as it cools it shrinks and will cause the bearing to become free.

mario

MOP
06-29-2004, 10:31 PM
Just don't hit the bore with the rod the aluminum explodes it does work but be real careful and use a short rod. That one is the last resort.

MOP

Walt. H.
06-30-2004, 12:14 AM
I made my own puller using a piece of 1/2" X 20" long threaded rod, some large washers, a steel plate to fit over the gimbel housing, a tapered roller bearing to push up against when tightening down the spacers and the washers, and a flange that fits just up to the edge of the outer gimbel bearing race. Then "wel-la!! slow and steady out she comes effortlessly with each turn of my 3/4" box wrench. :wrench: :yes:

Walt

gcarter
06-30-2004, 04:33 PM
Well, I got it out!
Once I had a feel (thanks to you guys) for how hard I could work this, it started moving and then came out pretty quick. I didn't have the proper installer, so I very carefully installed it useing a large pin and a dead impact hammer.
Apparently this was the first time the bearing has been changed, circa 1985-1990, this is a replacement houseing, thanks eBay.
A couple of other things;
when I bought this housing, it had a hole corroded in it that wasn't visible in the photos, I had it welded up (sort of visible in the photo of the inside of housing). I'm useing a transom water pickup, so the existing water passage is blocked. I had a plate made in the same size of the origional water fairlead plate with the origiginal rubber clamp and a section of the copper tubing inside to seal it, also visible in the inside and outside photos of the housing just above the bearing.
Since I didn't have a water tube to clamp the trim wiring harness to, instead I bolted a continuity washer to the wiring harness fairlead bolt, and strapped the wiring harness to this washer.
Thanks again everyone;

George

DONZI
06-30-2004, 05:07 PM
Run a bead inside the stuck race, when it cools and shrinks up it will loosen the bearing..

Scott, That does work great for the difficult ones. Even that lower race in the alpha upper housing.

GCARTER, Just make sure you got the grease hole lined up and the tin shield hasn"t spun on you by shooting some grease through fitting & inspect. Before you install drive.