Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

[rodrigwa2005]

Is anyone aware of any tool which can ease the lubrication of the engine couple on a mercruiser 3.0 LX engine?<br /><br />I can get my hands to the zirk, but boy, trying to hook up the end of the greaser hose to it seems almost imposible due to limited space...even after trying several positions on the shaft which I got to by cranking the engine.<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />Waldo

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Are you using a grease gun with a flexible hose?If not try that.Or maybe 'build' what you need and add it to the grease gun.<br />Or do it the old way,and manually lube when you pull the drive to check the ujoints (should be at least once a year).<br />I think the addition of the fitting is a good idea,but on a lot of boats,draining the block,or changing the oil filter is hard enough,never mind getting at the coupler.<br /><br />DHP

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Spline grease by hand when the drive is off....JK

 

[trog100]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

once greased properly those grease in the boat type couplings wont need doing very often.. i think there is little more to it than simply being able to do it from within the boat.. in short it does a far better job.. the whole thing gets packed with grease and is pretty much sealed.. a million times beter then relying on a thin smear most of which gets wiped off during assembly..<br /><br />i say take the trouble to get at it and do the job properly.. especially if your boat gets used for a lot of low speed trolling.. <br /><br />each to his own thow..<br /><br />trog

 

[r1gal]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

"I think the addition of the fitting is a good idea,but on a lot of boats,draining the block,or changing the oil filter is hard enough,never mind getting at the coupler."<br /><br />Lol, I have to agree with DHP.

 

[John Hink]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

As expensive as these couplers are, I do not recommend drilling them to install grease zerks. I think it is more practical to R&R the out drive and lube the coupler and shaft with the proper grease recommended for the job.<br /><br />John Hink

 

[Bondo]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Originally posted by John Hink:<br /> As expensive as these couplers are, I do not recommend drilling them to install grease zerks. I think it is more practical to R&R the out drive and lube the coupler and shaft with the proper grease recommended for the job.<br /><br />John Hink

John,......<br />The Late-Style couplers Have a Grease Zert.........<br /><br />The Early-Style couplers Don't,..... And have to be Greased as You describe..........<br /><br />Nobody is even suggesting that an Early-style coupler is Drilled,+ Tapped for the Zert,......<br /><br />They're just looking for an Easier way to Grease the Late-Style coupler that Has the Zert from the Factory.........<br /><br />And,...........<br />Too that end,.......<br />Other than being Double-Jointed,+ having a LONG Extention Hose on your greasegun,..........<br /><br />There Ain't No Special Secrets...............................

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Get a long flexible hose and a 180 degree swivel coupler for the grease gun. Should not be too hard. <br /><br />

<br /><br />The swivel coupler is the 4th from the left in this photo.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Just updating my earlier reply: If you just can't get your hand near that fitting,in the back of my mind I was thinking of fabricating a 'solid' extension,maybe using brake tubing or something.<br />(and I was agreeing with Mercruiser's addition of the fitting.)<br /><br />DHP

 

[rodrigwa2005]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Originally posted by Mischief Managed:<br /> Get a long flexible hose and a 180 degree swivel coupler for the grease gun. Should not be too hard. <br /><br />

<br /><br />The swivel coupler is the 4th from the left in this photo.

Mischief managed:<br /><br />That's what I was looking for...Thanks!

 

[trog100]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

its very unusual for a maunufacturers to "add" greasing points.. they must have thought there was a genuine need for it.. mostly its saving a penny or two by not fitting em and saying its a new sealed for life jobby which never needs servicing..<br /><br />very often these new sealed for life things only differ in the sense u cant grease em if u wanted to.. the life of the bearing is governed entirely by the life of the factory applied grease.. when it dries up your bearing dies..<br /><br />trog

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

About the time that Mercruiser started using u-joints without grease fittings,they added a 'protrusion' on the back end of the coupler that had a fitting in it to enable owners to grease the splines,without pulling the drive.<br /><br />I feel they were doing owners a great service.Unfortunately the fitting is 'extremely' hard to reach on many boats.But at least they made the attempt.I suggest my customers to pull the drive every other year now,just for inspection.<br /><br />Older drives,or fitting unreachable,pull every year.<br /><br />DHP

 

[trog100]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

i just fitted the newer (fitted grease point) drive coupler.. my old couple stripped its splines.. i would agree whole heartedly the need for such regular spline inspections is no longer there.. <br /><br />i would say once fully primed with grease.. it wont need greasing for several years or inspecting..<br /><br />but if i had customers DH i would probably tell em the same things as u.. he he..<br /><br />i recon once fully filled with grease the new system comes very close to the "sealed for life" description..<br /><br />trog

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Thanks for looking out for my customers,trog ! (grin)<br /><br />Our concern is actually the condition of the u-joints and bellows,as well as gimbal bearing.I've seen a bad u-joint cause $2000 + damage in parts alone alone,labor extra.We consider the $25 fee every other year an investment in the owners best interest.<br /><br />DHP

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Splined joints require extreme pressure grease and it will eventually be squeezed out and/or broken down, allowing metal to metal contact. That's what kills these parts, the hammering of metal on metal on every power pulse of the engine. You must replenish this grease now and then. If grease is always present, the parts will never wear out.

 

[trog100]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

very true just pointing how how good the grease in the boat system is and that folks who find it hard to get to dont have get at it very often.. he he..<br /><br />for anyone that dosnt know the new coupling extends out an inch or so so as u can get at the grease nipple.. there is an O-ring at the end of this extension.. u pump grease into this extension tube.. without the O-ring it would go straight out the back of the tube.. cos the O-ring seals the tube around the shaft the grease first fill up this chamber then gets forced rearwards towards the shaft splines it passes thru the spline area and then fills up the space at the back.. air is permitted out of this space at the back thru a small hole..<br /><br />the end result is lots of grease in a pretty much 100% sealed from any water intrusion container completely surrounding the spline area with no way the grease can get thrown out or washed off..<br /><br />all in all about as lasting a grease arrangement as its possible to get.. well compared to the previouse thin smear on the splinnes method it is.. <br /><br />pull your drive as often as u like but if your boots are in good condition and not too old.. whats inside will remain in good condition and well greased for quite some time.. the whole idea behind the sealed for life u-joins and doing away with the thin smear of grease on the splines concept was to remove the need to pull the drive just to maintain the internal parts.. take advantage of it or dont.. whatever is your thing..<br /><br />the new coupling splines are also steel as opposed to aluminum.. in essence the same as what used to be called heavy duty ones..<br /><br />trog

 

[John Hink]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

After reading the above forum, I think I might be in the correct one to ask my question.<br />The boat is a 19 ft starcraft. mfg date 1972. power 181cid 3.?litre. mercruiser OD. <br />Recently, I posted for helpful suggestions regarding a sudden loud whining noise in the power train. The coupler had stripped. I pulled the engine, replaced the coupler,and the rear engine mounts. The front mount is still in good shape. The engine is sitting on the mounts with the through bolts dropped through the mounting holes. <br />A tool was built to the exact specs as a drawing that was shown on this site.The tool was fitted to the coupler before the coupler was installed. The tool fits as a slip fit through the bearing and almost goes into the coupler but that is as close as I can get it. This alignment problem is wearing me out!<br /> The question is, are there step proceedures to the alignment process of this mercruiser I/O ?<br />I have moved the stern of the engine both up and down and the front up and down. There seems to be no middle ground where the alignment shaft will slip into the coupler splines. <br />Any positive input is appreciated.<br />John Hink in WA state

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Seems to me the rear mount bolts should be torqued down,not floating.I'm not sure on an old boat,but newer ones the rear mounts are not adjustable.<br /><br />DHP

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

Once the new rear bushings are in place,install engine and tighten them dowm.insert alignment tool and adjust the front mounts up/down/or sideways to achieve the alignment.aside from the greasing aspect pulling the drive once a year lets you check for worn drive seals or water in the boot. the spline can be greased at this time.

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine coupler lubrication - Any special tool available?

When you installed the new rear mounts, do you recall the Part Number. The new mounts no longer take the double lock washer and may take a spacer (That is a trial and error check) but usually does with the older engines.<br /><br />PS: In the future, start a new thread with your question. There is no requirement to post to an existing thread, and it could really limit the number of people that even see your question. Especially if they aren't following the original thread, they wouldn't even see your question, that and most people don't even read previous replies before they post.