Greasing the Gimbal bearing - When do I stop pumping???

Wave thumper

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Messages
37
Like the title says, when do I stop pumping grease into the bearing? I can't see the bearing? SO I have no idea if it has enough grease.

sorry if this is a stupid question.
 

Mischief Managed

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
1,928
Re: Greasing the Gimbal bearing - When do I stop pumping???

I always put grease in when the drive is off and I pump it in until clean grease comes out all the way around the bearing. You need to remove the drive to check the alignment, so it's a prefect time to do it.
 

wrestling coach

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
210
Re: Greasing the Gimbal bearing - When do I stop pumping???

Not a stupid question. Nobody can really see the results of the grease being pumped to the Gimbal bearing short of taking the drive off. So with that said I am maintaining a 1982 Merc 470 and here is what I'm doing. I had a new Gimbal bearing and impeller put in the drive in April of 2012. In the fall of 2012 when the boat was pulled out for the season I put 10 pumps of this Green Grease | The Best Grease Money Can Buy! in it and put it away for the winter. I will run this summer 2013 and I will repeat this this fall 2013. Then in the spring of 2014 the drive will come off and I will be able to see the condition of the Gimbal and u-joints and do any maintenance then. Also a new impeller at that time as well. So I'm doing an inspection and impeller change every two years.

Dennis
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Greasing the Gimbal bearing - When do I stop pumping???

That is why you should pull the drive for winterizing, to make sure there is no water in the bellows. You don't want water setting in a bellows all winter do you?
Plus if there are other problems, you have all winter to fix them.
 
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