Bearings

[trich11]

I use one local boat shop for maintenance and repairs and the shop right next to our marina for haul out and winterization. When he pulled the drives for inspection and to grease the bearings he discovered the bearings I had replaced in the spring were installed where the holes that the grease travels through were not lined up so when he attempted to grease them the grease came back out the sides. I am going to talk with my repair guy this morning about this. Has anyone else experienced this? BIII drives on an '02 342.

[alswagg]

Ha,  I had to laugh a little bit.  sorry.  The Gimble brg is not really intended to be alighned exactly with the lube hole in the transom housing.   The housing has a machined groove completly around which will allow the grease to travel and locate the intake hole on the brg.  The brg has a corrogated sleeve with also allows for complete lubritation of the brg. 
The gimble brg does however have a fore and aft.  The aft has a machined cut on the brg face while the fore hase two individual grooves cut into the outer race.  If put in backwards the u joint shaft will bottom out and cause a vibration and noise when going straight. 
Al

[trich11]

Thanks for getting back Al. I learned a lesson today on gimble bearings. The new Merc gimble bearings do not have the hole for grease but some of the knockoff brands do. All is well!!

[Sea Dumpster]

I had mine replaced in 2009 and the technician said that they are now permanently sealed and they exterior housing grease fitting will no longer function.

[alswagg]

I had mine replaced in 2009 and the technician said that they are now permanently sealed and they exterior housing grease fitting will no longer function.

Nope, they are not perminatly sealed.  At least on Mercruiser's.  Volvo XDP yes, but they are a joke of a bearing.  Basically the Volvo XDP brg is a sealed brg set into a rubber outer ring.   The rubber ring adjust to differant angles of transom angle.
Back to Mercruiser's, the bearing assy has not changed for a long time.  Still grease periodically utilizing the grease zerk fitting.  While you are greasing the brg's, remember to grease the engine coupler splines with special spline grease.  This is something we include with both our winterizing and summerizing proceedures. 
Al