1BIGJIM

iTrader: (1)

Can you post a link from Ebay from the swivel pin, bushings and seal. I could not find it. It might help others....

pslonaker

iTrader: (1)

Thank you 1BigJim. I hope to get started on this project soon, but the weather here has been alittle on the cold side and I just lose interest when I am freezing my butt off. I am planning to make videos while doing this and hopefully it will help others out. The gimble in the pic was one that was trash and given to me to practice on. The actual cut out is very close to the inside vertical and horizontal walls. This is how you can break off a drill. I did learn that after making your punch marks, it is a good idea to drill into the housing at a slight angle. I suspect that my pins are going to look something like yours. Either way, I will have new, stainless pins installed soon.

If there is an interest, I will look up where I got my pins and post it. The pins came with everything that you see in the pic above.

pslonaker

iTrader: (1)

I dont see the add for the place I got my stuff at, but I did find this one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercruiser-G...55ad6a&vxp=mtr

pslonaker

iTrader: (1)

After alot of banging and getting into a nasty attitude, I finally got the starboard swivel pin out. The drive and the gimbal came off without a hitch, but some gorilla tightened the nut up on the swivel arm and I broke two wrenches getting it loose. After all that, I had to do some adjustments with a small hammer and the Mercruiser swivel pin came out. As you can see, this thing is where my tiny leak was coming from. You can also see the seal...or what is suppose to be the seal. It's shot to Hell too. it took me a while to get the old bushings out and just a couple of minutes to get the new ones back in. I am done for the night as I forgot to go get some bellows glue. The marine places around here are closed on Mondays, so I will get some Tuesday and put the starboard side back together. I just hope that the weather holds out for me.

I broke 10 drill bits on this...dont know what I did wrong because on my practice housing, I didnt break a single drill. All I can figure out is that the window in the pattern must be 3 or 4 hairs too big. On the port side, I am going to center punch the spots about 5 hairs closer towards the center. If I need more room, I will get out the rotary file and open the window up some. This has been fun and a pain in the butt all at the same time.

My adjustable drive stand is a back saver. it worked just a I thought it would, but I think it could use alittle larger wheels so that it can roll easier on rough concrete...maybe change them out to some 4 or 5 inchers.

paul buckner

Just a small tipp if you do happen the break the plastic nipple of the oil pipe fitting , don't drill it out like in the video just go inside the boat there is a quick disconnect tab push it in remove the small c clip and just push the fitting through .

motor

iTrader: (3)

In not much more time than it would take someone to do all that cobbling and hopefully dressing up all the gnarly edge's. And good luck getting all the aluminum chips out of the grease.Then capping it with a plate that lets everyone know what you've done .I'll pull motor, drive and plates and rebuild plates on the stand. Then reassemble to boat with a new transom seal ...I guess for someone with no access to hoist ,it's another way to get around pulling motor. .FWIW I don't go for the plastic pipe plugs of merc either .I don't like the rigged look.I know I shouldn't say this here ,with everyone singing jr praise .But that's my opinion .And i'm entitled to it.

pslonaker

iTrader: (1)

I cut the line like the video said, but wished I hadnt of done it after I did...oh well. The quick clip thingys both broke, so I have to get somemore of them as well as another hose. I guess I did get lucky on one aspect...the plastic hose fittings are not there. My fittings are both brass. I dont know if it came this way from Baja or Mercruiser but no plastic here.

pslonaker

iTrader: (1)

No problem with me Motor. I do agree that the best way to fix this is to pull the motor as you have said, but also as you said...I do not have a hoist or a cooperative tree limb. The last time I had the motors out for a refresh and upgrade, we put one back in with a tree limb and the other with a fork lift. I just didnt feel like going thru all that again. As for all the chips from drilling...there wasnt any grease in the upper bushing area to start with, but I didnt have a chip issue once I hit them with 150 psi air from my compressor. I didnt hose any of the area down...just air pressure. On my old boat back in 1989 with my first Mercruiser unit, Mercruiser had a grease zert in the upper gimbal housing. If you will look, on some Bravo housings, there is a dimple to mark the spot for a zert. This was to lube the upper bushing and also run down to the lower bushing and seal. I never had a swivel pin problem with that boat and I kept is for 20 years running it in both fresh and sale water. Mercruiser did away with the zert in either 1990 or 1991 eliminating any way except dis-assembly to grease the swivel shaft. I think they eliminated the zert to bring in money for dealers at the repair shop. I almost put the zert back back in as my housings both have the dimples showing where the zert goes, but didnt. Truth is, I forgot and reinstalled the starboard side, then remembered, but I didnt want to pull everything apart again. This whole issue for everyone that developes a swivel pin issue could almost be eliminated if Mercruiser would use a stainless steel pin instead of the carbon steel and just for an extra...put the grease zert back in. The Mercruiser swivel pin is nothing more than carbon steel and I was told the price was something like $365.00 plus the bushings and the seal...something I consider to be a total bend you over without a reach around...ie...a complete rip off by Mercruiser.

pslonaker

iTrader: (1)

This is setting the template up in place, center punching and then starting io drill the holes for the window.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udu-JQJ0xbw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Njd2A111c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od1BuNfc_Zo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMaVEQncvAs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuBoxVo3aLM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuHL0OpcAYE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEYok-lWeiM

pslonaker

iTrader: (1)

This is some pics of both swivel pins again and you can see their condition. I am guessing that these are the originals from Mercruiser. My boat is a 1993 Baja 290-OS. I wasnt having any steering issues so I never thought about looking at the pins and really didnt know that much about them before...but I do now. These are the cause of my tiny water leak.

The silver thing that looks sorta like a swivel pin is actually a Mercruiser tool to install the upper bushing, the larger bushing just below it and the seal all at the same time. This think is well worth the money. The big white thing is the tool to put the aluminum sela on the drive shaft bellows so that you dont bend it all out of shape. I have see these on E-bay between $25.00 and $40.00 in different colors.

This is the end of my adventure. If you are going to do this to your ride and you have questions...just ask and I will try to help you out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKtv7i1oD5k