So I had slop in my lower swivel pin. Removed that and moved onto trying to remove the top pin. First, the hex bolt stripped out on the gimbal ring, and the hex bolt that is in the upper pin is also starting to go.

Any advice on how to get these removed?

The gimbal ring/bellhousing is not a simple hex, they are star shaped, you need the special tool to get them out, can be ordered online from a number of places.

Download/buy a service manual for the TRS, there are a couple of different styles up upper pin depending on what year you have. Mine had the u-bolt that pinched the upper pin in the gimbbal ring. I removed the nut from inside the boat that holds the steering lever on, loosened up the u-bolt, and punded on the pin from the top through the grease fitting hole. It was a real pain to get these out. Took a full day for both of them.

I'm familiar with the hinge pin tool that is a special merc item, but the bolt that is stripped out is the hex nut on the old TRS spline shaft upper swivel pin that ran from 1975-76 before they went to the square pin.

I'm going to drill out the bolt, and if that does not work take it to an EDM machine shop and getting it removed.

missunderstood your post, sorry. best of luck with the drilling.

thanks, came across a few external housing with spline to spine upper pins but with broken gimbals. Picked them up to play with and figure out how much lead way I have.

I'll post my progress after this weekend.

jon

I had the same problem. Disassembling the old assembly was starting to become a PITA. I decided to buy a newer transom assembly and just swapped assemblies. It took me less time than trying to get the old one apart. Good luck with your project.

That old double spline set up is junk. The splines get beat out of the gimble ring and steering arm and then you have a bunch of slop in your steering. Merc made a kit at one time to convert to the square set up but it was like 1300 bucks ten years ago. I found a new style complete assembly(less trim cyls.) that was removed off a new boat, never run for $650 in the classifieds on this site. Great deal. Them spline ones aren't worth messing with.