I followed BUP's advice on gimble bearings in another thread. The info was dead on! (Thanks John)

For my 2002 bravo one the sierra greaseable bearing is part number 18-21005. I paid just over $70 from a local mercury dealer. You can get it for a few bucks cheaper online. I purchased the mercury bearing first only to find out it was sealed, ungreaseable. I would prefer to grease it myself.

The original gimble bearing on my setup was cut back on one side just as BUP states.

the sierra number on my bearing is 18-2100 it is a link belt.i is for a 1990 bravo boat. the grease hole is blocked,different than the one i took out.it does not have a plug for the grease sert threads.

Looked in the 2014 and the 2015 Sierra Dealer catalog - 18-21001 NON Greaseable - comes with plug for the zerk and is for older models Alpha and Bravo WITHOUT Clearance on one end like the links I posted showing one end .090 clearance.

18-2100 Greaseable NO PLUG for ZERK very clear as to why - Greaseable. Used for Alpha and Bravo older models WITHOUT clearance on one end.

Double check - you do not have 18-21001 in the 18-2100 box. Spin the band on the side of the gimbal bearing all the way around to see if grease hole is there.

And yes you are correct 18-2100 says a LINK BELT but does not for 18-21001.

All the rest of Sierra brands were GKN in which I believe still are including 18-21001.

I have not ordered those in a while because I have been using SKF's - GB for the past 5 years

it does have a hole.i think i can use it and grease it,or should i take it back to my merc dealer and show them my findings?

U are saying the your 18-2100 GB has the hole ? - If so that is 100 % correct as it should - 18-2100 should have the hole and the tolerance band should have the opening for you to see the hole and to be able to grease it at the zerk fitting on the transom assembly.

18-21001 NO grease hole in the gimbal bearing and the plug to replace the grease zerk if so desired.

this is Sierra GB 18-2100 greaseable for the older alpha's and Bravos. This is how it should look.

http://forums.iboats.com/filedata/fe...2&d=1375813647

yes that is it.so you are saying it is packaged wrong?

I do not know I am asking you now - because that is 18-2100 in the pic I posted with the greaseable hole and it should be in a 18-2100 Sierra box - is this what you have ?

Hole in bearing to be able to grease and should be 18-2100 for older model alpha and bravos 1997 and back to 70's.

and 18-2100 is a LINK BELT brand GB in which is good or at least use to be.

another image of Sierra 18 - 2100 gimbal bearing and is greaseable - u can see the hole and the bearing comes packed with grease. You still have to grease once installed to. Merc has a proper way to grease if the drive is off.

pic in the link

http://cdn3.volusion.com/cwxrh.agbvm...jpg?1330664063

i have the bearing same as the picture you posted the box it came out of has 18-2100 on it.it sais link belt on the box.