Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

Bravo drive. Do I just tighten the to bolts in the top center of the gimble?

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

noooo warn steering pin and Gimbel ring, get ready to have some fun!!!! if you want more info email me or call me !!!!

<<< suck at typing and it is a long and drawn out process

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

Before you get too crazy you can try tightening them first, it does in soem rare occassions take up the slop, loosen them first and then retorque them to 53 FTLBS, do it a couple of times, loosening them inbetween each time you torque them, if it's not too worn this may take up the play, if not you are in for some fun as GOODT said. Either way the key to making sure it doesn't happen again is to retorque the nuts regulraly, every time you change the drive oil. Merc actually calls for it to be done every 100 hours but nobody does it.

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

Hillbilly, where exactly are those nuts?

What is involved in changing the steering pin?

If I have hydraulic steering does it even matter?

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

There are two nuts on the top of the outer transom plate. They are threaded onto a u-bolt that wraps around the swivel shaft (steering pin) the gimbal ring has two slots cut in it that alow the ring to cligtly collapse around the swivel shaft. Changing the swivel shaft is not too bad of a job but it can be a PITA if you have never done it before. Tere are two ways to do it. One is to a hole on wither side of the top of the outer transom plate and beat the old nut off with a chisel and then use the chisel to tighten the new one until the proper clearance is reached on at the bottom swilvel pin. Then you thread the two holes in the outer transom plates and istall two plugs. It looks kinda nast when you are done. There are also some kits available where you cut the whole front of the top of the housing out and then bolt a plate on over it. The other method is to pull the engine and transom plate and then you have rom to get at the nut and you can do it on the workbench. I personnaly think it is quicker to pull the engine and defenitly a cleaner finished product but alot of people think it's quicker to drill the wholes. If it were on my boat I would never drill the wholes. If you have hydrualic steering the swivel shaft should never wear out but you should still torque the two nuts reguraly.

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

Thanks, I had some side to side play before going to hydrualic steering. It's tight now, no movement what so ever. I was just wondering if I should still be worried about tightning those bolts or replacing that pin. I guess If I just check the torque on those nuts as part of regular maintenance everything will be ok. Sounds like there is no point in replacing it now. I think if you had side to side play it would be easier to just add hydraulic steering and be done with it. It's safer anyways and a whole lot easier project than what you described or pulling the motor.

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

If its the steering arms on top of the gimbal housing which normally is the cause, I have a solution. Providing the nut/bolt is not too rusty you can tighten without drilling the holes or removing engine etc.

Remove the internal tie bar if any. Take 3 5/8 box wrenchs. 2 of them need to be from a differant manufacture. (snap on/s&k) Feel inside & locate the bolt and nut end. Hold 1 wrench on the bolt & start tightning the nut alternating wrenchs. You may need to notch the top on one wrench to clear the transom plate. With the 2 differnt wrenchs you are able to get a bite on the nut for tightening travel. Worked for me, good luck.

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

I'll try tightening.

Thanks

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

How old is the boat ? Salt or fresh water ?

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

92 hasn't been used much. 240 or so hours. fresh water only.

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

As long as the nut & bolt are'nt rusted away its worth a try. Just make sure you tighten the nut with 2 different make 12 point wrenches. I had to grind a notch on one the wrenches to get added throw. Its a slow process but saves a ton of work.

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

What you are tightnening is differen tthen what was previously discussed, the tiller arm can create slop in the steering but if it the slop is between the gimbsl ring and the pivot shaft it aint gonna cure it. The easiest way to see what the problem is is to look at the the pivot shaft from the bottom side, just ontop of the gimbal housing, while you wiggle the drive back and forth, if the pivot shaft stays still while the gimbal ring moves the problem is in in the pivot shat no the tiller arm. If you do not find the play there then you can go insisde the boat and remove the Brazil Valve (if you don't have hydrualic steering) and see if you can wiglgle the tiller arm without the drive moving, if so what Cig1988 is talking about is whats needs to be done, if you still have not found the play there then it is time to change the steering cable and possibly the helm.

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

I also have side to side play with my Bravo. When I move the drive the arm moves inside the boat with the drive. I was told some play goes away when you start the boat and the hydrualic steering is in use. Is that correct. But when I checked my boat with a Volvo drive there was no play in the drive at all.

Russ

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

so, if you are adding steering you still need to fix this first? or will it not really matter?

Re: Side to side play in Bravo drive
 

I personaly think it should be fixed either way some people will argue though. Slop in the gimbal ring can lead to gimbal ring failure and at high speeds that could be nasty. The other issue is that once the pivot pin has room to slop around it will take out the seal as well which will leak water into the boat.