i was going to do some general maintenance on the boat and have read that you can retorque the upper gimbal ring u bolt about every 100hrs. I have also read that you should never touch it and it only should be torqued when installing it new.
Does anyone know which is correct?

thanks,

Fin

Not sure what is technically correct. But if I didn't have external steering I would tighten it every 15-20 hours.

I just check the torque each yr. after I reinstall my drive. I'm not getting anywhere near 100 hrs. a yr. these days.

jr marine makes a ubolt that is like three times as strong and doesnt stretch at the threads....i run stainless pins and his bolt and its holds great

can the ubolt be installed without removing the drive and part of the gimbal ring?

thanks,
Fin

U retorque it or check the torque values a couple times a year. It should be 55 ft lbs with a good quality torque wrench. These values are for OEM stock Mercruiser Bravo and Alpha transom assy's.

If not that value of 55 ft lbs then retorque in small increments to the max of 55 ft lbs. Simple as that. Also make sure no play in the gimbal ring after the retorque. If there is play it could mean a couple of things one being a worn top hole were the shaft comes thru or the steering arm pinch bolt very loose also steering cable problem of some sort. Hope this helps

NO