It has been a while since I had to replace a gimbal bearing. Maybe longer than I think. I just received a pair from BAM for a friends boat To my surprise, the new bearings dont have a hole drilled for grease. In the box was a small instruction sheet that says these new bearings are perma-lubed. No need to ever grease them. So, I guess you just replace them every year or 2 rather than pumping a few squirts of grease into the once in a while. Thanks Mercury!! WTF is that?? BTW, the damn bearing says Mexico right on it.

Since they are sealed, the grease won't fling out like the old style. Plus your average boat owners never greased that bearing anyways and got by for many yrs before having problems, if ever.

I see no problem with them myself. No different than your sealed wheel bearings in your car that goes 100k miles trouble free.

I'll give you the Mexico thing though.

I suppose you are right about comparing the new gimbal bearings to front axle hub bearings on a car. But for me, I like to pump grease into the damn thing. It does make a hell of mess though..

I heard it has more to do with some EPA crap about grease getting in the water, as well as stated above.

I put new trans assys on my boat two years ago and thought the same thing. No grease fitings, yeah right. No issues so far.

Sealed bearings are better on a sense because they are more resistant to contamination, and also if theres grease slung everywhere that means its overgreased which can be just as bad as having no grease....

Had a buddy get new sealed bearings installed by dealer a few yrs ago (he didn't know they were now sealed) and the grease zerk wasn't removed and plugged with the included NPT plug as it should be. Couldn't figure out why he couldn't get any grease to go in.

Guess we need to think "Green"?? Just one more way to pamper mother earth!! I am sure when they make them in Mexico, they were thinking that all along..

known as lubed for life....they just don't say how long life might be !!! remember years ago Ford tried that on all the tie rods and steering, was a great failure !!!!!