Gimbal & Ujoint grease

[jswingle13]

Some may think this is a stupid question and I apologize...I tried searching for this topic but I have an extremly slow internet connection and is very hard to search. I am replacing my bellows, trim sensors and Gimbal bearing. I know that I am suppossed to use the Mercury gimbal grease but am having a hard time locating some locally and a few dealers said they only sell the sierra brand. I have "Green Grease" available and ready, is this fine to use as long as thats all I use? From what I have read it is good stuff and some people use it religiously. I also need to know if there is a subtitute for the spline grease? Thank you for any input or opinions. BTW...'89 4.3 with alpha 1 drive.

 

[Quint4]

Each grease has different properties and is specified for a reason. I bought the proper greases from my local marine service dept.
They are pricey but will last a very long time. With that said....."any grease is better than no grease".

 

[dimnddavid]

Each grease has different properties and is specified for a reason. I bought the proper greases from my local marine service dept.
They are pricey but will last a very long time. With that said....."any grease is better than no grease".

+1 here

I was just looking into this for my own U-Joint last week and I read that the specified 2-4-c grease is specially formulated for resistance to water breakdown. This might not seem like a big deal since the idea is to keep your Gimbal Bearing and U-Joint dry, but if your bellows starts to leak for any reason halfway through the season, it will probably hold up better than the regular stuff in providing continuing protection. Those components also generate a ton of heat from friction, which is why the grease has a Teflon additive to help in reducing that.

 

[jswingle13]

Thanks for your responses.... I've done quite a bit of calling local boat mechanics and almost all of them said just use a good marine grease. The green grease I have is a high temp grease. I'm pretty confident it will work just as well with the research I've done. Thanks again for your input!


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[sbw1]

When I had outdrive boats I went to a Mercruiser service department and ordered it. It came in a tube that lasted several years. Call Mercruiser and ask where you can buy it in your market.

 

[Quint4]

I have read that the wrong grease will cause bearings to "slide" as opposed to rolling as designed. This will cause premature wear.

 

[jswingle13]

I've also read that although I'm not sure how? I am really torn on what to do... I have located some and guess I should probably not cut any corners since I am taking the time to make sure everything is right. I guess what is the point of asking all your opinions and not following them... Kinda stupid, lol. I guess I was hoping for a easy out if I knew the majority of people just use a good marine grease. I guess I will bite the bullet and take a drive to get it along with a extra grease gun. I appreciate everyone's input!


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[spfortjohn]

I got mine from www.mertenmarine.com/ very fast shipping and good pricing. I ordered all my maintenance items from them this year.

[h=1]Mercury Cartridge - Engine Coupler Spline Grease[/h]

Manufacturer: Mercury Marine SKU: 802869A1

[h=1]Mercury Cartridge - U-Joint and Gimbal Bearing Lubricant[/h] Manufacturer: Mercury Marine SKU: 802870A1

 

[Woody]

I wouldn't experiment with gimble brg grease. One reason is because of mixing, not a good practice, it came lubed with the recommended grease. Something for you guys to watch for if you don't know...the infrequently used grease gun often leaks oil out of the butt end, that is a main lubricating component of your grease. The thick stuff in the tube is largely the medium that holds it. I've seen tube grease in a gun that has actually dried out enough that it wouldn't pump. This doesn't happen overnite but it's something to be aware of.

 

[jswingle13]

Everything is clean and new so there would be no "mixing". The fact that the grease can go bad from sitting makes me not want to use a specialty grease that gets used rarely for one purpose when I have a good fresh marine grease that I use regularly. Regardless I think I will get the 3 pack of the small tubes to minimize any waste.


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