How much is too much..

[unlvrebel]

How much grease should one add to the zerk on the bell housing of an outdrive? On trailers, you have a tension spring to pay attention to - when it moves, you're done. With the bell housing you've got nothing. Where does the excess grease go?

 

[Quint4]

Good question. I like to pump it in when the motor is running ( hence, gimbal bearing spinning ). I say 10 pumps, although that is probably too much. The excess winds up in your u joint bellows.

 

[unlvrebel]

Good question. I like to pump it in when the motor is running ( hence, gimbal bearing spinning ). I say 10 pumps, although that is probably too much. The excess winds up in your u joint bellows.

This is very informative. I have never taken apart an outdrive so I am really just looking at pictures and trying to paint one myself. What I take from this (dealing with the second statement first) is that the Gimbal bearing is not in its own enclosed housing and that the object of the exercise of adding grease is simply to add a little grease to the bearing periodically to keep it lubed versus "packing" a housing with grease like a bearing buddie or a ball joint on a vehicle.

Makes me a little mad that I took it in to the mechanic today. I am mechanically inclined and this doesn't seem to be overly difficult given everything that I've read, but I have a trip this weekend to Islamorada and I would have preferred to have a whole weekend to work through the issue.

 

[Quint4]

If you look at this pic of my gimbal housing (primed for painting and with the bell housing and bellows removed) you can see the gimbal bearing in the center. Now look about 4 o'clock on the bearing and you will see the grease passage from the zerk fitting you are referencing.

 

[H2ONUT]

I do the same, 10 pumps with the grease gun and motor running.

:smt021 I just realized that i forgot to do it before I launched.... :smt009

 

[boatrboy]

Same here - 10 pumps. I do this with the outdrive off and can see the old grease squirt out the bearing and usually wipe the excess off. But with the outdrive on, as others stated, the grease just accumulates in the bellows - no big deal.

 

[User Error]

Question? What kind of grease do you use? Just normal marine grade trailer bearing gease? Or a special product for onboard use? Quicksilver or something of the sort? Normal marine grade trailer bearing grease is what I keep in my gun. Or do I need a differant product for this lubing?

 

[mvoellinger]

Question? What kind of grease do you use? Just normal marine grade trailer bearing gease? Or a special product for onboard use? Quicksilver or something of the sort? Normal marine grade trailer bearing grease is what I keep in my gun. Or do I need a differant product for this lubing?

The engine/outdrive manual specifies it. I think its the gimbal/u-joint lube by mercruiser. I have about 3 different lubes for my outdrive/engine, u-joing/gimbal, 101 (for the hinge pins i believe), etc. Check them out for your specific outdrive and it will tell you.

 

[User Error]

The engine/outdrive manual specifies it. I think its the gimbal/u-joint lube by mercruiser. I have about 3 different lubes for my outdrive/engine, u-joing/gimbal, 101 (for the hinge pins i believe), etc. Check them out for your specific outdrive and it will tell you.

Yeah I got into it a little deeper today and came to the conclusion that the 2-4-C Quicksilver grease will handle all the zurk greasing applications on a Merc. Atleast thats what I've been told and found after reading about the products. It's the all around marine lube. I find it stupid that it only comes in a three pack of 3.5 oz tubes (only size around here anyways) so you have to find a smaller grease gun to use it which is about stupid and have two extra tubes for who knows how long. But they say it's great for everything that has a zurk from gimble to trailer bearings and everything in between.