Volvo Penta SX Gimbal Bearing & Bellows Replacement

In this video, I researched some things that other videos never covered and explained them here. You only need one type of grease. You do not need 3 different greases. I explain why there isn't a gasket on 95+ SX due to redesign. I spent hours researching this. I prefer greaseable gimbal bearings. I went by the service manual and forum opinions for sealants and torques. I hope this will help you with your parts replacements.
I used sierra kit 18-2772-1 which included gimbal bearing, exhaust bellow, u-joint bellow and o-rings. Walmart had the best price.
The seal was #18-8349
I used Sierra grease 18-9200.
Alignment tool: Whoya Products Gimbal Bearing, Engine Alignment Tool for Mercruiser Alpha, Bravo, OMC
a.co/d/4ACGTIo
⚠ DISCLAIMER: WHILE FIX THEM THINGS STRIVES TO MAKE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS VIDEO AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE, IT MAKES NO CLAIMS, PROMISES OR GUARANTEES ABOUT THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR APPLICABILITY OF THE CONTENT. NO INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS VIDEO SHALL CREATE ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE OF ANY PARTICULAR RESULT. ALL DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECTS ENTAIL SOME RISK. IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE VIEWER TO ASSUME THIS RISK. FIX THEM THINGS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS DAMAGE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ACTUAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE), LIABILITY, CLAIM, OR ANY OTHER INJURY OR CAUSE RELATED TO OR RESULTING FROM ANY INFORMATION POSTED IN THIS VIDEO.

[@kennethhacker3014]

Been wrenching on mercruisers for 30 years and never seen a Volvo opened up to do common repairs thanks man that was cool.greatings from nj

[@gregbolles7170]

Important Note: Make sure your trim rams are tied up above the sterndrive when you are re-installing it. Notice his trim rams are dropped below the cavitation plate of the sterndrive all throughout the video up until 19:50 then they're magically above the cavitation plate after. He had to have pulled the drive off again in order get them up there!

[@handyandy2112]

It looks like you're working on my boat! I have the exact same year, same color, same matching trailer. Mines a 96 Horizon 190 with the 5.7 GL. She'll do 57 mph on a smooth lake. I've had her since 2002. Awesome boat!!

[@fixthemthings]

Very good boat!

[@MrDubaux3]

Doing this on my 94 4.3, at the moment, what a pain in the a getting bellows on. Thanks for the tip.

[@higginsoutdoors1224]

Awesome video! For future reference once you get the nuts started you can just tighten the center two down and it’ll suck the drive on. Just make sure nothing is catching. Once you can start threading the nuts it’s generally safe though.

[@davidseagle2806]

Nice job with the video. I've paid a shop twice to do this (poor job), but I'll do it myself next time. Thanks

[@user-rr8dn5yl7d]

Great detail on the bearing and very helpful. Not so much for the bellows.

[@garylangley7563]

Great video!

[@redgreen610]

I have the same drive on a 1996 3.0 VP. I think the flapper below the riser has fallen off and is lodged in the exhaust bellows. It's nowhere to be seen and I was having severe overheating issues over 2000 rpm where even the raw water intake pipe to the pump was too hot to touch - as if hot pressurized exhaust gas at 4500 rpm provided enough back pressure to push water out of the manifold and reverse flow out of the pump. May need to check that little o-ring on the water pick up in the leg as well while I have it apart. It may be sucking in air at plane. Hope its one of those issues or I have some head gasket, or manifold issues. Don't think the circulation pump is bad and have already replaced the impeller and thermostat. I don't think the guy I bought it from ever pulled the outdrive in the 20 years he owned it, so I would think at least the bellows should be replaced and the gimbal bearing and u joints lubed. I really appreciate your video because I didn't know what was involved. Looks like I may need an alignment tool. Did you have to change the alignment by adjusting engine mounts? Guys on forums are saying the job can't be done without one. Seems to me that if it isn't out of alignment, you shouldn't need one. If the bearing is gone (no reason to think it has), I'll be buying the tool you have I guess. Thank you!

[@fixthemthings]

Definitely check the alignment or replacing the parts will be useless. I thought about replacing the water tube while I was in there but it looked to be in good shape. Good luck to you.

[@redgreen610]

​@@fixthemthings Pulled the drive off yesterday. Took me longer to drive out the shaft attached to the rams. I had to use a drift all the way through and of course I distorted the first couple of threads which I will need to chase out. Yup, first time this drive has been apart. Lithium grease on ram shaft was more like thick glue. Eventually double nutted one side to twist with wrench while using drift to hit other end and it came out. For other guys new to this: notice that he has undone the back pivots on his rams as well. It is helpful because you get some articulation and clearance. However, really, the shaft has to slide out to release the rams. Don't try and pull them over the threads. I can imagine some guys reefing on these to get them off that shaft and maybe damaging the rams. Also, make sure you are on flat ground and the out-drive is lowered all the way. I had a tiny rise in the approach to my shop so I had to put trailer tongue on the ground so the skeg could clear in order to get a direct horizontal pull .....came out very nicely once I figured that out. Tons of grease had been pumped in the bellows over the years. Bearing is perfect and so are universal joints. So, will just grease u-joints and replace bellows. Unfortunately for me, no flapper valve in exhaust bellows. Flapper must have been removed when the PO replaced the riser. I fear my overheating issue is a 27 year old exhaust manifold. I can see that the riser has been replaced, but manifold is original. That job will have to wait until spring. Thanks again, have a good winter. Oh...when I looked through that hole here the "ram axle" went through the leg, I saw what I thought was a screw hanging down right dead center. I thought I must have broken some set screw that was set against the shaft when using the drift. It turned out to be a spring hanging down in the cavity which gets pushed out of the way but would rest on the shaft. Any idea what that would be for? All I could think of is that it grounds the shaft to the rest of the drive to prevent corrosion?

[@MrDubaux3]

Good vid thank you, nice shirt

[@mrkattm]

How did that bellows get so bad? You are suppose inspect them every year and replace every 2 years.

[@darenhoelscher438]

Great video. I have a 1995 Four Winns with similar growling when turning or trimming. Can you please provide the part numbers and video reference for replacing the u-joints? Thanks.

[@fixthemthings]

Hey, if you look in the description, I have all the parts listed there.

[@darenhoelscher438]

@@fixthemthings Thanks for your quick reply. I saw the bearing and seal parts listed. I'm inquiring about replacing the u-joints. You mentioned you replaced the u-joints and there were other good videos on the topic. I hoping you can provide the part numbers you used for the u-joints and perhaps what video was helpful. Thanks.

[@fixthemthings]

@@darenhoelscher438 I’m pretty sure this is the Ujoint parts but you will need to make sure it fits yours. www.marineengine.com/boat-accessories/engine/18-2174 As far as the videos, I would just google search it. I don’t remember the videos.

[@rickshaffer3822]

Thanks for the great video!

[@georgeforall]

We’ll done!

[@ontheone9559]

Fantastic video! I am about to attempt to do this on my 2000 Glastron with the SX drive. But where did you get the “manual” what is it?

[@fixthemthings]

You can get it here or Amazon: www.overtons.com/seloc-marine-stern-drive-inboard-repair-manual-for-volvopenta-92---02-316565.html

[@JesusFlores-lf1ot]

I have a 2003 Horizon 190, with a 4.3 L engine, seems you have the sema boat even the colors, I want to order the kit on amazon, I just dont know which will be the right one,,,,, can you advise ?

[@fixthemthings]

Use this site: www.marineengine.com/parts/volvo-penta/ They may have a better price than Amazon. Enter you model and it will show your parts.

[@JesusFlores-lf1ot]

Thanks, I really appreciate it 👍👍

[@ontheone9559]

I can not for the life of me get mine to spline! Don’t know what to do. I’ve used the alignment tool. Put grease on the tool and pulled it out to verify that all the splines show grease completely around the tool, but when I put the outdrive on I can not get it to align at all!

[@fixthemthings]

Even if you spin the prop in gear to align the splines?

[@ontheone9559]

No! I am able to slide the alignment tool in with minimal effort but some effort, but I have not been able to get the drive to start in the splines. It has to be that the alignment is off by just a tiny amount! But what way! I don’t know!

[@fixthemthings]

@@ontheone9559 maybe the splines need filing. Check for damaged splines.

[@jeremycoxon7098]

Great video, thank you for taking the time. I’ve been looking for the alignment tool, but keep seeing folks in the reviews saying that it assent work for a Penta sx. Do you mind sharing the part number and source for the tool you used?

[@fixthemthings]

Whoya Products Gimbal Bearing, Engine Alignment Tool for Mercruiser Alpha, Bravo, OMC a.co/d/4ACGTIo

[@bsdetjack]

Thanks

[@ZoneTelevision]

Can you please list the tool parts / The Gimbal Bearing parts with links ? Thank you.

[@fixthemthings]

Please look in the description. I listed the parts kit there. Hope this helped you.

[@edwardhargroves4828]

Did your gimbal bellow have a wire coiled up in the ribs of the bellow

[@fixthemthings]

I don’t remember.

[@AllerickBeavers]

Is there a "right" direction for the bearing to be facing? I have hear a lot of videos say that the slots should face aft. I know the bearing inner raceway is a little taller one side. I have 2003 Volvo DP-SM. The first time I did the same job to replace the gimbal, the slots were facing aft.

[@maxglide]

As far as I know, slots face fore, dot faces aft

[@ontheone9559]

Where did you find the manual that you used?

[@DirtyJobsGuy1]

If by some chance you’re bellows are ok, if you are replacing the gimbal bearing are you ok to leave them in place?

[@fixthemthings]

It’s probably ok but I would just change them anyway. I would hate to change the bearings then the bellow break and have to do it again.

[@reneweigelt823]

Hello. Is your drive shaft bellows so thick in diameter that it rubs on the side of the swivel arm?

[@fixthemthings]

Idk. I haven’t noticed.

[@brianmooney7009]

Was it hard to tighten hose clamps for bellows

[@fixthemthings]

If you have the proper tools, no problem.

[@cristianonunes7098]

Onde encontramos essas ferramentas

[@fixthemthings]

I listed the parts in the description but not the tools. Just search ebay and Amazon for the tools.