Drive Coupler and Yoke Maintenance Question

craigwitt

New Member
Dec 24, 2011
57
Traverse City, Michigan
Boat Info
1999 Sea Ray 310DA Sundancer
Raytheon Radar and RL70 Display
Raytheon Autopilot ST5000
Engines
Twin Mercruiser 350 with Bravo 3 Duo Prop outdrives
I removed the outdrive on my Bravo 3 Merc on my 310 Sundancer and need some help determining if I need to replace the drive coupler in the engine. My real question is, what is an acceptable wear level on the shaft splines and is it possible to replace the shaft and not the coupler on the engine? I prefer not to pull the engine this year, I will do that next year over the winter. Thanks for your input!
 
My last boat with 600 hours showed some spline wear, where the coupler looked fine. Seeing the shaft is steel and the coupler is aluminum, I wasn't concerned. Make sure you keep it well greased, and aligned
 
Your couppler is made of steel back in 1980s they were not steel. Put an old drive shaft in with grease and see how much grease is left on splines.
 
It depends on how much the coupler splines are worn, I think you still could replace the yoke anyway, I grease my coupler twice a year, and check engine alignment once a yr. Are you sure you just don't have normal wear??? Being that you said that your pulling the engine next yr. for the coupler your probably alright, besides, i've mostly only heard of the rubber failing in the coupler not the splines. I had one fail in a 98 Baja w/bravo one and the splines were ok, but the rubber (like the prop rubber in the hub) failed .
 
I believe it is normal wear. The engines have 240 hours on them. The shaft and coupler was bone dry, no grease, but they looked like normal wear as they were not sharpened and still flat on top.

Also, the port bellows let some water in and the ujoints and yoke was rusty and the gimbal bearing was seized up and hard to remove. I'm going to replace the ujoints in both drives while it is out but I'm leaning toward not messing with the yoke or coupler just greasing them both real well.
 
I believe it is normal wear. The engines have 240 hours on them. The shaft and coupler was bone dry, no grease, but they looked like normal wear as they were not sharpened and still flat on top.

Also, the port bellows let some water in and the ujoints and yoke was rusty and the gimbal bearing was seized up and hard to remove. I'm going to replace the ujoints in both drives while it is out but I'm leaning toward not messing with the yoke or coupler just greasing them both real well.
You should be fine, lube them up good and press-on, after bellows replacement of course. I forgot, use spline grease too, you can get at NAPA part # 18-9200, same stuff as mercruiser.
 
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