XR Drive Universal Joint Lubrication
#1
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![Question](/forums/images/icons/icon5.gif)
Are XR drive universal joints permanently greased and have no grease fittings or do the drives have to be pulled and the joints greased. Last year a mechanic was suppose to pull the drives and grease the universals which was shown on the bill. This year I carried the boat to another Mercury Dealer to have the drives pulled and the universals greased. I was told by this dealer that the universals were permanently greased. What is the real deal on pulling drives and greasing universal joints????
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Yes, most of the new Bravo XR's and ITS units have joints that cannot be greased. The reason the drive is pulled when doing a generial service such as a 100 hour service, is to check gimbal bearing, alingement and exterior condition of joints and there is no water in bellows.
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When I first ordered my XR drives back in 2001, they came with the larger input shaft and the u-joints came with greesable zerts fittings, but since that time I had to replace the input shafts in 2005 and the new updated replacement input shafts from Merc were smaller in diameter and the u-joints were without any zerts fittings.
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That is correct. Old style you could grease. The newest version (metric) is a non greaseable unit. They will last forever!!! Well, let's hope so.
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YES, there is a special spline grease for all outdrives, there are several suppliers for the grease, But it is designed for the high pressures and abuse that those splines see.