Description

The Mercury MerCruiser Quicksilver 35988A3 Bearing Assembly is a tapered roller bearing set used in select MerCruiser sterndrive gear housing applications. It is associated with older R, MR, MC-I, Alpha One, Alpha One SS, and SSM-series outdrives, with fitment tied closely to drive model and gear ratio.

Key Features

• Genuine Mercury Marine / Quicksilver bearing assembly
• Part number: 35988A3
• Type: tapered roller bearing set
• UPC / GTIN: 745061138803
• Approximate weight: 3.60 lb
• Used in select MerCruiser sterndrive gear housing / bearing service applications
• Gear-ratio-specific fitment on many older drive families

Product Compatibility

Supported fitment includes:

• MerCruiser R, MR, MC-I, and Alpha One outdrives with 1.32 gear ratio
• Vintage 225-S 1974 outdrive with 1.32 ratio
• Vintage 233 1975–1977 outdrives with 1.32 ratio
• 1977 898 with 1.50 ratio
• 1977 1228 with 1.50 ratio
• 1977 1250 with 1.32 ratio
• Alpha One SS 1986–1989
• SSM II, III, IV, and V high-performance models 1982–1995

Fitment Notice

Confirm fitment using the exact MerCruiser drive model, serial number, gear ratio, and gear housing diagram before ordering. This bearing assembly is not a universal Alpha bearing; several applications depend specifically on the 1.32 or 1.50 ratio configuration.

When This Part Needs Replacement

Replace this bearing assembly during gear housing rebuilds, bearing noise diagnosis, gearset service, water intrusion repair, or whenever the existing tapered roller bearing shows pitting, scoring, heat discoloration, looseness, roughness, or contamination.

Installation Notes

Bearing setup should be performed according to the MerCruiser service manual. Tapered roller bearing service often requires correct shim selection, preload/backlash checks, and inspection of the related gear, race, carrier, and housing surfaces before final assembly.

Alternate/Superseded Part Numbers

• 35988A3
• UPC / GTIN: 745061138803

Parts Desk Insight

The key detail with 35988A3 is the gear-ratio dependency. It may appear across several older MerCruiser drive families, but the safe match is the exact drive model plus ratio, not just the name “Alpha One” or “bearing assembly.”

Shipping: Ships same or next day for fast Canada wide shipping.