Bellows adhesive or not?

K

KM7

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Scott Danforth said:
if you want to use a sealant, use permatex #3 non-hardening. it can be cleaned off with mineral spirits
Click to expand...

Note: On the Permatex website it says:

Permatex® Aviation Form-A-Gasket® No. 3 Sealant Liquid, 16 OZ​

US Item # : 80017 CAN Item # : 80017
 
Lou C

Lou C

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It’s similar but not exactly the same as the original OMC/Evinrude gasket sealer which seems very difficult to find now….
 
IslandExplorer

IslandExplorer

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Got the same stuff, very nice to have around, works great for specialty things like this. It's a nasty goo but it is the real deal and very easy to take apart down the road. Turns to sap like consistency over time but non hardening. Here's what it looks like in the wild, one this size goes a lonnng way.20250515_104506.jpg
If you want a really gluey sealant I also trust Three Bond 1184 (aka "Honda Bond") to stay in place. Good for problematic seals on moto crankcase covers and such. It seems pretty similar to the quicksilver bellows adhesive with it's glue-like bonding ability but I've never used it in a bellows before. I went with the quicksilver stuff.20250515_105353.jpg
 
K

KM7

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The top picture is exactly what I have as well . I do not know why the description on the Permatex website calls it #3, but it does not say that on the jar??
 
IslandExplorer

IslandExplorer

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Weird that it's not on the jar 🤔 guessing #3 is just the old name, like the #9 at D'Angelo's
 
Lou C

Lou C

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Merc said to use adhesive, OMC said to use sealer, I'm still in the OMC tribe for now so I use the sealer. I can say this, using that sealer keeps out water well, the gimble housing flange looked brand new when I changed the bellows last time. I have seen some that were so rotted that you'd never get a good seal.
 
T

tfret

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KM7 said:
Is there a way to tell if the U-Joint Bellows is leaking? That would be very good to know because a leaking bellows can lead to having to replace the U-Joints and the Gymbal bearing and possible worse.

There is a plug on the starboard side to check if water is getting into the cavity where the shift lever and the shift cable guide move back and forth.

Is there a way to check for a leak at the bellows? It seals on the forward edge with a hose clamp and at the aft edge just by pressing against the bearing carrier on the OD. To me, that seems like it would not be that reliable.

I'd sure like to be able to check that I got a good seal.

Any suggestions?
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I don’t like how the u joint bellows only had a compression seal and no band clamp. That seems like a weak design but maybe not. If you’re getting water in there sometimes it will leak past the gimbal bearing and leak into the bilge. I’ve seen this on both of the boats I’ve owned. But the best way to know is pull the drive and check for cracks in the bellows with a flash light. It’s the only way to check your u Joints and gimbal bearing anyway.
 
Lou C

Lou C

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The compression seal on the stern end of the bellows is used on all OMC Cobra and Volvo SX models; as long as it’s installed properly they do not leak!
 
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