I'm doing my Bellows. Mercruiser A1G1. Are the Amazon Bellows Kits any good?

My litmus is how much pain does it take to get in there and redo the job. I've had good luck with Sierra, but for a bellows job I would certainly not go cheap. Also, if there's a failure of the part is it going to leave me stranded or just inconvenienced? How easy is it to cheap out on the part and still have it appear to be quality? Boats are trickier than cars because it's harder to get OEM quality I think

nola mike said:

My litmus is how much pain does it take to get in there and redo the job. I've had good luck with Sierra, but for a bellows job I would certainly not go cheap. Also, if there's a failure of the part is it going to leave me stranded or just inconvenienced? How easy is it to cheap out on the part and still have it appear to be quality? Boats are trickier than cars because it's harder to get OEM quality I think

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my litmus test is much the same... Will it cause me to cut a trip short. Is it a royal PITA to change... While bellows arent that hard to change (coupla hours maybe) a failure of a U-joint bellows will certainly cause a trip to be cut short. Water needs to stay on the OUTSIDE of the boat typically.....

As I said, unless its something to put in to fill a hole and qualify other more expensive parts for being good or not, I try and use OEM, and if that isnt available, ill break down and use a "quality" (is that even a thing anymore) aftermarket part. Chinesium is low down unless its only use is to qualify an engine or drive as "running". they get replaced next opportunity once those items are tested and proven "good".

If Quicksilver as well as many other brands are made in China, I don't get the differences anymore.

1985 Century Mustang said:

If Quicksilver as well as many other brands are made in China, I don't get the differences anymore.

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Ayuh,..... Quality control,.....

Mercruiser parts are made to their standards. When they are copied they are made to a price point. When that happens concessions have to be made in the manufacturing process and cheaper materials are used.

Changing bellows is too much of a chore to rely on off-brand parts. I don’t want to do that job any more than necessary. Also, if a cheap bellows fails while on the water, you are in for a bad day.

JASinIL2006 said:

Changing bellows is too much of a chore to rely on off-brand parts. I don’t want to do that job any more than necessary. Also, if a cheap bellows fails while on the water, you are in for a bad day.

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btdt.... never made it off the trailer before it started taking on water like I forgot the plug first trip last year... it was good when I did my spring checks, and split on the way to the lake... needless to say I was a bit pissed, as was the rest of the family....

A OAR as a paddle is useless in a powerboat. Done that for 40 minutes in off season boat traffic.

1985 Century Mustang said:

If Quicksilver as well as many other brands are made in China, I don't get the differences anymore.

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China is a country, not a company. There are thousands of companies in China with the capabilities of making these parts. These companies are different, have different business models, and therefore different quality control standards. Just because something is made in China these days doesn't mean it's bad, but that doesn't mean all Chinese made goods are equivalent. If Quicksilver is going to put their brand on a Chinese part, you better bet they have vetted the company making the part, and that they are still inspecting parts that come from the company to ensure they meet Quicksilver's quality standards.

So....live everyone else is saying, you get what you pay for. You saved a hundred or two hundred dollars on a bellows kit. If it fails in 3 years and you have to replace it, will future you be happy with past you for saving that seemingly small amount of money?