alpha gen 2 bellows replacement

[keijonen123]

Hi,
I found a little bit of water inside my u-joint bellows so I am thinking to replace it. Couple of questions before I start ordering parts:
1. What tools are needed in addition to hinge pin tools?
2. Which bellows is the hardest one to replace and does it make it any easier to use oem part for this?
3. U joint bellows looked whole is it possible that somethig else is leaking? Shift shaft seal?

Thanks!

 

[dubs283]

Re: alpha gen 2 bellows replacement

1. you can use a 1/2" hex driver for the hinge pins, heat em up a little before removal, bellows expander for exhaust bellows install, other than that regular hand tools should suffice

2. always use OEM parts, do a quick search here about bellows and you'll see why

3. water can come from different places and get into the u-joint bellows, shift shaft seal along with a compromised quad ring, broken bell housing gasket along with bad quad ring, hole in the bellows, bad seal between either flange and the bellows, from the inside of the boat

 

[not enuf toys]

Re: alpha gen 2 bellows replacement

Man, I just finished my first bellows job today.

It was work and time but well worth it to save the money!

 

[keijonen123]

Re: alpha gen 2 bellows replacement

Ok, did you use some special tools? and did you have OEM parts or some other?
And one more question: how do you work with the shift cable? Do you just pull it out and push it back in from the back of the boat? Or do you cut the old cable shell and some how fish the new cable shell with that from inside the boat?

 

[not enuf toys]

Re: alpha gen 2 bellows replacement

Ok, did you use some special tools? and did you have OEM parts or some other?
And one more question: how do you work with the shift cable? Do you just pull it out and push it back in from the back of the boat? Or do you cut the old cable shell and some how fish the new cable shell with that from inside the boat?

used a hex driver for the hinge pins(bought from harbor freights), made a gimbal bearing drive (used the old gimbal outer ring on a 2x4 - cut the wood so it fit inside the old one), made something to push the ujoint bellow ring in (didn't need much pushing once sprayed power tune on it), borrowed an alignment tool from local marina, bellows adhesive.

by reviewing recommendations here on iboats, I went with all OEM. fit together really well.

the cable I pulled out from the back of the boat (fairly easy), reinstall again from the back of the boat in (took a little jimmying on the inside around the coupler house and exhaust, but wasn't too bad. I don't have a ton of room behind the motor so inside out was not ever an option.

again was my first time and I would definitely do it again (would dread doing it though). taking everything off/out, took me about 3 hours (since I never did before, I took my time to see how it all came apart). putting everything back on (and fighting with the exhaust bellow) took 6 hours (learned a couple tricks for the bellows on the way - like it is easier to push them from the outside for the final last little bit).

I would bet my next time around, I could do it all in one setting (apposed to the 2 nights and 1 morning.

 

[dubs283]

Re: alpha gen 2 bellows replacement

the cable I pulled out from the back of the boat (fairly easy), reinstall again from the back of the boat in (took a little jimmying on the inside around the coupler house and exhaust, but wasn't too bad. I don't have a ton of room behind the motor so inside out was not ever an option.

the shift cable can ONLY be installed from the outside of the boat, it has to do with the way it threads into the bell housing

to aid in stallation, save your old inner cable, saw about 3/4" off the stainless threaded barrel of the old cable end, slide threaded end over cable and thread into old outer cable before removal - now you have a fish wire for the new cable