Bellows replacement interval

[badrano]

I tried searching the forums.

Is there a recommended interval to change out the bellows? When I bought the boat last year, there were no entries in the maintenance records from the PO for bellows replacement and he had from 2009 to 2018. In my case, the exhaust bellows is showing little cracks in the valleys (knew about it from the survey as well), but from what I can tell the other two bellows look ok.

Came back from a short trip yesterday (5 - 6 hours in the water) and when I pulled the drain plug, a decent amount of water came out which was not what I was expecting. I'm hoping it was just water from all the rain from last week that didn't drain out. I keep the boat at a good angle on the pad so anything would drain out. I also put the drain plug in before I left the house so maybe there was a pocket of rain water somewhere that made its way to the bilge after I got rolling.

This may be hard to answer, but how much water can leak in over time from the driveshaft or shift bellows if there is a hole (I know hole size plays a role )?

I may take the boat out after work and put it in the water for maybe an hour, pull it back out and see if the bilge is dry. I'm hesitant to further use the boat if I have a bellows leak.

 

[JASinIL2006]

For a newly purchased boat, especially with an incomplete maintenance history, I would change bellows. If you're getting water in the boat, it may or may not be the bellows, but they would be a place to start.

 

[Bondo]

I'm hesitant to further use the boat if I have a bellows leak.

Ayuh,.... Good idea,..... The u-joints, 'n gimbel bearin' are swimmin' right now if it's holed,.....

They'll usually leak more when trimmed to trailer, than all the way down, 'n straight ahead,......

 

[badrano]

Thanks for the answers.

Any chance there would be other symptoms of water in the drive bellows? While coming back last night, I heard an odd noise that made me look back at the stern while speeding up to plane out but then it went away. Probably nothing.

I agree that the safe approach would be to reset the clock on the bellows. Just when I was hoping to get one more run next weekend before putting the trailer on blocks. Work travel will consume the month of Sept.

I guess I get to learn a new repair trick The only issue this season was trailer bearings.

 

[wahlejim]

If you get the tools you need and the bellows, you can tear down Friday night after work and re-assemble Saturday morning and save your weekend. The first time I did the job, from start to finish took me about 2 hours. It was shorter for me than most because I have the exhaust boot, not the bellow, but add another hour for that one and you are good to go, barring any issues you run into (gimbal needing attention, u-joints, etc.)

 

[Lou C]

With any new to you I/O boat, the drive should be pulled and the gimble, j-joints and all the bellows should be inspected and replaced if necessary. The time a bellow lasts varies, it depends on the quality of the rubber used by the supplier who made it, OE vs Aftermarket and also how the boat was stored...if you can keep the drive down...it puts less strain on the bellows...I had the one on my OMC Cobra...last 11 years + by keeping the drive down...when I replaced it last in '16 very small cracks were starting to form...you don't want to go past that point...and remember...all of the manufacturers of I/Os advised that the drive be pulled once a season to do the normal maintenance and inspections....

 

[badrano]

With any new to you I/O boat, the drive should be pulled and the gimble, j-joints and all the bellows should be inspected and replaced if necessary. The time a bellow lasts varies, it depends on the quality of the rubber used by the supplier who made it, OE vs Aftermarket and also how the boat was stored...if you can keep the drive down...it puts less strain on the bellows...I had the one on my OMC Cobra...last 11 years + by keeping the drive down...when I replaced it last in '16 very small cracks were starting to form...you don't want to go past that point...and remember...all of the manufacturers of I/Os advised that the drive be pulled once a season to do the normal maintenance and inspections....

I bought the boat at the end of the season last year. Only got a few runs in. When I winterized it, I pulled the drive and inspected everything and all was good.
I read about keeping the drive down, so when it's parked on the pad, I keep it down. The trick is to remember to raise it before driving off...not that I have any experience in that area

 

[badrano]

If you get the tools you need and the bellows, you can tear down Friday night after work and re-assemble Saturday morning and save your weekend. The first time I did the job, from start to finish took me about 2 hours. It was shorter for me than most because I have the exhaust boot, not the bellow, but add another hour for that one and you are good to go, barring any issues you run into (gimbal needing attention, u-joints, etc.)

I bought one of the kits even though at the time all I needed was the alignment tool. But now I have what I need. My concern is dealing with the bell housing hinge pin. I've read those could be a pain to loosen.

 

[nola mike]

If you see cracks in the exhaust, probably the rest aren't far behind. If it's me, I pull the drive and look for water in the bellows. If it looks clean, put the drive back on and enjoy the weekend, and do the bellows when you have time. FWIW I've replaced the bellows without removing the bellhousing, though on a gen I. A regular allen key and heat removes the hinge pins if you need to.

 

[Scott Danforth]

with any new to you boat

you MUST assume the prior owner did nothing, not a dang thing as far as maintenance

that means you pull the drive
check alignment
grease splines
check gimbal
replace bellows
replace raw water pump
inspect anodes, replace as needed
pull prop(s)
grease prop shaft splines

on the motor
change fluids
change filters
change plugs
inspect cap and rotor (change as needed)

on trailer
service brakes
service bearings
service coupler
service lights
lube all chassis points

 

[wahlejim]

I bought one of the kits even though at the time all I needed was the alignment tool. But now I have what I need. My concern is dealing with the bell housing hinge pin. I've read those could be a pain to loosen.

Some have had luck with a 1/2" Allen Head, I did not and got the hinge pin tool. Heat and vibration work well. Be carefull with heat as there are some plastic parts in there that will melt. A couple of tips for removal:

-Get them loose with the drive on. With the drive off, the bell housing will move with you. You don't need to take them out, but if you get the first 180 degree turn with it on, it makes a world of difference.

-If they are stubborn, a little heat, put the tool in, and tap it with a hammer. The vibration can bust some corrosion loose.

-If none of that works, don't be afraid to grab an impact if you have one. Don't go crazy with it. Just a couple of clicks in each direction to break it loose. This is one of those pieces that as soon as it is loose, it comes out pretty easy

 

[JASinIL2006]

I found heat to be essential to loosen those pins.

While I did not enjoy the job, changing the bellows was not as bad as I've often read. Still, I don't look forward to the next replacement...

For a first timer, unless you're super-speedy and really familiar with everything back there, I think the job could easily take 4-6 hours. Maybe more if you need to keep going back to the manual to re-check what you're doing...

 

[badrano]

-Get them loose with the drive on. With the drive off, the bell housing will move with you. You don't need to take them out, but if you get the first 180 degree turn with it on, it makes a world of difference.

That's a good point. The few videos I've watched, I see the owner struggling because the bell housing keeps moving. Probably use the same technique when tightening the pins since they need to torqued to 100 ft/lbs or so.