H2O in Bellows/U-Joints, help to find leak

[elkhunter338]

I have a 140hp Merc I/O, U-joints bellows are 5 yrs old, in the past I have never had water in the bellows. I/O has been stored in doors, outdrive down, unless it is being used which is about 20 days a year.
The Bellows look good with no checks or other visual damage. However I have a little water in the u-joint bellows, just enough to ruin the gimble bearing and make the u-joints look all rusty.

Question is, is there any other place for water to leak into the u-joint bellows other than the u-joint bellows, or the two hose clamps?

The boat just sat in the water for 2 days, there was not much water in the bellows, and water was not leaking into the boat.

The shift shaft area, shift cable area was water free.

 

[LX Kid]

Re: H2O in Bellows/U-Joints, help to find leak

Did the bilge area ever fill with water while being stored? My boat sat in someone's back yard for years at about 40 to 45 degrees, before I bought it, and filled with water which leaked water into the boot thru the "pee hole" for the lack of a better description. I'm going thru that right now with mine.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: H2O in Bellows/U-Joints, help to find leak

No I put a new sei drive on last spring and the boat was stored indoors when not in use, so I know for 100% sure the water did not come in from the inside.
I assume it is the bellows or the clamp on one end. I installed the new bellows 5 yrs ago and have never had water in this area until now.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: H2O in Bellows/U-Joints, help to find leak

No I put a new sei drive on last spring and the boat was stored indoors when not in use, so I know for 100% sure the water did not come in from the inside.
I assume it is the bellows or the clamp on one end. I installed the new bellows 5 yrs ago and have never had water in this area until now.

If you got the rubber o ring out of place when you put the drive on, that would do it.....

 

[breastman569]

Re: H2O in Bellows/U-Joints, help to find leak

is there water in stern drive oil? if so the upper seal could be out and coming in that way, happened to me.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: H2O in Bellows/U-Joints, help to find leak

I do not think there is water in the outdrive oil, little discolored but there was no oil at all around the seal. Depending on what sei says, I might be sending the upper back to sei for new u-joints and for them to make sure the yoke is not rusted where the seal runs on the upper yoke.

I got the big o-ring installed correct, there was no water at all around the shift assembly secion. Water came in around the u-joint bellows some where, boot looks real good with no cracks or tears. The only thing I can think of was a loose clamp started to let a little water in.