Overheat, Missing Exhaust Flapper

[PITBoat]

My question is, do I have to split the drive and find the pieces, or can I just cut a section out of my new bellows and run like that?

The overheat I had seemed to be on the left side exhaust piping, so that's the manifold I pulled first. The flapper was gone. I scoped from above, and through the bellows slits, and didn't see anything. I did however, find and pull a piece out of the opening between the drive halves at the front. It was a little bigger than say a quarter.

I'm gonna pull the RH manifold next and see what I find there.

I want to ask if I can just leave those flapper off, but I think I know the answer already.

Thanks.

 

[Lou C]

If you think you did not get it all out, you may have to pull the drive, I found mine in the bottom of the exhaust housing. I used a coat hanger wire bent the right way to pull it out.

 

[Lou C]

PS I know OMC always had flappers on the original Cobras, so I'd keep them, but a better system if you want to eliminate them is to remove the exhaust bellows and then install an exhaust flapper on the exhaust opening in the transom mount just like inboard boats have. I think Volvo dropped them in the late '90s.

 

[PITBoat]

Ok. It's hard to maneuver the scope camera, but I'll have another go at that first to see if I can say with more confidence that nothing's in the pipe.

If the debris did make it into the lower drive though, can it do harm there besides block the exhaust path?

I was reading about that single flapper suggestion in one of the other threads. I think I'd rather have that if I gotta have something.

I just checked the right side - nothing left there but a twisted piece of rubber on one end of the pin. I pulled that off.

 

[Lou C]

The only other issue is if it jams the shift rod.
Someone on the ifourwinns site added a flapper valve on the exhaust bellows flange on a Volvo SX. Volvo said that the flappers were not needed but if I recall right this guy had water rush up the Y pipe (no flappers) and nearly had a hydrolock.
So he replaced the exhaust bellows with a simple inboard style flapper valve.

 

[PITBoat]

I shoulda measured that opening while I had the drive up, but I've got it down now, and the boat covered for incoming rain.

I removed the exhaust bellows and had a better look into the U-pipe; didn't see anything but a few small pieces on the right side. I dumped 2.5-3gal of water down each side fast, and there didn't seem to be any delay in it exiting out the opening in the transom. There were just some flakes in the bucket I caught it in.

I think I could see the bottom of the shift rod, and didn't note any debris.

I was disappointed with my new transom shift cable results, btw - shifts the same as before, even after running through the adjustments for the remote, like 3 times - harder than it ought to be to come out of FWD, and have to pull the lever back a little beyond N; and may not go into REV as far as it should (based on, it comes outta REV easy, and my son said he could still move the prop, but barely, when in REV, with me doing the adjustments).

I meant to measure the shift rod height while I had the drive off a few weeks ago, but forgot. I at least wanted to compare the relative positions of the slot (the "chicken lips", in the vernacular, I believe, lol) where the shift lever fits, and lever itself, with the drive aligned on the 6 studs, but not shoved all the way flush with the pivot housing. Again, forgot. I had some other distractions at that point. That's another story.

Thanks for the answers/tips.