Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

[Stamey]

Last year, July 2010, I bought a 1983 Chaparral bowrider with an Alpa One stern drive. I immediately put new drive, shifter and exhaust bellows on it, along with trim senders, gimbal bearing, and other parts. It has through-hull exhaust, but I put the bellows on it anyway. All Sierra parts.
The exhaust bellows has broken in the middle, so the bellows is now 2 pieces.

I have been storing the boat with the stern drive down, as in through the winter, but it has been up since late February, while it at a buddy's place having some of the floor repaired.

It seems to me that an exhaust bellows should be durable enough to withstand being in trailer position for a long time, even years. I have a friend who has a 2007 Mariah, bought new, with Alpha One on it and until last year he did not know he should store the boat with the stern drive down, so it was stored for 3 years with the stern drive in trailer position. His original boots are fine.

Shouldn't the exhaust bellows last more than 11 months?
Do you think this was a defect, or could I have done something wrong?
I wouldn't think it would be a problem with Sierra parts. They have good quality, don't they?
Could it be an incorrect size bellows?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[mkast]

Re: Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

To make sure the bellows won't crack in the future, use the exhaust tube.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

Shouldn't the exhaust bellows last more than 11 months?

i would think so too..

Do you think this was a defect, or could I have done something wrong?

doubt ya did something wrong. hard to say about a defect... though yours did break after only 11 months....

I wouldn't think it would be a problem with Sierra parts. They have good quality, don't they?

dunno. ya have to consider that at the very least the sierra part is a copy of the oem part. hard to say if they used the same specs for making the part as mercruiser did... maybe not, since they broke on ya in 11 months...
ya did the best ya could, storing drive down is proper...
imho, either try the oem part, or as suggested, the tube...

fwiw, at least ya didn't use mallory. buddy of mine did and they didn't even last 2 or three times to the lake before they broke in half... so it could be worse is suppose..

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

And also, since it doesn't do any thing. It really doesn't matter. Just cut it off if it is touching anything. Are you concerned with weeds or junk going through there?

 

[Desertsky]

Re: Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

Did you put a block off plate inside the transom or just leave the elbow on? I would put a block off plate on in place of the elbow then leave the bellows off. I don't know about the prop sucking air, etc while running...

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

The u-joint bellows need to be looked at. If already showing signs of dry rot, replace. You may havbe received an old bag of bellows.

If you also store where there are high levels of ozone, they will rot VERY quick. Ecoquest air purifiers rot tires in less than a year in peoples garage if ozone output level is too high.

5-7 yrs is a typical lifespan out of bellow. Maybe a tad longer, and if you trailer all the time definatly longer.

 

[AZSenza]

Re: Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

Mine was original when I bought my boat, 13 years old, had surface cracks but was serviceable. I removed it last season when it split, Now its gone, I may replace it with a tube on my Bravo III, on an Alpha I think I'd stick with the Bellows.

 

[Stamey]

Re: Treatment of Exhaust Bellows?

In this case, since I have through-hull exhaust, I do not know if I need it for any other reason. Since we were in there, last year, replacing the other bellows, and it was 25 bucks, I figured I'd go ahead and put that on also, just in case I decided to go to captains call or do away with through-hull.
I did not install the through-hull, I bought it that way, so whatever block-off plate was already installed.
I contacted the vendor about the warranty on Sierra parts, as even though I may not need it, I bought it and it failed in an unreasonably short time, so I want a replacement or money back. The vendor sent me a bunch of stuff about trim switches and having them adjusted correctly, but I told him that trims switches are moot in this situation because the exhaust bellows is expected to stretch and remain in place, in one piece, when in trailer mode. His point would be valid if I broke a gimbal bearing or u-joints from running the engine with the stern drive too high, but that is not the case.

I have not examined the u-join bellows too closely, just felt it a little, but will do that before putting it in the water this year. I am still buffing and hunting down stainless hardware for the rails and stuff I removed for the buffing, so we may be a couple of weeks off before it goes in the water.

Thanks,
Chris