Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

[Fordiesel69]

1988 Four Winns Sundowner 235
5.7L OMC Cobra **not king cobra**
Reman upper & lower from jasper in 2005 , but bellows were not done......

This is a 5.7L OMC Cobra. I am getting mixed feedback by local mechanics, some say the gimbal bearing will stop the water, and others say it will pour into a 1/4 vent in the transome housing & flood the boat. Being I know absolutly nothing about OMC, I can verify the u-joint bellows is torn and boat took on about 10 gal of water in about 20 minuts, maybe 30. Problem is I didn;t look until after the boat was in the trailer.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

it will sink the boat

 

[RIDEPATE]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

1/4 inch vent, true. Sink-Boat, true also. Not to mention ruin the U-Joints, if left unattended long enough.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

Ok so I can rest easy knowing that when I have a mechanic install all new bellows correctly that the water intrusion will be solved?

I just am curious why on my mecruiser, the gimbal bearing went bad and no water came in when the bellows ripped, but on an OMC it would allow water in.

Trust me, I WANT TO beleive the bellows is the cause......

 

[RIDEPATE]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

Ok so I can rest easy knowing that when I have a mechanic install all new bellows correctly that the water intrusion will be solved?

I just am curious why on my mecruiser, the gimbal bearing went bad and no water came in when the bellows ripped, but on an OMC it would allow water in.

Trust me, I WANT TO beleive the bellows is the cause......

On a Crusier, when the bellows rips, it will come into the boat, might take a little while to punch through the grease in the gimbal and get to the pee-hole, but it will come-knocking. A bad Gimbal-bearing will not cause the bellows to rip..........???

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

Ok good. There was more detail I left out because I wanted to keep on the OMC subject matter. The bellows was ripped, and it was operated too long and fried the bearing. But during this whole event, it did not take on much water at all. The only reason I knew something was wrong was from the groan.

I guess I will proceed then. If all it needs is the basic bellows maint, I guess it is not as big of a problem as I thought.

 

[RIDEPATE]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

You should be good to go with a new bearing and bellows.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

In 2005 they installed a rebuilt outdrive and didn't spring for some new drive bellows? WTH????

Yall Northern fellas do things strange... Even if they installed em new then.. They are way overdue to be changed..

 

[Jamie48]

Re: Will ripped u-joint bellows allow water intrustion into boat???????

On a Crusier, when the bellows rips, it will come into the boat, might take a little while to punch through the grease in the gimbal and get to the pee-hole, but it will come-knocking. A bad Gimbal-bearing will not cause the bellows to rip..........???

No a bad gimbal bearing will not cause the bellows to tear, but a torn bellows will ruin a gimbel bearing and allow water to enter the boat. The bellows is a rubber compound and eventually will get old and tear when raising the out drive. I would suggest when storing the boat for the winter season, if you do that, lower the outdrive to the run position to reduce the strain on the bellows. But be advised, eventually you will have to change that bellows and the shift bellows because they will wear out. The exhaust bellows does too but you will only sound loud. I had a 1973 Cruisers Inc. with a merc cruisers engine / out drive and I changed all three items. Jamie48