Why rubber bellows?

[Scott Danforth]

polyurethane wouldnt flex like the rubber. seriously, dont you think there would be a better product on the market if there was one.

its like cast iron for brake rotors. yes, ceramic work better in a racing only environment, however wouldnt work in a day to day use.

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Regarding materials -- Rubber compounds come in many varieties and each has its own strengtt & weakness. ( Silicone , Buna n , EPDM , Viton etc )

I read that Automobile hoses saw a major jump in life span when someone figured out static electricity was playing a role in degradation -- A move was made to an EPDM rubber compound which has helped ( I think it is slightly conductive for electricity to dissipate any charges ) .


Not sure if that's a factor on bellows / or for that matter what compounds are being used but thought I would throw it out their for debate.

 

[jimmbo]

If Volvo or Mercury had found a better material they would be marketing it with great fanfare. It would have been in their best interest because when the bellows do leak, and the gimbal bearing fails, the owner calls the whole I/O and that Brand junk.

 

[SeaDooSam]

polyurethane wouldnt flex like the rubber. seriously, dont you think there would be a better product on the market if there was one.

its like cast iron for brake rotors. yes, ceramic work better in a racing only environment, however wouldnt work in a day to day use.

Makes sense.

 

[wrvond]

polyurethane wouldnt flex like the rubber. seriously, dont you think there would be a better product on the market if there was one.

its like cast iron for brake rotors. yes, ceramic work better in a racing only environment, however wouldnt work in a day to day use.

If everyone subscribed to that kind of logic, nothing would ever improve since there is no point in trying. At some point somebody has to reject the status qou and think "there must be a better way ".

 

[proshadetree]

Exactly, mine have given a good service life. But what if there was an everlasting boot that would not tear? No worry about water coming in and sinking your boat? Would it be worth 5 times the price? To some yes. Not all boats have trailers, even 24ft and less powerboats. They were bought to sit in the water and die in the water. Inovation is all it would take to make something better

 

[Scott Danforth]

If everyone subscribed to that kind of logic, nothing would ever improve since there is no point in trying. At some point somebody has to reject the status qou and think "there must be a better way ".

not arguing against attempting to find better solutions to problems. however since the buying public wont spend more money, and there is an annual inspection requirement, the current offerings are still the best offerings out there. something in the market environment has to change for there to be any return on investment to research and design.

has the topic of alternatives to rubber been researched to death....probably. Will research continue - yes. just take a look at tire and hose compounds. do you remember the hoses on your car from the 60's and 70's. you changed them every few years, flushed the coolant system every few years, and replaced or rebuilt your water pump every few years. now days, I bet you havent changed a hose in at least 3 vehicles. tires of yesteryear used to last 20,000 miles or less wearing down to the chords. today, they get 80,000 miles. however vulcanized rubber is still the best product for both tires and hoses.

you're still arguing over the lifetime of a piece of rubber that sits around a seal, bearing, and u-joints that have an annual service interval. the rubber will last 5+ years without batting an eye. many get up to 20 years. however mechanically after removing the drive a few times, the bellows gets a bit beaten up. replacing with new bellows every few years is still cheap insurance.

the alternatives to a rubber bellows are as follows:
Outboards
Inboards with a packing gland and rudder packing
Oars
Sails

 

[achris]

...Would it be worth 5 times the price? ...

No... 99.9% of the public are stupid and buy on price (unfortunately and to my great angst!), just ask the Japanese, and now the Chinese. That's how they got to be so big, by supplying a cheaper (albeit far lower quality) product, and the buying public lapped it up! And the supply chain (manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, retailer) are not going to stock an item that is far more expensive just for the once a year customer. So the manufacturers of the better products faced a choice. Lower the price (and hence quality) or go out of business. And that, my friends, is why you can't buy a good quality anything these days.

I have forgotten the number of times I've been in a shop asking for a better quality product only to be told "Nobody ever asks for them".... Drives me nuts. I'M ASKING FOR THEM! Am I nobody? Apparently so, because they won't even get them in on special order.

So, this discussion is moot. We have rubber bellows, no alternative, and there's never likely to be an alternative, because most of the public won't pay for it, unless it's cheaper.

Ok, I'm off the soapbox now, who's up next?

Chris.........
BTW, I'm moving this topic to non-repair.... More appropriate....

 

[proshadetree]

There is no annual inspection requirement. There is a suggestion. Just like manufactors recomend a certain type of oil. There are many alternatives to lots of products. Regular old spark plugs, to quad tip titanium tip spark plugs. Regular old engine oil to synthetic racing oil. Cheap tires to 50 thousand mile tires. Marine is a bit diffrent. The gimbal bearing you get from the dealership might just be the exact same thing as you get from the cheap discount place. Some boaters would pay a premium for an extended life bellow, some will not. Just like you see automobiles with the best of everything some boaters will do the same.

 

[achris]

... Some boaters would pay a premium for an extended life bellow, some will not.

Not enough to make it economically viable to do the R&D for such products. And I would think even if you said to the buyer that if they pay double for this fancy bellows and it lasts 4 times as long, they would still buy the cheap one. If you were only likely to keep your boat for another 10 years, and the life of the cheap bellows is 10 years, would you put a bellows in that is likely to last 40 years? Poor economics if you say yes.

 

[proshadetree]

Poor economics of someone with a 40 plus foot boat that will not see haulout untill needed? Why then will most people with a houseboat buy a new or a quality remaned outdrive? Because it will cost them out the tail to gamble. People with small boats will go find Buba that has a used drive to try and save a dollar. Hey you got to trailer it home anyway. The people I know that have been houseboating for years know better. The I want a houseboat wow they are expensive newbie will try to be cheap untill it eats his butt. Repairing trailer boats and docked boats are not even close. Many large vessels will get a complete repower. New engine, outdrive everthing involved. Not many trailer boats will. Saying all boaters are cheap is like saying apples taste like oranges.