Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

[LAC_STS]

Just wondering. I am gonna be removing the drive anyways when I get the boat home from the marina sometime.

But can it be done?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

Ayuh,... How ya gonna sneek the driveshaft through it,..??

 

[proshadetree]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

No drive shaft goes in the big bellows. Exhaust might be able but why just change it?

 

[Don S]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

Neiter can be changed with the drive on. Come on guy, pulling the drive is a 10 minute easy job for even a newbe.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

Neiter can be changed with the drive on. Come on guy, pulling the drive is a 10 minute easy job for even a newbe.

I've pulled the engine and the drive before.

It's an ordeal for me. I have to borrow a friends trailer when he's not using it, then go to he marina and have them put the boat on it, then brig it home, do tue work and reverse the process to get the boat back to the marina and the trailer back to my friend.


I can donsomethings at the marina work wise but they won't let me pull the drive there.

 

[Don S]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

You shouldn't even be installing the engine before you pull the drive and verify the engine alignment, or you will be finding out how to pull the engine and replace the coupler.

 

[LAC_STS]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

No. About 6 months ago Me and a buddy R&R the drive and engine. We put a new 5.7 in.


I didnt realize the bellows were so bad until today. I was putting the new trim rams on and filling and bleeding the trim system when I looked under the drive when it was all the way up and I saw they were rotted pretty bad.


When I did the engine and drive before they didnt look bad at all. I actually thought they were pretty new. So either they got bad quick over the last 6 months, or I didnt realize they were already bad before.


Its my fault. I should have replaced them before. I was on a time crunch with some other things though so I didnt.


So now Im gonna have to go get the boat and get this fixed. Its ok though I will replace the lower shift cable then too.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

While you are at it, check the gimble bearing too, if the driveshaft bellows is rotted I'd look carefully for water in there when you take it off. Salt water will trash a gimble bearing pretty fast. The main thing when doing the bellows is if you can get the hex head bolts loose that hold the pivot housing to the transom mount. I'd spray PB Blaster or Kroil in the threads if you can get it in there and let it soak in for several days before trying to get them out. Also when you remove the exhaust bellows, there is a snap ring that holds it in, wear goggles when you remove it, it can fly loose and smack you in the head
Finally I'd consider using the OE bellows for the driveshaft at least, I have heard that the aftermarket ones do not last as long.

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Can both OMC Cobra bellows be changed without removing drive?

are ya standing on your head to see the drive shaft bellows?? I bet the exhaust bellows is what u see rotten.. Anyhow.. Sounds like a good time to replace em.. Peace of mind is worth a thousand dollars...
I didn't have to pull the bolts on my pivot housing to replace my bellows.. Not that removing em wouldn't of made the install easier, but I didn't have the tool to do it and got em in the pretty gravy without that removal...

BTW you gotta pull the drive