Boating taking in water(new bellows this week)

[Maxum21]

thanks for the links bruce! thats where Volvo should of mounted that fitting from the factory. I don't know what they were thinking.. Problem is that its a tight space to work with a tap without pulling everything apart including the $650 bellow/gimbal bearing job I just paid for. I think for now i might try a small rubber plug and possibly a hose clamp over it to hold in place. I was also thinking of filling with 5200 but i think that may ooze out. Last resort maybe getting someone to weld-fill the hole..I do like the tap/thread new zerk in idea but, just dont know i'll be able to get my hands in there to do it.. going to take another look at it tomorrow

 

[Senior B]

Do you only have a leak when in the water? If you leak on muffs out the water then this isn't your problem. If you want to remove that zerk and tube, you can put another in the gimbal housing and I believe the information is in the DIY Adults info at the beginning of the forum. You can also plug the holes and install the sealed perma lube gimbal bearing.

 

[Maxum21]

no leaks on muffs. I actually keep the boat on a lift. what I did was the lower the boat so the water level was just above the exhaust bellow. ran it like that for 10 min and no visible leaks. Lowered the boat a few more inches so that the drive bellow was about halfway underwater. ran for 5-10 minutes and didn't notice any drips. Finally lowered the boat until drive bellow/grease tube & fitting were fully submerged and sure enough water started dripping inside the bilge. At this point i'd say it has to be either the grease tube or a bad seal on the upper part of the drive bellow. Will let you know what the culprit is. thanks

 

[Maxum21]

well I temporarily plugged the grease tube hole and i still have a leak. Went and purchased a new oem bellow. Its one of the newer style bellows/plastic that apparently doesn't require a snap ring on the inside, just the typical clamp around the gimbal housing. Do you guys recommend using adhesive with these new bellows?

 

[bruceb58]

Newer manuals say none.

 

[Senior B]

Am very curious as to what you find when removing the outdrive as to the source of your leak AKA, a hole in the bellows or the bellows wasn't installed properly and is leaking from the front clamp area or back by the pivot housing.

 

[Maxum21]

i'm curious as well.. this has really been bugging me.. I was thinking about puncturing a small hole on the top side of the bellow and filling with water to see where it leaks out. Otherwise once its pulled i might not know where the leak was unless theres an obvious hole(which i doubt). Anyways i'm still waiting to hear back from my mechanic to set up a day.. I'm getting impatient and thinking about pulling the drive and replacing the bellow myself.. It doesn't seem too difficult, I would just need to make up a stand to support the drive.. either way i'll be sure to keep you updated!

 

[Maxum21]

just went and pulled the bellow off the gimbal bearing side and sure enough at least a cup full amount of water poured out. I also noticed what seems like my mechanic had the bellow too far on and the notching didn't line up(lack of correct terminology). Like most of you already know, its seems crucial that these bellows need to be positioned perfectly for a proper-water tight seal. I also didnt like how much larger the bellow diameter was than were it clamps onto the gimbal housing. I would think tighter fit would be much more ideal..Possibly the flaw in these after market bellows? Second picture shows how high the water level would need to be for the leak to start which is kind of strange. If only the lower half of the bellow was submerged, it wouldnt leak..anyways, i repositioned the bellow on the gimbal housing and re-tightened. I think most likey i'm still going to have to replace with the oem bellow i have but i figured i'd try repositioning this one just for the heck of it..

 

[Maxum21]

water level where leak starts

 

[bruceb58]

Out of curiosity. Where is the screw for the bellows clamp located? Should be one or two o'clock

 

[BRICH1260]

Pull the drive and install on OEM bellows. Hopefully your gimble bearing and U joints are still good but it may corrode early because of the wet conditions. Try to dry everything thoroughly.

 

[Senior B]

Sorry to hear but glad you found your leak. Now, moving forward: Check your outdrive oil for water as the seals up top are meant to keep 90Wt gear oil in and not water out. Change if needed. With the drive removed, grease your gimbal bearing until you see nothing but fresh lube coming out of it and spin the bearing from time to time as you do this. It's going to be messy but don't skimp on the grease. If your u-joints have zerks, then lube them but if they don't then... Now if your mechanic is willing to admit fault, then I would push for a new gimbal and u-joints and save yourself some work but that's probably wishful thinking. If you put the new bellows on, you know to ensure that the lip in the rear of the bellows is properly seated in its groove. You might find that even an OEM bellows has a little slop and needs the clamp put on loose at first so you can feel when it's properly seated. Good luck.

 

[skydiveD30571]

There's a small channel in the gimbal bearing surface where a corresponding lip on the inside of the bellows sits. The clamp then sits on top of this section around the outside. Think of it as a built-in o-ring of sorts. If the bellows is slid too far onto the bearing housing, or not far enough, that lip isnt seated correctly and can leak underwater. Also, it is common to tighten the clamp too much which binds the bellows and can create gaps.

 

[Maxum21]

whats bothering me is that I cant actually see the water seeping in via the gimbal/drive shaft housing when i'm inside the bilge. Naturally, my view is very limited in there however, i thought i'd be able to see an obvious stream of water coming in directly under the shaft. I'm not really seeing it..It is a slow leak but still.. Well i have to change the bellow regardless so, i'm really hoping that solves this leak! Bruce: mechanic did in fact have the clamp screw at 2oclock. That seems like the only thing he had positioned right. Senior: gear oil clean, no signs of water. Also, no grease zerks on u-joints. I plan to check gimbal/grease when i finally get this drive pulled. hopefully tomorrow. We've had 4 straight days of rain now..
btw heres my new bellow. apparently no inner snap ring needed. material is more rigid than the typical rubber material but these are supposed to have a longer lifespan according to my volvo parts guy..

 

[Maxum21]

got the outdrive off today.. u-joints look like new, nice and tight. Gimbal bearing however has some minor rust around it. I also spun the bearing by hand and it did make a slight noise. Not terrible, but enough to hear it .its an aftermarket bearing as well. I guess it would be wise to replace?

 

[bruceb58]

I guess it would be wise to replace?

I would.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Word to the wise...the grease seal behind the gimbal bearing does not need replaced unless it has obvious signs of needing it. It can be a pretty big pain to get out and get a new one in. Also, when you get a new bearing, throw it in the freezer for awhile. It will be easier to install that way.

 

[Maxum21]

my mechanic actually had a really hard time getting this gimbal bearing in. i will try the freezer idea. thanks!

 

[Shaper79]

Great news at least your on the right track. Mechanics almost have screw up anything I have ever had them do. And then like you, I find my self reworking thier work. Question about Gimbel barring. Does it spin the same speed as the the drive shaft.??

 

[Grub54891]

Yes it does. ^^