Volvo penta 270 u joint wrapped up in wire from bellows

hamandbeans

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Joined
Sep 8, 2007
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4
I have a Volvo AQ 125b and volvo 270 drive on a 85 Bayliner Capri. The drive was all redone and sealed two years ago. This year after running in the water you could see a small oil slick and the drive would be about .5 quart low. Otherwise it ran fine.
Finally pulled the drive and the u joint had wire that was coiled in the bellows wrapped around it. Milky oil in the bellows. Looks like it took out the seals going into boat and into the drive. Bellows appear to be okay with no holes.
Any idea how the wire got into the u joint and if there is anything else to check after putting in seals? Can I just leave the wire coil out of the bellows?

Thanks.
 

frantically relaxing

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Nov 19, 2011
Messages
699
Re: Volvo penta 270 u joint wrapped up in wire from bellows

Since the wire is from the bellows, something bad happened WITH the bellows for the u-joints to pick up the wire-- and if I remember from my old Reinell which had a pair of 270 drives, there's no drive seal within the bellows and gear oil moves freely inside the bellows. I had a tree branch poke a hole in my starboard bellows, and eventually drive oil and water pretty much changed places.

Your bellows may LOOK okay but my bet is they ain't---
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: Volvo penta 270 u joint wrapped up in wire from bellows

There should be zero oil in the bellows. There is a seal where the u-joint drive shaft enters the drive. If there is oil in the bellows, that seal is faulty.

When you get water in the bellows, the water will corrode the drive shaft and cause that drive seal to fail.

Not sure what wire was wrapped around the u-joints. If it was a fairly thick wire, it could have been the wire that supports the bellows. It basically keeps the bellows from collapsing when the drive is tilted or turned. Its possible the u-joints hit it if the engine was running when tilted up too far.
 
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