Do I have a drive bellows leak? 1996 Volvo Penta 5.7 GI

simcole

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Hello again,

November when I winterized the boat in 2013 I put new bellows on both my exhaust and drive via local mechanic (who I nolonger trust or like). Today I'm getting the boat prepped to put back into the water and I'm inspecting the bellows while it's on the garden hose. I took this video: https://youtu.be/EZSfRoZGlEw
So if you look close you'll see a pinhole drip from the upper bellows. I THOUGHT (I'm still learning) that that bellows should be completely dry always! Also, how is water coming OUT of the upper bellows from inside the engine side? I'm not sure how it's all put together.

Looking at the exhaust bellows I see tons of water pouring off it and I'm curious if it has a bunch of holes in it. What gives? Are bellows a replace once a year item, because I thought they'd last 3-5 years. My boat is kept in a covered shade carport in the winter and in the lake all summer.

PLEASE someone tell me what I'm looking at. It's a DP-S lower unit.
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,.... My Guess is, it's leakin' from somewhere Above where yer seein' it,.....
Not well versed on Volvo, so I donno why,....

I Do know the Volvo exhaust bellows has slits in it for drainage, it's wet inside, 'n out anyways,....
 

Thalasso

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Looks like the clamp isn't tight or the bellows is not on right.(Top bellows). There is a grove the bellows has to set in. Doesn't look to be on all the way
Don't worry about the lower bellows.
 
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jerryjerry05

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The bottom isn't a problem.
The water up top is.
You shouldn't have a leak anywhere up inside.
 

bruceb58

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When the boat isn't running is it dripping? If it isn't, you don't have a problem. Personally, I pull my drive every year to inspect for water, check u-joints and gimbal bearing. You plan on doing that?
 
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simcole

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When the boat isn't running is it dripping? If it isn't, you don't have a problem. Personally, I pull my drive every year to inspect for water, check u-joints and gimbal bearing. You plan on doing that?

Why wouldn't it be a problem if there was a drip with the boat running? I just got back from a red-eye flight for work, so expect updates tomorrow. I hope to get in there and see what's up in the daylight with the motor full up.

I've never pulled my outdrive before (2nd year of ownership) so I'm in the process of building a lift for it now. I gotta borrow an alignment tool if I do this.
 

bruceb58

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Likely water is just splashing up there while you are running.

There should be no water inside the bellows. If there is water in the bellows because of a hole, it will be dripping if the engine is on or off.

Pull the drive and all your questions will be answered.
 
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simcole

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Well it looks like my inspection revealed a bigger problem. So it appears that when my mechanic changed the bellows at the beginning of last season (jan 14) he put the retaining hose clamp on closer to the 3 oclock position and not the 1-2 oclock. This created a pinch point and ripped the bellows. Who knows if it was torn the entire season or not. I'm praying my u-joints aren't toast. Here is a picture and a video:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzyNYnqe4Uo

PLEASE someone tell me why there is water in my bellows still? Shouldn't it be gone by now? It ONLY comes out when the engine is running and the drive is out of gear. Is there a way water can get behind gimble bearing and into this? Is this just residual? Why is there air pressure when nothing is turning?
 

bruceb58

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Hard to believe those bellows are 1 year old. Out of curiosity, are those OEM bellows?

The reason it comes out with the engine running is because the cut is on the side and the u-joints are churning up the water. Your u-joints are always turning with the engine on.

From now on, pull your drive at the end of the season so that water doesn't sit in there from September to April. You will likely be replacing the u-joints and the gimbal bearing. Check you drive oil before you run it again to make sure the drive oil isn't contaminated.
 
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jerryjerry05

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Yea hard to believe the bellows is only 1 year old.
Sounds like a new mechanic is needed??
 

bruceb58

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I am also not convinced your clamp did that. If you turn your drive all the way to that side, does the clamp even come close to the bellows? Sure looks like he never changed your bellows.
 

wkb2460

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There should be no water in the upper bellows. Unless that is splashing on the outside of the upper (u-joint bellows).
Otherwise where would the water be coming from? The lower bellows has drain holes in the bottom, it's normal for
it to drip.

Have you checked the intake hose, it wraps around the upper bellows and could be dripping down on the upper bellows?
 

bruceb58

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There should be no water in the upper bellows. Unless that is splashing on the outside of the upper (u-joint bellows).
Otherwise where would the water be coming from? The lower bellows has drain holes in the bottom, it's normal for
it to drip.

Have you checked the intake hose, it wraps around the upper bellows and could be dripping down on the upper bellows?
I am guessing you missed his picture of the ripped bellows.
 

Thalasso

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I'll bet it got torn when putting it on. The so called mechanic probably used a screwdriver to push the bellows over the fitting and punched a hole in it.

Edit.
Looked at the video again and agree with finding that hard to belive thats a new bellows
 
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Lou C

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There is NO WAY that bellows is only a year old. There is severe cracking on the rubber, I have a 10 year old bellows on our boat and it looks much better than that. Blow up the pic and see...
 

simcole

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There is NO WAY that bellows is only a year old. There is severe cracking on the rubber, I have a 10 year old bellows on our boat and it looks much better than that. Blow up the pic and see...

So that bellows IS a year old and it was NOT OEM. It was sierra and had a shiny outer coating that's spider cracking off now. That's the cracks everyone is seeing. Anyway, I took it back to the mechanic that put it on and showed him his errors. I explained my concern about U-Joint and gimble bearings, and he said he would call me when he takes the boot off so I can see for myself. When I mentioned "cost", he replied, "Don't worry, I'll take care of all cost". So time will tell if he installs it correctly and is he stays true to his word. I'll be doing my own drive maintenance from now on. Updates to come Monday.
 

bruceb58

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Always use OEM bellows! Make sure he puts an OEM on and pay the very small difference.
 

wkb2460

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Referring to the upper bellows that was dripping. If he has the drive on the hose, how is it leaking water????
 

wkb2460

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Well it looks like my inspection revealed a bigger problem. So it appears that when my mechanic changed the bellows at the beginning of last season (jan 14) he put the retaining hose clamp on closer to the 3 oclock position and not the 1-2 oclock. This created a pinch point and ripped the bellows. Who knows if it was torn the entire season or not. I'm praying my u-joints aren't toast. Here is a picture and a video:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzyNYnqe4Uo

PLEASE someone tell me why there is water in my bellows still? Shouldn't it be gone by now? It ONLY comes out when the engine is running and the drive is out of gear. Is there a way water can get behind gimble bearing and into this? Is this just residual? Why is there air pressure when nothing is turning?


Bruce, this is the post I was referring to. Out of the water, there should be no way he should see water dripping from the upper bellows,
unless it is coming from somewhere above, perhaps the intake hose.
 

bruceb58

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Bruce, this is the post I was referring to. Out of the water, there should be no way he should see water dripping from the upper bellows,
unless it is coming from somewhere above, perhaps the intake hose.
He has a rip in his bellows. The rip is on the side so only half of the water drains out. When he starts his engine on land, the u-joints whip up the water that is still in there making it leak out the rip.
 
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