This is regarding a '74 Mercruiser 140 with Pre-Alpha outdrive. I've got a slow drip coming out of the water inlet hose on the outdrive and I plan to replace it soon. I'm wondering what happened to it. It appears to be pierced in two places. I noticed that if I push the outdrive all the way to the port side, the hose is pinched between the moving part of the outdrive and the stationary part. Could this have been caused by the hose being old and brittle, or is there a problem with the routing of the hose? Could it be freeze damage?

I'm wondering how this hose can be replaced. I read a great writeup by elpaso here: http://forums.iboats.com/mercruiser-i-o-inboard-engines-outdrives/mercruiser-3-0-water-inlet-tube-problem-46947.html
and was wondering whether that procedure works equally well with pre-Alpha drives. I'd rather do it with the drive in place, as the bellows are only two years old and seem to be holding up very well.

Finally, is this a special hose, or just straight heater hose? What diameter is it, and does anyone have any recommendations regarding a type of hose that lasts longer than others?

Thanks