Volvo Penta 4.3 GL with sx-m Stern Drive Bellow and Engine issues, Please Help.

ivancunningham

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Oct 25, 2011
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Last week I took my boat out for the first time this year, the engine is a Volvo penta 4.3 gl with a sx-m sterndrive. The alarm on the boat started going off, looked back and smoke was coming out from the engine compartment, I stoped the boat immediately, got towed back to pull the boat out of the water first thing noticed was lower bellow burnt up. 2 boots that come the the y- exhaust were melted. took it to a marina to have it looked at under progressive insurance, they had an adjuster come out and then said it was more then likely the water pump was faulty. and nothing would be covered. so I brought it back home taking it apart, once I take the stern drive off, oil comes spilling out of the upper bellow where the gimble bearing is. Is this normal being I am unsure if it is.
 

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ivancunningham

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Oct 25, 2011
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Wondering if this oil being like this, could it be more then a water pump issue? if so, any ideas would be appreciated. thanks
 

HalfFish5087

Petty Officer 1st Class
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May 30, 2012
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278
You have two issues. First, you overheated. Check out your raw water impeller and hopefully you can find all the pieces. Replace exhaust bellows if you like, but not mandatory. Not sure how much other damage could have been done from overheating.

Second, the oil in your drive bellows is from the drive. Check to make sure that the drive was not overfilled. You may need to replace the upper oil seal in the drive.
 

ivancunningham

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Oct 25, 2011
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So, I decided to change out many things on the motor, but still seems to be an issue. I have replaced all hoses on the boat, put a new bellow on that burnt up. removed exhaust manifolds from both sides, blew air through them, done a test with Acetone, all seamed good, scraped off old gasket off the riser and exhaust manifold and off the side of the motor. put new gaskets on both with gasket sealant. exchanged the thermostat as well. put it all back together, now seems like if you are in the boat looking at the motor, the right manifold and exhaust seem warm but not hot, no smoke or anything, seems ok, the left side, exhaust is hot, manifold is hot to the touch and smoke is coming out of the bottom of the manifold, any ideas would be appreciated.
 

ivancunningham

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Oct 25, 2011
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yet one more question, I removed the hose's off the water pump, ran water, water come through the in hose, put the in hose in the water pump, left the outlet hose off, no water come through the outlet hose, now this was with the motor being off, just water running through the stern drive with cups. would this be normal for it not to run through the outlet, seems odd on where the water would be going being it is not processing through. please leave me know if its normal for this or if it seems to be a water pump altogether that may be my issue on as to why I am getting the smoke from the manifolds.
 

Bondo

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70,468
Ayuh,.... Did ya find All the pieces of the shredded impeller,..??

Keep checkin', downstream, til ya do,....

The water comes into the pump on one side, 'n exits the other, a good impeller in the middle, blocks flow,....
 

ivancunningham

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Oct 25, 2011
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I only found a few, pieces of it. I replaced all the water hoses, so no water coming out of the outlet is a good thing, I was wondering there was minimal water in the manifolds when I stopped the motor and removed the drain plugs on the end of both manifolds, is this do to the extreme heat or the new impeller blocking the water.,. What would be your thoughts? I recall last season when I winterized it, theree was a good amount of water that come out of them.
I appreciate the advice you are giving me.
 
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dypcdiver

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Did you put the hoses back on the raw water pump correctly, the suction side is the TOP hose? As stated above the impeller will stop any flow when the engine is not turning.
If there is no flow of water to your Starboard manifold then yes it will get very hot, you need to find the cause, possibly impeller vanes stuck somewhere. It could be just oil evaporating due to the heat causing the smoke, unless it is the gasket is not sealing for what ever reason.
 

ivancunningham

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Oct 25, 2011
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No Title

just pulled the water pump out, I have attached photo's please leave me know if it looks bad, I spin it, it seems to spin tight, but no noise like from the bearings.
 

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dypcdiver

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Looks good to me. As I said before check that the top hose is the supply. The bottom hose goes to the thermostat housing. Make sure that the supply for the stbd manifold is clear at the T'stat housing (can rust up) and where it enters the manifold.
 

ivancunningham

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Oct 25, 2011
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I finally got the boat back in the water. Pump seems to be working great, I guess now on to a new issue. When I first started the boat, I was getting a vibration throughout the whole boat turned on the speed seemed to work great, started to make turns in the water and got vibration also. I had changed the gimble in the winter and u-joints as well. I showed pictures of oil in the bellow from previous issue. Any ideas on things to look at.
 
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