Alpha One, gen 1 bellows install

[JayBirdie88]

1988 Regal 4.3 Alpha One, gen 1 - I have the gimble houseing disassembled. A new gimble bearing installed and engine aligned. A new lower shift cable sheath installed and new tilt sender and limiter units installed through the transom but not connected to gimble bell houseing. I am now ready to install the u-joint bellows, exhaust bellows and the water hose. Do you have a suggested order of operation to to install these so I won't have to redo when I do it out of order. The following is my thinking on what I should do. Please correct me if I am wrong.
1. Attatch water hose to nipples and secure with hose clamps.
2. Put bellows adhesive on u-joint transome flange, slide bellows over flange and clamp tight.
3. Put bellows adhesive on exhaust transom flange and clamp tight.
4. Attatch the gimble bell houseing to gimble ring with the hinge pins
5. Put bellows adhesive on drive u-joint bellows flange, pull bellows onto drive flange with tool. Clamp tight
6. Put bellows adhesive on the drive exhaust bellows flange. Pull bellows on flange on with tool.

Two questions. There are two flat spots on the last rib on one end of the U-joint bellows. What are they for? Where do they go?
There is a metal clip on each end of U-joint and exhaust bellows. Where do they go, up or down?

 

[Grub54891]

Pretty close, but don't use bellows adhesive on the exhaust bellows. the bellow will slip off as it makes it slightly slippery. Install that one dry. The u-joint bellow has the word " top " under the clamp. Take a look for it.

 

[achris]

I prefer to install the Uni joint bellows on the bell housing first. You then just push it onto the gimbal housing, from the inside of the bellows. Far easier than trying to pull it onto the bell housing. Also, no tool required to install Uni joint bellows, just the bell housing end of the exhaust bellows.

Chris. ..

 

[JayBirdie88]

On the U-joint bellows, there are 2 flat ribs on one end. Where do they go? On transom or drive? Where do the little metal clips go, top or bottom. Nothing printed on billows to indicate top.

 

[achris]

You're using non genuine bellows. Bad idea. Toss them and get the genuine article. Genuine bellows are marked with top and forward. Also the metal clip is pre-installed.