Bellows Replacement

[skeffington]

I am working on replacing the bellows on my boat. I have never done it and have a question. It is an alpha 1 gen 2 and before I remove the bell housing it says to remove the water tube cover and push the water tube through the gimbal housing. I can't reach this and have watched some youtube videos on the job and thought the water pickup tube just pushed on from the outside of the boat. What am I missing?

I am also not sure where the shift cable connects to inside the boat. I haven't looked much but I have very little room in the bilge area to work.

Thanks

 

[Bondo]

Re: Bellows Replacement

I am working on replacing the bellows on my boat. I have never done it and have a question. It is an alpha 1 gen 2 and before I remove the bell housing it says to remove the water tube cover and push the water tube through the gimbal housing. I can't reach this and have watched some youtube videos on the job and thought the water pickup tube just pushed on from the outside of the boat. What am I missing?

I am also not sure where the shift cable connects to inside the boat. I haven't looked much but I have very little room in the bilge area to work.

Thanks

Ayuh,.... The plastic fitting is retained inside the transom, 'n it needs to be loosened...

I know it ain't Easy gettin' in there, so, ya gotta remove as much Boat as ya gotta to do the job at hand....

The shift plate is on/ near/ around the top of the motor....

Look in the Adults Only section at the top of this forum for the manual...

 

[Don S]

Re: Bellows Replacement

I have replaced a lot of ujoint bellows on Gen II drives, and never had to remove the water tube of anything. Perhaps you can link to the video you watched. I've seen a few that the guys really didn't have a clue on what they were doing, but knowing what you are doing has nothing to do with posting a video. All you need is the desire to show what you did. Right or wrong.

 

[dubs283]

Re: Bellows Replacement

the only water passage hose connection that needs to be loosened on the transom side of the gimbal housing to replace is the bravo, there are plastic inserts that thread into the inside diameter of the hose on both ends

mc-1, r/mr, alpha one, and gen II water passage hoses are ALL hose clamped onto metal or plastic barbs on the aft side of the gimbal housing and the fore side of the bell housing

 

[skeffington]

Re: Bellows Replacement

I'm referring to the Mercruiser service manual from one of your links Don S. It is service manual #14 page 4B-18. It says to " Remove water tube cover and rubber grommet. Push water tube through gimbal hous-ing."

I really have no idea what I'm doing, It's my first boat and I've only had it on the water to test it. But I"m pretty good mechanically so I should be alright if I can just figure out a couple of things.

 

[RenkenII]

Re: Bellows Replacement

I'm referring to the Mercruiser service manual from one of your links Don S. It is service manual #14 page 4B-18. It says to " Remove water tube cover and rubber grommet. Push water tube through gimbal hous-ing."

I really have no idea what I'm doing, It's my first boat and I've only had it on the water to test it. But I"m pretty good mechanically so I should be alright if I can just figure out a couple of things.

As long as you have the outdrive off, look inside the gimball housing with a flash light and you will be able to see the pick tube and the clamp that hold it on.

 

[Don S]

Re: Bellows Replacement

I'm referring to the Mercruiser service manual from one of your links Don S. It is service manual #14 page 4B-18. It says to " Remove water tube cover and rubber grommet. Push water tube through gimbal hous-ing."

For one thing, you are in the wrong section. That section is for complete gimbal housing rebuild. You should be reading section 4A.
The other thing is, you don't follow every step in the chapter. Only the steps you need to do for the job you are doing. Follow pages 4A-4 to 4A-11 except the section on 4a6 and 7 regarding the sender wires through the gimbal housing as you aren't doing that.

 

[skeffington]

Re: Bellows Replacement

Hey thanks a lot, thought it didn't make sense. The manual is kind of hard to read, but I also saw that on the Mercstuff.com How do I section on replacing the bellows.

I should be pretty set now, my only other question is would you replace the gimbal bearing even if it feels really smooth and I can tell no water has been in it. I have a new bearing but I don't think that I"m going to replace it. Thanks again.

 

[rad1026]

Re: Bellows Replacement

personally if you have enough experience to feel a bearing and know it is nice and smooth with no grinding or play, then I would not replace it. Save it for when you do need it. I'm all for preventative maintenance and for replacing difficult to get to parts like an engine coupler when pulling the engine for any reason, but the gimbal is not hard to get to, should be checked every year when you remove the drive for inspection and maintenance and can be replaced easily if it needs to be. Get an alignment bar and check your alignment and go have some fun.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Bellows Replacement

personally if you have enough experience to feel a bearing and know it is nice and smooth with no grinding or play, then I would not replace it. Save it for when you do need it. I'm all for preventative maintenance and for replacing difficult to get to parts like an engine coupler when pulling the engine for any reason, but the gimbal is not hard to get to, should be checked every year when you remove the drive for inspection and maintenance and can be replaced easily if it needs to be. Get an alignment bar and check your alignment and go have some fun.

Ayuh,... Ditto that,.... That bearin' is worth it's weight in Gold on 4th of July weekend.....

If ya know a Good bearin' from a Bad bearin',...
No sense in takin' out a Good bearin' to put another Good bearing in....

 

[skeffington]

Re: Bellows Replacement

Well my problem is now that I can't get out the damn hinge pins. I've got a 1/2 allen and both sides it slips. Should I order the hinge pin tools, I've heard it sucks. I do have an acetylene torch, I just heat it up around the pins right? This won't damage the aluminum or anything inside?

 

[skeffington]

Re: Bellows Replacement

Well never mind on part of that. I had 12mm allen and not 1/2. But I have the 1/2" and it's still very tight. I don't want to risk destroying the threads or rounding the bolt. Should I heat it up or just put a cheater pipe on it?

 

[Don S]

Re: Bellows Replacement

Hey have red Locktite on the threads, use heat to release the Locktite.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Bellows Replacement

I just heat it up around the pins right? This won't damage the aluminum or anything inside?

Ayuh,.... Abit of Heat to break the loctite free, 'n they should turn right out...

Ya want it hot, but don't melt the aluminum with that blue-tip wrench....
heat the pin, rather than the housing...

 

[skeffington]

Re: Bellows Replacement

Sorry for all the questions but you guys are life savers. I'm just very green around boats. I also just found that one of the wires to my trim sender has the plastic pulled off and bare wires shown, I assume I should replace these now since I'm going to have it apart?

 

[dubs283]

Re: Bellows Replacement

I also just found that one of the wires to my trim sender has the plastic pulled off and bare wires shown, I assume I should replace these now since I'm going to have it apart?

correct

there is NO WAY to repair the trim sender/limit wires

the only fix is to completely replace them

 

[gozierdt]

Re: Bellows Replacement

Well, it is possible to replace just the trim sender and splice the wires to the dash into
the old wires just inside the gimbal housing, outside the transom. I did it last year.
Soldered the new wires to the old, and covered the exposed connections with marine
shrinktube with adhesive inside. I agree that it might not hold up for a boat stored on
the water, but it's still working well for me a year later. I didn't want to tear apart the
drive just to replace the sender.

 

[dubs283]

Re: Bellows Replacement

you can do whatver you want

it is not recommended by anyone that the wires be soldered, butt connected, or spliced in any manner

keep in mind there is 12 volts DC current running through those wires, so if your splices break, you are now allowing DC current to flow into the water - damaging your drive and transom assy and any other boats nearby

 

[skeffington]

Re: Bellows Replacement

Found my exhaust shutter wedged in my bellows. Not very hard to replace that is it? Plan on running exhaust tube. Also a plastic connector on the end of a small tube that runs along the water pickup tube and connects to the lower unit is broke and I don't know where to find one. Thanks again.

 

[dubs283]

Re: Bellows Replacement

you have to pull the exhaust elbows between the riser and y-pipe to replace the water shutters

the tube you refer to is your speedo connection - the old, white style has been superceeded to a new, larger quick disconnect style which requires a new shift shaft bushing/seal assy in the lower half