Can I Tell if Water is Getting into the U-Joint Bellows?

[KM7]

Can I Tell if Water is Getting into the U-Joint Bellows without taking the OD off?

I have to replace the gimbal bearing due to water getting into the U-Joint Bellows. I may also have to replace the U-Joints as well. That was caused by a clip from a grounding strap getting loose and wearing a hole in the bellows. See pictures

It would be helpful if there was a plug that I could remove and check for water Before it does all this damage. Is there a way to do that?

Thank you

 

[stresspoint]

gotta love the way people tighten worm clamps .

tip and lesson : tighten the clamp till it makes a consistent contact with hose or whatever > tighten 1/2 a turn after that , check for leakage , no leak leave it be , if it leaks tighten a tad more till no more leak .

there is absolutely no need to tighten a clamp that tight with a breaker bar so the hose is ozzing out all around it .

Op not saying this is the cause , its just something i noticed in your pic ,that hole looks as if its been stabbed in there or possibly some prying has been don at some point to cause a weak area..

 

[Scott Danforth]

You have to pull the drive once a year to inspect the alignment, U-joints and gimbal bearing along with the bellows

Just do the full annual maintenance routine

 

[Lou C]

Can I Tell if Water is Getting into the U-Joint Bellows without taking the OD off?

I have to replace the gimbal bearing due to water getting into the U-Joint Bellows. I may also have to replace the U-Joints as well. That was caused by a clip from a grounding strap getting loose and wearing a hole in the bellows. See pictures

It would be helpful if there was a plug that I could remove and check for water Before it does all this damage. Is there a way to do that?

Thank you

Unfortunately there’s no way to know if it’s going to leak. While it can be a pain that’s why pulling the drive at the end of each season helps to make everything last longer.

 

[KM7]

gotta love the way people tighten worm clamps .

tip and lesson : tighten the clamp till it makes a consistent contact with hose or whatever > tighten 1/2 a turn after that , check for leakage , no leak leave it be , if it leaks tighten a tad more till no more leak .

there is absolutely no need to tighten a clamp that tight with a breaker bar so the hose is ozzing out all around it .

Op not saying this is the cause , its just something i noticed in your pic ,that hole looks as if its been stabbed in there or possibly some prying has been don at some point to cause a weak area..

I'm not sure how the hole got in the U-Joint bellows. It might have been the clip to hold the ground wire on the hose clamp somehow got pinched in there.

I don't believe I over tightened the hose clamp. I also smooth out the mating surface with a Scotch Brite pad before putting on the bellows.

You suggest checking for a leak after tightening the hose clamp onto the shield (If that is what it is called) How can you check for a leak except by removing the OD ??

 

[stresspoint]

""You suggest checking for a leak after tightening the hose clamp onto the shield (If that is what it is called) How can you check for a leak except by removing the OD ??"""
my comment was in general on the tightening ( yes i know you cant see in there ) , as posted " it was probably not what was causing the water intrusion.
the overnighted hose clamp was an observation that i notice only too often .
when people tighten these thing.
example :i once saw a $500 replacement intercooler pipe destroyed when than incompetent idiot service **** used a impact to tighten it.

sorry if you were offended by my pointing out that your bellows was overly squashed by the clamp.

 

[KM7]

@ Stresspoint I'm glad to learn to do this better. What makes you think that I over tightened the hose clamp?

 

[stresspoint]

@ Stresspoint I'm glad to learn to do this better. What makes you think that I over tightened the hose clamp?

it appears to be squashing the rubber on the bellows a little much for my liking , in an area like that it is critical to have thick rubber making contact with the metal surfaces , a squashed surface reduces the thickness of the rubber .this can also make the clamp act as a knife as the bellow works .
could be that it is a bellows that was reused upon assembly and it was already squashed.
either way , the bellow needs to be replaced with a new one , take care when tightening .

 

[tpenfield]

The short answer to your original question is no. There is not a good/easy way to check for bellows leaks, other than to remove the outdrive.

You may see some seepage of water coming through the gimbal bearing/drive shaft area.

Usually, once the bellows starts to leak, the ball game is over. Your best approach would be to have routine inspection of the bellows (before & after boating season) and annual drive removal. (as mentioned)

The issues with bellows is kind of fact-of-life with I/O engines.