Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

[James76]

Hi all. I have a circa 2002 Caravelle, unsure of which model, with the Volvo 4.3 V6 in the back. Last week when I was out on the water, I had beeched the boat for the evening, but noticed when there was a little weight on the boat, with the leg grounded, that water came in the back/engine compartment. It was as if something was opening up when I put weight at the back of the boat. I've been told this will be the bellows that are split. I had noticed recently that the bilge pump was operating more than usual too, which could make sense.

Now, knowing next to nothing about boats, I'm looking for an idiots guide to where these are, and how to replace them. I've heard folk mention bellows, and exhaust bellows? Are these the same thing!?

I am a mechanical engineer by trade, and handy enough with a spanner/wrench, so having a go at replacing these does not bother me, I just need to find out what, where and roughly how. Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JON NEELEY]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

There are 2 black ribbed rubber hoses coming out of your transom. Back of your boat. Lower one is the exhaust and upper is where your drive shaft goes to the gimbal bearing. Sounds like you are leaking thru the drive bellows and really need to get it fixed before you go back on the water. I just replaced both of mine for 1st time with only common sense and alot of reading on here. This is the best place for assistance

 

[James76]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

Thanks for the reply. Did you find the job easy or difficult? I assume I'll have to remove the outdrive to get to them?

 

[JON NEELEY]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

It was easy, i had to read the manual etc to make sure I did everything correct being my 1st time. Yes I removed my drive.a 2 person job and had to get a special pivot pin tool to remove the drive from the transom assembly. If I had to do it again I would say maybe 3 hours to remove,install new parts and back together. Im a shade tree kinda guy so give or take 5 hrs and an extra 6 pack:facepalm:

 

[Don S]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

Bellows don't split because a boat is sitting on the drive. Sounds more like the wood in the transom is rotten, then when the drive had weight on it, it pulled the tansom shield away from the transom because the rotten wood in the transom was giving way from the extra weight.

 

[JON NEELEY]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

Dang I almost forgot, the reason you need to take the drive off is that the gimbal bearing should probably be replaced. I borrowed a snappy little mercruiser universal socket driven tool to remove my bearing or on here are forums explaining how to do it with a slide hammer.

 

[Don S]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

When you pull the drive off and the bellows is dry...............

 

[James76]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

Bellows don't split because a boat is sitting on the drive. Sounds more like the wood in the transom is rotten, then when the drive had weight on it, it pulled the tansom shield away from the transom because the rotten wood in the transom was giving way from the extra weight.

Hmm, this makes more sense in principal. The hull is fibreglass though, so could it be that the transom shield is loose, or is there a gasket/seal behind that??

 

[Don S]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

Transoms are two thin layers of fibergass covering a plywood core. Head over to the Boat Restoration, Building, and Hull Repair forum and do some reading. You have a very common problem going on, you just don't know it yet.

 

[James76]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

Sounds serious! Is it repairable??

 

[Don S]

Re: Leaking Bellows?? Where and how!!??

Sounds serious! Is it repairable??

Sure it's repairable, just click on the link I posted to the other forum and do some reading.