Outdrive Maintenance

[drew_caplan]

Hello! I am replacing the motor in my 1999 Four Winns this week and I pulled off the outdrive today (SX Cobra). It slid of quite easily and everything looks pretty good. I have two questions though:

1. I noticed a tiny bit of water in the bellow but It looks like it was replaced perhaps before a bought the boat a few years ago and looks in great shape. Is this normal to find a little in here or should I replace the below?

2. I noticed some of this white grease has gone a little funny. Maybe mixed with a little water? Has anyone seen this before?

 

[1985 Century Mustang]

Do you run your boat in saltwater. Looks like salt to me. If your outdrive came off easily that's a great sign that your engine alignment is spot on with your drive shaft. As far as the bellows goes, it couldn't hurt to change, as well as all the bellows.

 

[Lou C]

Yep those look like salt/calcium deposits
About the bellows; check to see if what looks like water can be liquified grease. Dip a paper towel in it & see if it gets absorbed in the paper or not. I don’t see any rust on the gimble bearing so it may not be water…

 

[drew_caplan]

Fresh water boat all its life; and that white material is greasy not solid. Looks like liquified grease; thanks for the help!

 

[BRICH1260]

Confirm the liquid in the bellows, if water, change the bellow. if that is indeed white grease that is the wrong type of grease. Use OMC Tripple guard grease only. It is blue in color. Replace the O ring around the water passage.

 

[Lou C]

Even if not water in the bellows flex the pivot housing upward & look between the folds of the bellows and with a bright flashlight look for cracks. If you see ANY replace it. I usually get 10 years out of them before the cracks start. That’s a sign that the rubber is getting stiff and prone to tearing…kinda like a trailer tire, when I see cracks I replace em & no failures over 20 years for both the boat & trailer…

 

[1985 Century Mustang]

I also keep my outdrive down, never up, unless towing.

 

[ChooChooSnakeMan]

I also keep my outdrive down, never up, unless towing.

This is important, I see lots of stern drive boats at the Boat Storage place we keep ours and they are parked / stored with the outdrive all the way up. This is the worst possible position for the bellows as it keeps them stretched out and accelerates splitting. Trim em down for storage

 

[Donald0039]

Curious why the engine needed to be replaced.

 

[drew_caplan]

Curious why the engine needed to be replaced.

Because some goofball didn't winterize the boat very well last year and paid the price.

 

[drew_caplan]

I also keep my outdrive down, never up, unless towing.

Agreed, I always keep the drive down when not in use. When I was a younger lad I learned the hard way to remember to put it up when putting on the trailer though lol. That boat ramp will always have a little piece of me there to remember; like initials in an oak tree my boat wrote its name on the ramp.