Menace2Authority
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2010
- Messages
- 38
The backyard "supermechanic" *sarcasm* that I bought my 79 Doral off of stored the boat one winter with the motor trimmed up. Well.... you guessed it... a critter chewed through the main Bellow. So he replaced the bellows but evidently didn't have the spreader tool and the ridge inside the bellow didn't line up properly with the groove on the recieving end and leaked.
So right now I'm sitting with the main bellow pulled out and the bell housing still connected to the boat. (Well... hanging there). I didn't pull off the shift cable bellow as it still looks brand new (as did the misaligned main bellow). Can I replace the gimbal bearing and the main bellow with the bell housing not completely removed? Also, what are the chances of the drive shaft sliding right in without the need for an alignment tool?
I'm almost cringing at the thought of a $1000 repair bill at a shop all because of a misaligned bellow. The complete kit and gimbal bearing will cost me $350 for the parts alone... then I'll get soaked by the shop for hourly rates. Problem is... the alignment tool is expensive enough that it may be better to pay a shop than to buy an alignment tool and still possibly not be able to do the job myself. From what I've read changing out the bellows is a real pain in the stern though at the same time I am quite mechanically capable.
Menace
So right now I'm sitting with the main bellow pulled out and the bell housing still connected to the boat. (Well... hanging there). I didn't pull off the shift cable bellow as it still looks brand new (as did the misaligned main bellow). Can I replace the gimbal bearing and the main bellow with the bell housing not completely removed? Also, what are the chances of the drive shaft sliding right in without the need for an alignment tool?
I'm almost cringing at the thought of a $1000 repair bill at a shop all because of a misaligned bellow. The complete kit and gimbal bearing will cost me $350 for the parts alone... then I'll get soaked by the shop for hourly rates. Problem is... the alignment tool is expensive enough that it may be better to pay a shop than to buy an alignment tool and still possibly not be able to do the job myself. From what I've read changing out the bellows is a real pain in the stern though at the same time I am quite mechanically capable.
Menace
