Time for my first bellow change, tips?

[MEDEL514]

Ok guys, now I'm a bit stuck on installing the drive shaft bellows. That inner ring that goes inside the bellows is a b1tch to get on! I cannot get that ring to go inside the bellows to seat onto the stern housing. I made a homemade tool to press the ring on evenly, its a 4" iron cap screwed onto a 3/4" metal pipe (looks very similar to the 'special tool' that Mercury sells), but everytime I try to press sit on, the bellows gets pushed out of the stern housing. What's the trick to getting this thing on?

 

[MEDEL514]

May have to consider pulling off an exhaust manifold if you need the extra room.

That's exactly what I had to do to get my arm down there.

 

[Scott06]

Ok guys, now I'm a bit stuck on installing the drive shaft bellows. That inner ring that goes inside the bellows is a b1tch to get on! I cannot get that ring to go inside the bellows to seat onto the stern housing. I made a homemade tool to press the ring on evenly, its a 4" iron cap screwed onto a 3/4" metal pipe (looks very similar to the 'special tool' that Mercury sells), but everytime I try to press sit on, the bellows gets pushed out of the stern housing. What's the trick to getting this thing on?

Use merc power tube or similar to make it slide. I rigged up a similar tool out of a 5 lb hammer and a pvc drain grate. I found in needed two set of hands to do this one to hold the bellhousing vertical then one person press in the retaining ring. Found if bellhousing was angled up the bottom of bellows would roll out

I had more trouble with this than the exhaust bellows

 

[MEDEL514]

I got everything back together! Thank you for all the help everyone! Now that I've done it once, I can see why the shops charge so much to do it, but I'm glad I was able to do it and save myself alot of money. Thanks for all the tips and tricks!

 

[Scott06]

I got everything back together! Thank you for all the help everyone! Now that I've done it once, I can see why the shops charge so much to do it, but I'm glad I was able to do it and save myself alot of money. Thanks for all the tips and tricks!

That was exactly what I thought as well

With as long as they lasted most likely won’t need it again in your ownership

Enjoy the piece of mind now that they are replaced

 

[Lou C]

Not sure about the Mercs but in my experience the OMC/Volvo ones can go at least 10 years before needing replacement. I do that when the rubber starts getting stiff & you start to see small cracks forming. That’s an early warning sign that it’s time….

 

[MEDEL514]

So we took the boat out for the first time since I replaced all this, sat it in the water for over an hour to leak check, and she was great! However, after we went out on the water for a few hours, came back, loaded the boat back on the trailer, and I noticed my exhast bellows came off the stern drive when I had the trim all the way up. I guess I'll be switching over to the exhaust tube next. But I was wondering if I should just cut the last ring of the exhaust bellow off and let it breath easily instead. Any downfall to doing this?

 

[Pmt133]

You probably could leave the exhaust bellows completely off with no real negative effect or than it being a little loud.

 

[Jmunk]

Did you use bellow adhesive in the exhaust bellow? Sometimes installing the exhaust bellow with no adhesive works best.

 

[MEDEL514]

Did you use bellow adhesive in the exhaust bellow? Sometimes installing the exhaust bellow with no adhesive works best.

yes I used the adhesive. I figured the sticky adhesive would help more. I suppose I can try to reinstall it without more adhisive, but I believe its the pulling on the bellows when its in the far up trailer position that's causing it to be pulled off.

 

[MEDEL514]

You probably could leave the exhaust bellows completely off with no real negative effect or than it being a little loud.

I was thinking about just cutting off the last ring of the boot in hopes that it would still slip onto the stern flange when tilted down, so at least the exhaust gas wouldn't be going onto the driveshaft bellows and shift cable.

 

[nola mike]

I was thinking about just cutting off the last ring of the boot in hopes that it would still slip onto the stern flange when tilted down, so at least the exhaust gas wouldn't be going onto the driveshaft bellows and shift cable.

Exhaust is separate from the shift cable and DS bellows.

 

[flashback]

I was thinking about just cutting off the last ring of the boot in hopes that it would still slip onto the stern flange when tilted down, so at least the exhaust gas wouldn't be going onto the driveshaft bellows and shift cable.

i remember seeing an old thread describing exactly that, but don't remember who posted it.

 

[Dubed]

i remember seeing an old thread describing exactly that, but don't remember who posted it.

The bellows is round, the port it attaches to is oval. If you don't want to deal with it, just get an exhaust tube. The exhaust tube is designed to slip over the oval piece when drive is down

 

[MEDEL514]

i remember seeing an old thread describing exactly that, but don't remember who posted it.

Do you remember if it worked?

The bellows is round, the port it attaches to is oval. If you don't want to deal with it, just get an exhaust tube. The exhaust tube is designed to slip over the oval piece when drive is down

I know, I was hoping to try and see if they'd at least butt up next to eachother enough to sort of work like the exhaust tube does.

 

[Scott06]

yes I used the adhesive. I figured the sticky adhesive would help more. I suppose I can try to reinstall it without more adhisive, but I believe its the pulling on the bellows when its in the far up trailer position that's causing it to be pulled off.

I noticed when tightening the clamp on the bellhousing as I tightened the clamp it would work its way down off the bellhousing.

 

[MEDEL514]

So I put the Exhaust Tube on last week and took the boat out a couple times this weekend, and boy is that thing much louder! I didn't think the noise would be different since the bellows was an open hole as well, but it sure was noticeably louder by all of us. Not obnoxiously loud, but there was certainly a noticeable drone at cruising speeds.

 

[Dubed]

So I put the Exhaust Tube on last week and took the boat out a couple times this weekend, and boy is that thing much louder! I didn't think the noise would be different since the bellows was an open hole as well, but it sure was noticeably louder by all of us. Not obnoxiously loud, but there was certainly a noticeable drone at cruising speeds.

Yep. That is why I went back to the bellows