Volvo Outdrive I.D.

[will w.]

Hey all, My son purchased this boat for cheap in non-running circumstances. 1989 24.5' Sportcraft WAC. So far we replaced one freezeplug. It fires right up and runs smooth. I've never felt a boat shift so smooth. It has a 5.7 according to the PO. I believe that. The valve covers are aftermarket, so we have not found an I.D. on the engine. Same for the outdrive. I cannot find an I.D. I believe they bottom paints the OD. It have like a hardened cement on it along with the hull below waterline. Perhaps super dry mud? Anyway, the driveshaft bellow is shot. Looks like someone ran it in the trailer position. We would like to get a bellows kit for it, but have nothing to go on. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... I ain't much of a Volvo guy, but I believe that's an ole AQ,....

 

[kenny nunez]

It looks like a 290 model drive platform.
Sierra Marine # 18-2744 driveshaft bellows kit
Sierra Marine# 18-2597 Upper seal kit. Just 2 “O” rings needed.
Sierra Marine # 18-2774. Molded hose with clamps
Sierra Marine # 18-2778. Water hose connection
Remove the rear cover, disconnect the shift linkage. drain the oil. Remove the worm clamp then the 2 nuts and the 2 socket head bolts. Raise the upper gear housing rotate it 90* and pull it back. Remove the front worm clamp and the bellows.
The water hose connection most times is corroded inside of the hose. This is a good time to replace it.
If the universal joints are rusty and there is water in the bellows the bearings in the PDS housing may need changing. If this is the case then the engine has to come out and the PDS housing serviced with new bearings.

 

[will w.]

It looks like a 290 model drive platform.
Sierra Marine # 18-2744 driveshaft bellows kit
Sierra Marine# 18-2597 Upper seal kit. Just 2 “O” rings needed.
Sierra Marine # 18-2774. Molded hose with clamps
Sierra Marine # 18-2778. Water hose connection
Remove the rear cover, disconnect the shift linkage. drain the oil. Remove the worm clamp then the 2 nuts and the 2 socket head bolts. Raise the upper gear housing rotate it 90* and pull it back. Remove the front worm clamp and the bellows.
The water hose connection most times is corroded inside of the hose. This is a good time to replace it.
If the universal joints are rusty and there is water in the bellows the bearings in the PDS housing may need changing. If this is the case then the engine has to come out and the PDS housing serviced with new bearings.

Thanks Guys. Glad you said 290. Just from looking at pics and such, that was about all I came up with. I did watch some videos on the bellows procedure. The the driveshaft bellows is wide open along the bottom. Pretty sure someone ran it in the trailering position. Being wide open its not holding water, but the exterior of the ujoints are a little rusty. I have no idea if it was ran in water in that condition, but it wouldn't surprise me. I take it the PDS bearing must be similar to a gimbal bearing on a mercruiser, but only replaceable by removing the engine? Can this bearing be greased as part of maintenance? I need to figure out a manual for it as well.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Either a SP 290a or SPA1

Pull the drive and address the bellows ASAP.

Any rust on the u-joints will also mean the input shaft seal is toast as the thrust washer gets rusty

 

[QBhoy]

290sp or 280sp. One of them for sure. Likely the former, if she’s an 89

 

[dubs283]

I take it the PDS bearing must be similar to a gimbal bearing on a mercruiser, but only replaceable by removing the engine? Can this bearing be greased as part of maintenance? I need to figure out a manual for it as well.

The stub shaft bearings are plain old roller bearings, not gimbal bearings. Most V-6/V-8 engine/drive packages of your vintage use two bearings. One fore and one aft on the stub shaft between the drive u joints and the engine. Only way to remove the forward bearing is to pull the engine

Sometimes you get lucky with a bellows failure and the bearings and shaft are okay as long as the aft seal is intact. Most aq style bellows I've replaced have been damaged for a long time and most/all bearings and seals have failed needing replaced

The stub shaft bearings are greasable, at least the cavity accepts grease from the zirc on the stub shaft housing between the motor and transom

 

[Scott Danforth]

look here if you want to redo your PDS. https://forums.iboats.com/threads/pds-shaft-issues.687012/

 

[will w.]

Thank you, Gentlemen, for all of the information. You have given me valuabke information and a good general guide on what to look for. I was not aware of these bearings. If we get the time, we'll pull the OD over the weekend. Hopefully they're both in good shape. If not, so be it, guess we'll be pulling an engine . Thanks again.

 

[72fj40]

You probably don't need to pull the whole OD, just the upper gear box. Once you pull it, you'll be able to some of the internals condition.

 

[Horigan]

You need to pull the whole drive (less the transom mount) to replace the bellows. Not sure if that's what you mean by upper gear box. Pulling the "whole drive" removes the upper and lower as a single unit.

 

[Scott Danforth]

One of Don's secret time savers is just to pull the upper gear box and swap the O-ring. I did that once however found pulling the drive is the same amount of swearing

 

[72fj40]

You need to pull the whole drive (less the transom mount) to replace the bellows. Not sure if that's what you mean by upper gear box. Pulling the "whole drive" removes the upper and lower as a single unit.

I start swearing just thinking about working on any OD. I find pulling the upper gear box a ton easier. It's a lot lighter and less cumbersome than trying to wrestle with reinstalling the whole drive. I've swapped the lower to duo prop while its on the boat too. Ours is an AQ280.

 

[QBhoy]

You can definitely just take the upper section off, and do the bellows, quite sure of it. Certainly can on the 290dp.

 

[will w.]

I watched a youtube video a couple weeks ago on taking the gearbox off and changing bellows. The guy was very thorough.

 

[QBhoy]

I watched a youtube video a couple weeks ago on taking the gearbox off and changing bellows. The guy was very thorough.

Depending on your physical stature, I know that some guys make a cheap stand/cradle for helping to remove the Volvo DP290’s at least. No doubt this SP will be lighter than them. But will still be heavy enough. Certainly compared to a mercruiser alpha, if you might be used to similar. Perhaps not.
Certainly helps to take the weight of them to align the shaft and also get pins back in, when reinstalling. Those pins can be stubborn if they haven’t been out for a while. Haven’t personally worked on a SP. But very recently, removed a DP and then fitted after. Heavy buggers if you on your own and trying to take the weight, whilst getting pins and shaft in. The gear cable can occasionally get in the way at the same time. Also the cooling pick up hose needs watched, when re fitting. It can tend to get pinched if you not watching for it. Best of luck.
Oh. And get yourself a flexible extension bit tool. Found it so much easier using that for the bellow jubilee clips. Can be awkward to get to, depending on position. Picture attached of what I mean.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Raise drive
Drink beer
Block of wood under skeg
lower drive
Pull trim cylinder pins
Disconnect shift cable
Remove cable keeper
Drink another beer
Remove the two bolts in the helmet pin
Use two 1/4-20 x 1-1/2" fully threaded bolts do jack the steering pin out of the gearbox
Tilt helmet forward under steering fork
Remove tilt pin keeper bolts
Drink a beer
Use a brass drift and drive the pins inward toward the u-joints
When both pins are out, undo the bellows clamp (7mm) and run pick under bellows
Grab top of gearbox and pull back. Now lift and put drive on stand

If you do it every year, it's a 5 minute job

 

[Horigan]

You can definitely just take the upper section off, and do the bellows, quite sure of it. Certainly can on the 290dp.

You probably don't need to pull the whole OD, just the upper gear box. Once you pull it, you'll be able to some of the internals condition.

I start swearing just thinking about working on any OD. I find pulling the upper gear box a ton easier. It's a lot lighter and less cumbersome than trying to wrestle with reinstalling the whole drive. I've swapped the lower to duo prop while its on the boat too. Ours is an AQ280.

Thanks guys. I didn't realize this was possible. I'm more accustomed to my SX-M drive, but I'm getting good at pulling my 290 DP drive these days, sadly more for warranty work than yearly maintenance. I'll have to checkout how to pull just the upper gear box, just to understand it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I'll have to checkout how to pull just the upper gear box, just to understand it.

Drive down
disconnect shift linkage
remove bellows clamp and slide bellows forward
Remove steering pin
Push helmet back
Remove 4 bolts holding gearbox to upper
Lift gearbox, turn 90 degrees, swear and pull

 

[kenny nunez]

After removing the 2 socket head bolts from the helmet retainer use two 1/4” X20 bolts to pull the retainer out of the top of the gearbox.
As SD just said you will be will be referring to the drive’s parentage. Especially if the spline shaft is rusted to the female side of the input and will not separate.