water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

mattyb973

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so i have a water leak on my alpha 1/5.0 mercruiser and my gimbal bearing just blew out. yes yes this points to the obvious bellows needing to be replaced. but i just bought this boat from an established marine mechanic who is a good friend of mine. all of the bellows were replaced last year.

i bought this boat knowing there was a very slight (autobilge kicks on once every 3 days deal) leak in the transom plate. but now water is pouring in (constant drip almost run) and the autobilge kicks on once every 30 minutes. the water is leaking in by the steering controls near the top of the outdrive. is this were a transom plate leak would be found? Or does this sound like were the bellows would leak in and they either ripped or were installed incorrectly?

i have the outdrive off and the gimbal bearing out now ready to pop another one in and go on my merry way, but i know this is prob gonna happen again as the gimbal bearing was just replaced with the new bellows. i dont see any rips in the bellows. can they be installed incorrectly or is it pretty much idiot proof?

is there a way to fill the bellows with water and see if they leak out?

would a transom plate leak run the water back into the bellows and fill them up rusting out my gimbal bearing?

i'm very new to boating, esp the mechanics of an outdrive so all help much appreciated in advance. thanks alot
 

mattyb973

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

because everyone likes pictures heres one of me and my boat happy and on the lake before the bearing blew out:D

myboat.jpg


she's an 89 celebrity 187 bowrider:cool:
 

Joshua Nichols

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

You know your bilge can fill up enough that water can enter the bellows from that end too.. it takes a good bit of water to set off my float switch... That water entering may also be a rotten transom. Idiot proof? What really is? Nothing, so maybe they wasn't put on right.. Marine mechanic.. Well you would think he would do it correctly.. They have redo stuff at shops all the time.. I just do my own stuff.. That way I know it's done right
 
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Bondo

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

That water entering may also be a rotten transom.

Ayuh,... That's My Guess, considering the comment about it leakin' at the steering linkage...
 

mattyb973

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

transom is solid:cool: ball peen hammered it and no dead spots and although i bought it from the established marine mechanic this was one of his kids that works for him boats. so not sure whether he did the work or the kid did it.

any ideas how to check a bellow leak? i didn't physically see any rips
 

Joshua Nichols

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

Ayuh,... That's My Guess, considering the comment about it leakin' at the steering linkage...

Yeppers.. Knock around back there.. Will sound like a dull thud.. Would be a shame if a friend would sell ya a boat with a rotten transom.. Cause being a "marine mechanic" he woulda known about it.. I don't like water entering my boat.. It leads to possible sinking:p
 

mattyb973

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

yea i know for a fact he wouldn't sell me a junk boat. stand up guy. he was shocked there was a problem and next day immediately took it apart for me and figured out the bearing blew out. said he couldn't sleep it was bothering him all night wondering what the problem was.

we originally thought it was the coupler that blew on the lake
 

Joshua Nichols

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

transom is solid so not sure whether he did the work or the kid did it.

any ideas how to check a bellow leak? i didn't physically see any rips

Yikes:eek:Kid??? Sounds spooky... Well you looked them over REALLY good?? Mine had a rip in them, but I had to pull around on em till I found it.. While you have you outdrive off.. Why not fix the leak on the transom plate.. It's a messy no fun job, but you are going to have to anyway.. Once it's off you can really get a look at the transom..
 

Joshua Nichols

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

we originally thought it was the coupler that blew on the lake

Why did it make a bunch of noise??? did the shaft flop around in there much.. You could have serious problems...
 

mattyb973

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

haha yep a kid. story behind the boat was it was my friends for 6 years. he sold it to the kid that worked for him last season. kid got a new boat and sold it to me. in the past 2 years i know the engine has been pulled for a coupler replacement and new bellows and gimbal bearing last season. so it has been torn apart and if the transom was rotten they would know and i know he would disclose it to me. i'm also not 100% positive the transom plate leaks. before this gimbal bearing problem it was just his assumption. but seeing as this happened theres a chance its the bellows leaking.

and i haven't fine tooth combed the bellows but i didn't see anything blatently obvious. theres no gashes tho. i guess theres no way to test them really?:confused: i might just replace them all again while i have it half way apart
 

mattyb973

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

Why did it make a bunch of noise??? did the shaft flop around in there much.. You could have serious problems...

nah, only reason i thought coupler was because i smelt rubber burning but turned out it was the seal in the bearing burning up.
 

Joshua Nichols

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

I know you said the transom is solid.. But after looking at you picture I can see that green water line back by the stern.. Stored on the water for a while eh?? Hmmmm... Don't hit on the transom too hard.:redface:.. Like said before water very well can enter from the inside from the bilge filling up and your bellows be fine... BTW the seal on the outdrive will likely go next.. You had that much water in there for long enough to have complete bearing failure.. Yep replace that too while you got it apart
 

Joshua Nichols

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

nah, only reason i thought coupler was because i smelt rubber burning but turned out it was the seal in the bearing burning up.
Okay???? that musta been the seal in front?? IDK well at least you didn't have serious breakage. That woulda been a bad thing
 

mattyb973

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

the transom is solid! haha i've checked, the boats been apart. i know its solid

its kept in greenwood lake, ny. its not nasty but it def isn't lake george and the boats get dirty
 

Joshua Nichols

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

I guess you could plug off one end and fill with water if you want...
 

Don S

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

Why don't you just pull the drive off and have a look, it could be the big rubber seal and bellhousing got knocked out of place during intallation of the drive, no way of knowing that when installing the drive.
Could also be a faulty bellows, especially if he used a Mallory. Had them fall apart without ever going to the water.
There are also seals on the steering shaft for the gimbal ring where it goes through the transom shield.
 

JustJason

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Re: water leaking in. blown gimbal bearing. bellows just replaced last year

There are also seals on the steering shaft for the gimbal ring where it goes through the transom shield.

Yep... If you have a lot of slop in your steering... especially because the gimbal ring doesn't get retorqued every year, it's common for those to wear out.
 
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