270 outdrive u joints../bellows

[2stroke1971]

1984 Volvo AQ125 with 270 outdrive.

Question 1: Can a bad ujoint bellows cause a slow leak into the boat?

Questions 2 and on....Does anyone make an aftermarket kit for the ujoints? I found the parts online, but ordering the cross piece, the caps, the rings all separately seems cumbersome and expensive to me, I would never replace any one of those pieces and not the rest?!? Given the mundane nature of a Ujoint, I wonder if there isnt another application that will work short of ordering 38 pieces from Volvo.

Man, they look a whole lot like the ones I put on my Dodge Van a couple months ago for about $22.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Don S]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

Question 1: Can a bad ujoint bellows cause a slow leak into the boat?

Yes, and as it gets worse it gets more expensive. You have to pull the engine to replace the bearings and seals.

Questions 2 and on....Does anyone make an aftermarket kit for the ujoints?

Yes, you can buy just the ujoints. go here http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=288430
click on item 20 for part numbers for your ujoints.
Might want to look at item 11 as well. Probably find something useful there too.

 

[2stroke1971]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

They ones for my Van acutally DID fit.
Went and bought a pair today. The zerk is on the end cap, but its very low profile--conical style and not a nipple.

Ive had a small leak for about the last 6 trips or so--- progressively worse the last few trips, so I pulled the intermediate housing to do the bellows. One of the Ujoints had some slop, one was ok--gonna replace them both anyway. There was a bit of corrosion in there, surface that is, so it would seem that water had been getting in for some time, but I know it doesn't take much for salt water to do that!

As for the rest of the bearings--the ones that require removing the engine...who knows. (How do you know when your in trouble there?)

 

[captmello]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

Reach in and move the end of the drive shaft. If there is any side to side play in the shaft, the bearings are bad.

 

[Don S]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

The zerk is on the end cap, but its very low profile--conical style and not a nipple.

Don't use them. They will hit the bellows and quickly put a hole in the bellows. Probably during turns.

 

[2stroke1971]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

Thanks guys!

 

[2stroke1971]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

There IS play on the end of that shaft. Not sure what to do, but I dont see ripping the motor out. Dont even have a lift. Its like going in for an ingrown toe nail and getting a triple bypass.

Im sure theres posts aplenty on replacing those bearings. I will get to searching. I wonder what the ultimate failure of these bearings would do. Strand me Im sure.

 

[captmello]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

Thats right. You'd be stranded and you would have a ton of parts to replace as well as pulling the engine.

Its not that hard to pull the engine. Changing the bearings now will save you a lot of money in the future.

 

[2stroke1971]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

Ive pulled motors from cars before....I would go so far as to buy an engine hoist, but the boat sits so high on the trailer...dont think a standard automotive unit would have the reach or lift for that.

Ive got a hercules Aframe at work which would just be perfect, Hell I could lift the whole boat 10 feet with that monster, but I dont think theyd let me take the boat in!

I thought about this...mounting two 4 by 4s across the boat and chaining the motor up TIGHT...so that when the engine separates, I could slide it over so to speak, so not really lift it, just support it, move it away from the transom, keep it from falling into the bilge. Then, I can get 10 able bodied men and we can walk it out of the boat egyptian style and all.

In sad sad reality though, I may try to make the season. I really need to re-ring the motor anyway so I had it in my mind I would pull the motor out over the winter. what a pia....my how I DO miss my old Johnson outboard! LOL!!!

 

[captmello]

Re: 270 outdrive u joints../bellows

Read this thread. This guy replaced the bearing on his without pulling the engine at all.


http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=405554