The alignment was fantastic. :)
Looking back through the pictures, I think I found the problem. Look at the bottom of the bellows. It is no longer seated on the lip. Judging by that and a crease in that area on the rubber, I highly suspect that the lip pulled away there when the unit was...
Got it apart. Both ends of the bellows were still sealed. Showing good contact all around.
No splits in the bellows, but there is dry rot. Probably a tiny leak from that.
I bought and installed this chinesium bellows in 2020.
I expect the genuine replacement (made in Italy) to last longer.
The...
Crunchy bearing confirmed.
Waiting for the mailman. I should have everything today.
I don't know yet if the boot failed, or if I botched the installation. Waiting for storms to pass and parts/ tools to arrive before I continue.
I hope that's all it is. I'm anxious to pull it apart, but I won't have parts and tools until later in the week. I don't want to block my driveway all week, so I will just get ready and wait until the stuff gets here.
I'm glad it failed during this "shakedown run" because we plan to take...
Honestly? I haven't pulled the drive since I finished the restoration back around 2021. I don't take the boat out much, or for very long at a time, so I have ignored that maintenance.
I usually only go out on the lake for an hour or so, two or three times a year, but the last time I used it...
I should add that the bearing was part of an all-in-one kit from China. I should have bought quality parts from Iboats.com
The gimble bearing I got wass sealed; no grease hole to line up with the hole in the housing.
I still have the grease fitting in the hole, but someone told me that is a bad...
OMC Cobra drive noise:
The wife and I were out on the lake yesterday for the first time this season.
We rode from the ramp to the ski area and opened it up a bit. I made a turn and continued, then decided to throttle back. When I did, I heard what sounded like a dry bearing all of a sudden...
2 x 4s are typically a bit much for anything but building construction. Each piece seems light, but man does it add up quick.
1 x (?) and plywood are better for what you are building. It forces you to use pocket screw joints or small blocks in corners, but I feel that the extra work is worth...
It says 1 year warranty. If you got 7 years out of a Never Start, you did great, IMHO. I call them that because their car batteries only last a few year at best. I stopped buying them.
(I didn't see the "robot or human" thing.)
USB ports typically have a small parasitic draw. That's where the battery switch saves the day. Disconnect the ground.
Of course, if it's in the water, you have to leave the battery on, but most of us store our boats on land.
