85 alpha1 -replaced bellows - still leaking at transom?

[webnetxpress]

finished the bellows job last night, put the outdrive end in the water at the ramp. opened the engine bay to still see water coming in somewhere around the drive shaft or just above it.<br /><br />Any idea on what else could be leaking it in? <br /><br />Can the outdrive be letting water in through it?

 

[deckhand]

Re: 85 alpha1 -replaced bellows - still leaking at transom?

Pull the drive back off and check that the big square "o-ring" did not get pushed out off position when drive was installed. Best to use bellows adhesive to glue it in place before fitting drive. If the leak is above drive shaft it is coming in through a 1/4" hole designed into the system right above the gimbol bearing it's sole purpose is to let you know you have a leaking drive seal or the bellows is split/installed wrong.

 

[elpaso]

Re: 85 alpha1 -replaced bellows - still leaking at transom?

If shift cable boot leaks - it will appear<br />as if shaft is leaking ?

 

[outboardguy]

Re: 85 alpha1 -replaced bellows - still leaking at transom?

Are you sure the exhaust pipe doesn't have a hole in it? Merc's are kind of popular for breaking the exhaust shutters and sending them down the pipe where they get stuck and end up cutting a hole through the pipe. The hole is always below the water line, and will probably be found as a 3/8 half moon on either side of the Y-pipe right next to the driveshaft coming into the motor. Old hand I agree that if the bellows are leaking that you would likely see it enter the 1/4 inch hole in the transom above the gimbal.But the hole is not there for that purpose only, it is there to let the bellows breath and maintain it's shape.If you installed the drive with it in the down position and it was airtight to the transom, then when you put it up the bellows would most likely end up pulling the sides into the u-joints from the resulting vacuum,possibly causing the bellows to stay in that form and when started the bellows would be ripped instantly.

 

[qystan]

Re: 85 alpha1 -replaced bellows - still leaking at transom?

2 other possible places that are above the driveshaft.<br /><br />1. The trim position sensor wires feed-through holes. Move the wires to induce the leak to run down the wires to confirm.<br /><br />2. The seal at the gimbal ring upper swivel shaft. Normally this is just above the waterline, but boat movement will continually dunk this below. If you dip the aft end into the water for the test, this will likley be below the waterline.