Bellow vent hole? Alpha one gen 1 Merc

[Jamz33]

Water leak

i have noticed water leaking from beside the water inlet on the inner side of the gimbal housing. My outdrive is the mercruiser alpha one gen 1. It has just started but I’m not sure where it is coming from. I haven’t completely ruled out the inlet tube but i don’t think that is the problem. It doesn’t always do it when running. I think it is something to do with when the water line gets so high but I can’t seem to replicate it when I want to. It’s leaking from this area circled in the picture. Can someone tell me what it is? P.s. I’m not sure if this is the right housing. I found a pick on the web that looked similar.

 

[Jamz33]

I realized that was the wrong gimbal plate I believe that is s gen 2. I found mine on YouTube. There is some kind of plate that is between the motor and this housing but outlined in red is somewhere where the water is leaking in. I also noticed what looks like grease around this area as well. Any help is greatly appreciated because I’m kind of at a stand still right now because I don’t know where I need to start.

 

[Bt Doctur]

your main bellow has started leaking, need to get it on land and remove the drive.

 

[Jamz33]

Times before where I have had my main bellow leak it would leak in around the drive shaft and I have checked it several times and it would leak all the time. I see no leak except when it was running then checked it shortly after that then it wasn’t leaking again that’s why I thought maybe the leak was above the water line and the exhaust would kind of blow it in when running. I’m confused. I will get a picture of my gimbal plate and post it soon. How is that inlet tube sealed to not leak?

 

[Rick Stephens]

Tube has a rubber grommet around it and a plate that squeezes it out to seal. Gets old enough that get hard and can leak. Only other thing up high is the pivot pin seal. If the boat is deep enough in the water it can leak.

 

[Jamz33]

Here is a photo from inside my boat. Is this the vent hole from the u joint bellow? Why would it have grease there also? I have checked and my outdrive grease is fine with no water in it. I know cause could be bellow but could it also be water inlet gasket where the outdrive butts up to the bell housing? Just trying to think of all possible causes.

 

[Jamz33]

Here is a photo from inside my boat. Is this the vent hole from the u joint bellow? Water was spraying out of this while the boat was running. Why would it have grease there also? I have checked and my outdrive grease is fine with no water in it. I know the bellow could possibly have a hole but I don’t think it’s the case due to being fairly new and when the bellow had leaked before water came in around driveshaft. Is there any other explanation?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... All the grease purged from greasin' the gimbel bearin', ends up in the bellows,.....

Most likely cause is a hole in the bellows,....

 

[tank1949]

The photo is not real CLEAR AS TO WATER IS COMING FROM. If you mean the mud-dobber looking stuff, that is your water jacket. If you can, please edit photo and mark exactly where water is spraying from? I have owned alphas. I suspect your hose needs tightening? Again....not real clear where spray is.

 

[Jamz33]

When I noticed the water spraying out I couldn’t get down in a position to physically see the vent hole but while looking down from the top it was spraying out right beside the water inlet tube in the vicinity where the vent hole is located. I have outlined where the spray was coming from.The purged grease makes sense because I greased the bearing yesterday before getting on the water.

 

[Bt Doctur]

Heres what happening. The water inlet O ring is missing or dislodged your pumping water into the bellow
Do the right thing and remove the drive , you`ll find the problem

 

[Jamz33]

Thanks for the replies! Will let you know what I find. I hope to remove the drive Thursday evening.

 

[Jamz33]

OK so I pulled the drive off that u joint bellow had water and grease in it. Is there a seal to go bad and let lower unit grease into the bellow? The bellow was fine, no holes that I found and he rubber is still very soft. The water inlet o ring could possibly be part of the problem but it didn’t look bad by any means. I did find rubber washer on the shifting mechanism that attaches to the lower part of the outdrive was hard and cracking. The part I have outlined is suppose to stay dry correct? The yellow circle was where the cracked oring was.

 

[Bt Doctur]

The bellow was fine, no holes that I found and he rubber is still very soft.
THe rubber is not supposed to be soft, more very firm


The water inlet o ring could possibly be part of the problem but it
If not in the correct position water will be forced into the bellow

The area in red is a dry area

 

[Jamz33]

I shouldn’t have used the word soft more like durable. I assume the grease in the bellow was lower unit grease? That one washer definitely needed changed. With the right tools is changing the upper drive seals a job a do it yourselfer can do?

 

[nola mike]

The grease in the bellows is probably ujoint/spline/gimbal grease. Gear oil would be a separate issue. The shift shaft seal isn't bad to replace (you probably need to replace the whole thing with the newer style assembly) but isn't the cause of the water in the bellows

 

[Bt Doctur]

where was the thick rubber ring when you removed the drive? Your supposed to glue it in place.

 

[achris]

......I have checked and my outdrive grease is fine with no water in it. ....

Shouldn't be grease in the drive, only high performance gear oil.

If you have oil and water mixed in the bellows, you have a damaged bellows which needs to be replaced. That's how water gets in. That water then corrodes the seal surface on the drive yoke, which tears up the front seal, which let's the oil into the bellows. So you'll need to pull the top box apart and either repair or replace the yoke and fit a new seal.

Chris. ...

 

[Jamz33]

where was the thick rubber ring when you removed the drive? Your supposed to glue it in place.

It was in place. I used silicone to hold it on last time I installed the drive.

 

[Jamz33]

Shouldn't be grease in the drive, only high performance gear oil.

If you have oil and water mixed in the bellows, you have a damaged bellows which needs to be replaced. That's how water gets in. That water then corrodes the seal surface on the drive yoke, which tears up the front seal, which let's the oil into the bellows. So you'll need to pull the top box apart and either repair or replace the yoke and fit a new seal.

Chris. ...

i need to choose better words. It seems to be outdrive oil not like hard grease. It is that yellow milky color in the bellows.