Bellows help please

[splatter]

I have been trying to change the bellows on my mercruiser alpha one outdrive . I cannot get the exhaust bellows to stay on . I glue it with mercury bellows cement then clamp it . When I trailer the drive up the bellows pops off of the bell housing houseing(Aft end ) . The other end holds fine . I have been fighting this for 2 days . I even let the glue dry overnight before clamping and it won't hold . I am at my wits end with this . I just bought the boat from a really good liar so I cannot afford to take it to a mechanic to have it repaired . If I could I really don't want to wait 10 weeks to get it back
Thanks in advance .

 

[Pete104]

Re: Bellows help please

Get rid of all the glue on both surfaces. Get them clean & dry. Reinstall & tighten the clamp! You could always take the short cut. Install the "exhaust tube" instead. I don't know what engine you have.

 

[dubs283]

Re: Bellows help please

drill two small holes near the edge of the flange on the bottom side where the exhaust bellows mounts to the bell housing

install two #6 or #8 screws, 1/4" long, stainless steel - the screws will not allow the clamp to slide past when in the trailer position

 

[Don S]

Re: Bellows help please

Hit your local Mercury outboard dealer and get a can of Power Tuner. now, clean all the glue off the bellows and the bellhousing. Attach the bellows to the transom shield as you normally would, but instead of glue, spray the bellhousing and the bellows with the power tune. It will slide on and off easily. Go drink a cold one. now, carefully tighten the clamp without raising the bellhousing any more than needed. Go have another cold one.
Now you can raise the bellhousing as high as you want. Make sure the clamp is in the correct position and tighten.
It WILL NOT fall off again. ..................... If you got all the old glue off.
Don't even think about drilling and putting screws in it.

 

[splatter]

Re: Bellows help please

thanks for the help guys . I cleaned all the glue off and reatached the belows . I have it stretched to the limit waiting to see if its gonna hold before I put the drive back on .

 

[splatter]

Re: Bellows help please

Get rid of all the glue on both surfaces. Get them clean & dry. Reinstall & tighten the clamp! You could always take the short cut. Install the "exhaust tube" instead. I don't know what engine you have.

I have the 3.0 . Exhaust tube sounds like a winner . I need to check into that .

 

[dubs283]

Re: Bellows help please

Don't even think about drilling and putting screws in it.

uh, yeah

not drilling/screwing into the bellows

just in the bellhousing flange to act like the old style ones that actually had nubs on them to prevent the clamp from sliding past

 

[Pete104]

Re: Bellows help please

Awesome suggestion dubs. While I've never had issue with clean & dry installs. That is a can't miss!

 

[splatter]

Re: Bellows help please

after the above post the other end slipped off which still had glue on it . I cleaned both ends and reattached ,that was 3 days ago . Have had it in the lake since and its still good . Thanks again for the help guys .

 

[Brentathon]

Re: Bellows help please

If you use the tube, or do Dubs' interesting drill/screw idea, you lose the un-intended function of having the exhaust bellows pop off under over-heating condition.
It softens/melts from the high exhaust temps and pops off, and gives you an audible alarm, hopefully in time to prevent major engine/drive damage.

 

[Pete104]

Re: Bellows help please

Where on this planet did you hear that, brentathon?