Bellows Inspection

[Blackpony]

When I "hand inspect" my drive bellows it looks and feels fine and there are no leaks however I do get a fair amount of black on my hand from the bellows. Is this just normal oxidation or a sign of impending bellows failure? Yes, it's been several years since the bellows were last changed, but the boat has been in storage. I don't want to pay to have the bellows changed now if not necessary, but I also don't want to pay more later for more parts and also have a boating vacation (in a week) ruined for my family.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Bellows Inspection

The black oxidation doesn't mean anything. Go rub your fingers on your car tires. The black on your fingers doesn't mean the tire is about to fail.

Unfortunately there is no way to predict an impending bellows failure, (unless you have a working crystal ball. Don S used to, but he claims his doesn't work any more) assuming a normal looking bellows (any cracks, splits, etc are obvious causes to replace it). That's why manufacturer's base their recommendations on time. I've seen recommendations from every other year to every 10 years. You'll find posters here with 20 year old boats on the original bellows, 1 year old leaking bellows, and everything in between.

It comes down to the classic question, as stated by Dirty Harry: "Do you feel lucky, punk?"