boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

[Tailguner]

I called a local shop to have all my bellows replaced requesting use of only oem bellows. The shop proceeded to tell me no problem with replacing the ujoint and shift cable bellows but if the exhaust bellows was good to leave it on as "the recent oem exhaust bellows they have gotton keep falling off ". Now im no expert but have not heard of this??? anyone care to share or should i just look for a new shop. They are charging 600.00 parts and labor..at that rate i definately want the exhaust bellows replaced (i declined the exhaust boot idea.) im running a 7.4l with b3 outdrive.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

Why don't you want the boot? Once you install that, it never has to be changed again. And even if your current exhaust bellows has a hole in it, it's not a big deal. There's already water in there.

 

[Don S]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

There is a problem with the Alpha I Gen II drives having the exhaust bellows falling off, and I guess if Merc took the groove out of the bellhousing on the Bravo's that it may fall off as well.
Here is what works for the Alpha bellows http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=509283&p=3438877&viewfull=1#post3438877
The picture that is missing is nothing more than a picture of a can of power tune.
Trust me, it works, have used it many times on customers boats, and never had one fall off when done this way.

 

[Tailguner]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

1. didnt know there was water already in there
2. dont want my boat to be noisey when just idling or slow speeds around the lake

Why don't you want the boot? Once you install that, it never has to be changed again. And even if your current exhaust bellows has a hole in it, it's not a big deal. There's already water in there.

 

[SuperNova]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

2. dont want my boat to be noisey when just idling or slow speeds around the lake

It won't be noisy

 

[tpenfield]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

Yup, my exhaust bellows has fallen off twice. For me, it is no biggie, since I have thru-hull exhaust.

As an alternative. You could just go with the 'tube' rather than the bellows.

 

[MarkSee]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

I loved the sound of my 7.4/B3 that has a boot so much, I took the perfectly good exhaust bellows off of my 4.3 a1g2 and put the boot on. Sounds great; especially running on a hose in front of the house.
Mark

 

[Pete104]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

What are you getting in parts for 600 bucks? The "tube" is 20-30 bucks more than bellow, makes no sense. You won't even know it's there!

 

[LilRedNeckGirl]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

Our exaust bellows, from the transom to the drive, has fallen off also. It come loose from the drive when the drive is lifted. Its a real pain to get back on. Our mechanic says its no big deal, as when the drive is down, it lines up anyways. He thinks the cause is cold weather and stiff rubber, combined with vibration and the heating cooling effects/ expansion contraction.
add in the round hose end, and the oval connection, .....

A " put it back on yourself" tip. Warm it with a blow dryer to get the rubber flexable. a bit of lube on the inside of the hose helps also.

 

[Don S]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

a bit of lube on the inside of the hose helps also.

You Don't want any kind of lube on the Exhaust bellows on The Gen II or possibly his Bravo drive if it doesn't have the groove in the housing or the bellows, or that will make it easier to fall off. The older Alphas and MC1 drives like you have didn't have the problem.

 

[LilRedNeckGirl]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

they might not have had the problem, but as per our river mechanics word, this is becoming a problem for a lot of boaters, even with the older drives. He feels it has to do with the rubber the new / replacment bellows are made from, or the quality of the new clamps being used.
As he sais to us, " he used to see a loose bellows once every year or so, now its once a month in season"
even with the lil lip on the older models, they are popping off.

 

[Don S]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

If people are lubricating them with oil to install them, it's not a surprise they fall off. If you use the Power tune as I suggested, it acts like a lube, but when it evaporates, and the bellows is clamped properly, it will NOT fall off.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

The exaust boot is one thing any installer will like.one clamp and it's done,no busted knuckles,cursing etc.

 

[Tailguner]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

Don where can i purchase a can of this Power Tune???? i tried google and not getting the right things

If people are lubricating them with oil to install them, it's not a surprise they fall off. If you use the Power tune as I suggested, it acts like a lube, but when it evaporates, and the bellows is clamped properly, it will NOT fall off.

 

[dubs283]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

where can i purchase a can of this Power Tune?

your local merc dealer will have it

 

[Don S]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

It's designed as an engine decarbonizer for 2 stroke outboard. Any Merc outboard dealer will have it, you can also goggle Mercury power tune without the Mercury in it, you won't find it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

for installing rubber parts like bellows, I usually use P-80 rubber assembly lube http://www.ipcol.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2&cat=Lubricants

however I have access to this at work. another simple assembly lube trick I have used is simple water. I agree with Don, grease or oil will make it come off.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

1. didnt know there was water already in there
2. dont want my boat to be noisey when just idling or slow speeds around the lake

1. Yep, water enters the exhaust gases at the exhaust riser inside the boat.
2. The tube is completely pressed against the outdrive when the drive is tilted down. there is absolutely NO difference in sound, in the water, at idle speeds. Only when you get up on plane, and trim the drive up (almost to the limit) will you *possibly* notice a difference. And it isn't loud then either. In my boat that was how you could tell that you had the trim up just right for the best cruising speed. I even taught my wife to listen for the change in the tone (it was slight) so when she drove, she got the trim right.

Simply, put the tube on and forget about it.

 

[Don S]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

You need to understand one thing guys. The tube was designed for one reason and one reason only. To relieve back pressure on the larger engines (The big blocks) at higher rpm's. It was not designed to make it easy for a DIYer to change his own bellows without the special tools the dealers have. Since they aren't clamped on the bellhousing, when you trim up or turn, more exhaust escapes. When exhaust escapes (even when full down) there is more noise.
The props are also designed to have exhaust running through them, for best efficiency.
So use the tube if you want, it won't hurt anything. But don't tell people it doesn't change the sound or affect anything else, it does. Why do you think Mercruiser still uses the bellows?

Many owners want their boat the way it was when they got it. Deal with it, he wants the bellows and now has information on how to make it work.

 

[Pete104]

Re: boat shop gave me some interesting advise on my bellows?

Fair enough!