exhaust bellows

[newbie600rr]

Forgive me as I know little about I/O as I am an outboard guy. My dad has an 86 fourwins with a 140 merc with a alpha outdrive. He noticed that the exhaust bellows is broke and am wondering if he is hurting anything if he continues to run it like this. He only uses 2-3 times a year and doesn't want to spend the money if he doesn't have to.

Thanks

Chris

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: exhaust bellows

Forgive me as I know little about I/O as I am an outboard guy. My dad has an 86 fourwins with a 140 merc with a alpha outdrive. He noticed that the exhaust bellows is broke and am wondering if he is hurting anything if he continues to run it like this. He only uses 2-3 times a year and doesn't want to spend the money if he doesn't have to.

Thanks

Chris

No, it won't hurt it.....

 

[Banditz]

Re: exhaust bellows

depends....i look at it as if it was not needed they would not have been installed at the factory....if he ever has to stop fast, or the back of the boat gets swamped by waves, then he is gonna maybe have a huge tow bill....those baffles keep water from goin up and into the engine. If he drives with some sense, and gets lucky enough to never have a wave come over the stern, then he will likly be ok. But if he is planed off and stops suddenly and the stern wave comes up...it can go up into the engine vie the exhaust....so you tell me, is it needed?

 

[Philster]

Re: exhaust bellows

They are not needed.

They are much like the stereo speakers on the boat. They are there for audio aesthetics. Another good analogy is the stickers and graphics on your boat. The manufacturer actually applied them, despite their complete lack of necessity.

Not needed: Graphics, stereos, emblems, exhaust belows, speakers, shiny paint, porta-potties, cup holders, etc.

Exhaust belows merely take exhaust to the outdrive, for quieting down the sound on plane. They don't keep water out of anything.

 

[Philster]

Re: exhaust bellows

depends....i look at it as if it was not needed they would not have been installed at the factory....if he ever has to stop fast, or the back of the boat gets swamped by waves, then he is gonna maybe have a huge tow bill....those baffles keep water from goin up and into the engine. If he drives with some sense, and gets lucky enough to never have a wave come over the stern, then he will likly be ok. But if he is planed off and stops suddenly and the stern wave comes up...it can go up into the engine vie the exhaust....so you tell me, is it needed?

Do you know what an exhaust bellows is? You mention 'baffles'. Tell me about these baffles.

I think you are imagining exhaust-tip flappers, which would help a boat equipped with an above-waterline, through-hull exhaust keep water from sloshing into (and up) the exhaust tailpipe.

 

[Philster]

Re: exhaust bellows

Flappers

 

[Philster]

Re: exhaust bellows

Bellows

 

[nola mike]

Re: exhaust bellows

Forgive me as I know little about I/O as I am an outboard guy. My dad has an 86 fourwins with a 140 merc with a alpha outdrive. He noticed that the exhaust bellows is broke and am wondering if he is hurting anything if he continues to run it like this. He only uses 2-3 times a year and doesn't want to spend the money if he doesn't have to.

Thanks

Chris

no, but it might be an indication of the condition of the u-joint bellows--if that one goes unnoticed/unrepaired, you're potentially dealing with a big bill. i'd pull the drive for sure at the end of the season and check it out...

 

[nola mike]

Re: exhaust bellows

flappers?

 

[BAproject]

Re: exhaust bellows

not needed, and some replacements come from the factory with a drain hole in them

 

[stonyloam]

Re: exhaust bellows

depends....i look at it as if it was not needed they would not have been installed at the factory....if he ever has to stop fast, or the back of the boat gets swamped by waves, then he is gonna maybe have a huge tow bill....those baffles keep water from goin up and into the engine. If he drives with some sense, and gets lucky enough to never have a wave come over the stern, then he will likly be ok. But if he is planed off and stops suddenly and the stern wave comes up...it can go up into the engine vie the exhaust....so you tell me, is it needed?

You are confusing the exhaust bellows with the exhaust shutters, which work exactly as you described above, and are located inside the exhaust pipe.

 

[Banditz]

Re: exhaust bellows

OP, I apologize...They are completely correct. I was confused with your question, as well as one other tread on here. I kept thinking for some god aweful reason you meant flappers. I am sorry and hope that you dont make a mistake because of me.



Guys, thanks..I lost my mind lately I guess....:redface:

 

[muscmkr]

Re: exhaust bellows

a lot of confusing discussion here. If you are talking about the accordion style rubber hose as the picture posted by philster then yes replace it. You can get water in your engine or even sink your boat if left in the water. It is that simple. You may get lucky and not have a problem but why take the chance.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: exhaust bellows

a lot of confusing discussion here. If you are talking about the accordion style rubber hose as the picture posted by philster then yes replace it. You can get water in your engine or even sink your boat if left in the water. It is that simple. You may get lucky and not have a problem but why take the chance.

Well, I agree that there is some confusion.

The drive bellows is the important one. Those will let water into the boat if they have holes or are split.

The exhaust bellows will not. You could remove them completely and have no problem with water getting into the boat whatsoever.

 

[fraannk]

Re: exhaust bellows

Newbie,

Like Haut Medoc (10,586 posts) it will not hurt a thing but could leave soot on the outdrive and make a mess. They have exhaust tubes that are about 30 bucks that you can replace the bellows with in about 10 minutes without anything but a long slender screwdriver though. The exhaust tube is an open tube that directs the exhaust out of the correct hole in the outdrive.

I think Muscmker (9 posts) should do a little more research before giving advice.

 

[newbie600rr]

Re: exhaust bellows

Thanks to everybody for the responses. I will have him look into the exhaust tubes.

Thanks again

 

[skargo]

Re: exhaust bellows

a lot of confusing discussion here. If you are talking about the accordion style rubber hose as the picture posted by philster then yes replace it. You can get water in your engine or even sink your boat if left in the water. It is that simple. You may get lucky and not have a problem but why take the chance.

Sorry but this is not correct, when referring to the exhaust bellows. Hell, I have an exhaust tube on my boat, instead of a bellows and it is only attached to one end, it is always open.
Please, before giving bad advice make sure you know what you are talking about first, thanks!

 

[sunchaser1]

Re: exhaust bellows

mercruiser 4.3
yamaha outdrive

I have the same problem, only a piece of the exhaust bellows on my boat. I was told by a mechanic that water is directed thru the bellow to cool the lower unit... Is this correct? from what I am reading on here the bellow is not needed at all???