Re: OMC Cobra Exh. Bellows
Would it be ok to operate the boat for 1/2 hour on the water with no exhaust bellows?
My brother bought my 1987 liberator in 1987 (new) It came with "Thru-hull" exhaust.
A few years later he rebuilt the engine and in the total job he had them install Capt's Call exhaust diverters and a Y-pipe for switchable thru-hull/thru-prop exhaust.
When I got it about 15years later, I was getting ready to do a "transom-service" which included new (drive AND exhaust) bellows I noticed that there was no exhaust bellows installed.
For a moment, I thought it fell off! Then I noticed that the drive had a screened "cover" over the hole where the exhaust bellows would connect at the transom mount (see item #104 in the picture below from Doug Russell parts)
That cover is in place for installations that have "Thru-Hull" exhaust
ONLY.
In that case there's no exhaust bellows and there's also a plate which covers the place where the y-pipe bolts inside to prevent water from rushing in!
15 or so years earlier when the guy installed the Y-pipe and Capts Call, he didn't bother to install an exhaust bellows at all!
When I asked my brother what happened to the exhaust bellows, he said....."What's an exhaust bellows!!"
It ran for 15+ years without an exhaust bellows....
If you want, you can just leave it that way.....
It'll be a little noisier and at idle, you'll notice bubbles around the transom and if you have a swim-step, you'll have more exhaust there and
an increased chance of carbon monoxide poisoning for someone is sitting on the transom or swim-step.
YOU SHOULD NEVER ALLOW SOMEONE TO SIT ON THE TRANSOM OR SWIM-STEP WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING ANYWAY!!!
Cheers,
Rick
