PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

[tracyman0111]

Hello all--

Definitely down in the dumps today, until I get some good news from one of you on this. Or bad news, as long as it's straight news lol. Just finished a block up rebuild on an AQ131; put the muffs on to do the maiden carb tune, and heard a TERRIBLE clanking noise from inside the upper bellows....pulled the bellows back, and the u-joints were just flopping all around inside. I don't know if this is just a failed gimble bearing? (Don't know for sure where that is, but have heard it's relatively easy to replace) I pulled the upper gear unit off with the ujoints and all, and am attaching pictures of what I found. All that was left was the very back seal into the bellhousing, and a snap ring. Everything else is now metal fragments inside. Please help. I'm about 32 or 33 Hundred into this boat now, and have never had it out on the water, got in WAY over my head, but too late to turn back now. Thanks for any advice.

Travis

 

[Don S]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

You need a new housing for sure. The whole bottom lip of the housing is missing. It keeps the ujoints from contacting the bellows.

 

[tracyman0111]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

So is that where the Gimbal bearing is? I've heard mention of it quite a few times in regards to I/O's....

 

[Don S]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

That model does not have a gimbal bearing. It's called a primary shaft bearing, it does not gimbal at all, it just a regular ball bearing .................. well, it used to be before it disassembled itself.
The reason for your problem was simply lack of maintenance, long before you owned it. The bellows failed, was full of water and rusted bearings. I would also bet you have water in the drive.
The engines are fairly inexpensive to fix compared to what you MAY be getting into.

 

[tracyman0111]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

Thanks for the info!! Between buying the boat and all the work I've done to the motor costwise (pretty much everything new or rebuilt), I could run into having to buy an entire new/used outdrive with the upper gear box and everything and not even come close to what I've already spent on it so far....like I said, too late to turn back now, I've married the damn thing

As far as that flywheel housing goes, I think I can salvage the one that's on the boat. I matched it up to a good one, and there's really not that much material missing. I think my pictures weren't the greatest, but the bottom edges of it are just mangled a little, I think I can smooth them out and be okay; there's more than plenty of surface there to clamp the bellows onto. Those seals and snap rings that are involved with that bearing, can those all be installed from the outdrive side, or does the motor need to be pulled?

Oh, one more thing, can you direct me to a place where I can download the manual for that outdrive? I'm pretty sure it's a 275, it's the most common combo that I've read about and heard of. Thanks for all your help Don!!

 

[captmello]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

yes, to do it properly, plan on pulling the motor to remove the flywheel housing. If the machining in the housing survived the bearing explosion, maybe you can still use it.

use the 280 manual for your outdrive, its pretty much the same.

 

[tracyman0111]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

Do you have a link to that manual? Thanks Don!

 

[captmello]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

in the adults only thread.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=288430

#11, scroll down.

Don mentioned the lower lip of the housing is missing and serves a purpose. You may want to check ebay for a good one.

 

[tracyman0111]

Re: PLEASE HELP!! 275 Penta O/D, inside of upper bellows all mangled up!!!

Ok. I've got a line on a good used one for $250, compared to the new ones going for $1000 on eBay and VolvoPentastore.com!! Thanks fellas!!!