Sources of bellows water

[bashr52]

I started up the boat for the first time this season and noticed an audible knock. It sounded like rocks inside the crank case, but the engine ran smooth. Trimming up the drive quieted the noise so I figured it was a U-joint going bad. I noticed a slight tick starting late last season, but it cleared up after a little running. I replaced the bellows and gimbal bearing 3-4 years ago, and had the drive off early last season to replace a shift cable and everything looked fine, bellows still nice and soft and flexible, no signs of water inside.

I pulled the drive yesterday to inspect/replace the U-joints, and it was a different story. There was residual water inside, drive shaft is completely rusted, gimbal bearing is shot. Bellows had a bunch of rusty water in the bottom, and what looked like clear jelly. I pulled the drive bellows and did a full inspection, they look perfect. No cuts, scrapes, or cracks, still flexible and soft. No signs of water entering that way. Where else could water be getting in? The drive gasket was perfect as well, no rips or tears that could have allowed water to get between the drive and pivot housing.

 

[alldodge]

Leaked from under the clamp would be my guess. Look around where the boot attached to transom, is it clean and smooth? Was bellows adhesive used?

 

[Bt Doctur]

was the large rubber ring still glued inside the housing

 

[Bt Doctur]

and there no "edit" button either could you have had a very high bilge water level at some point

 

[bashr52]

Yes the adhesive was used, and even after I removed the clamp I still needed to use a screw driver between the bellows and housing to get it unstuck. Rubber ring was still there as well. I wondered about water in from the bilge side. I have been getting a moderate amount of water in the bilge, but I think I tracked it down to loose fish box drains at the front of the boat, allowing water to get between the hull and box and run down into the bilge. It has never gotten that high before the float switch would kick in and pump it out. It could be possible any water in the bilge below the flat height was enough to slosh to the back when starting out at low speed and was more than the pump could get out before it got up to the bearing level...

 

[Bt Doctur]

There is a vent hole about 2 inches below the shaft so if enough splashing took place it might end up in the bellow

 

[nola mike]

There is a vent hole about 2 inches below the shaft so if enough splashing took place it might end up in the bellow

How often is this the case? Not to hijack the thread, but I did my bellows 2 years ago and they look pristine. Have had the drive off multiple times since without water. Left it on over the winter, and it was a mess. The drive shaft sits pretty high in the bilge, no way water made it all the way up there. I mean, possible that it splashed up there I guess, but doesn't seem likely, and not in the quantity needed to trash everything inside.

 

[Bt Doctur]

That usually happens when the cover or tarp leaks and the hull drain was left in or the hole got clogged with debris or ice

 

[nola mike]

Not the case with me. I think I'll dunk the boat before I reinstall the engine...