U-Joint Bellows Installation

[crawdadric]

1985 Sea Ray SRV300 Twin 5.7L Mercruiser's with Alpha 1 drives.<br /><br />Purchased a transom repair kit. The bellows was made by GLM. The service manual said to install the bellows on the bell housing. "Be sure to position bellows according to "aft top" marking on bellows". My bellows does not have "aft top" marking on it. It does have one of the ribs shaved off like a flat spot. Does the flat spot end of the bellows mount toward the bell housing?<br /><br />I also noticed in the service manual that it suggests replacing the exhaust bellows with an exhaust tube. Is this a common practice with the 5.7L engines?<br /><br />Thank you....

 

[Don S]

Re: U-Joint Bellows Installation

I don't know what manual you have, but it doesn't sound like a good one. It's not common practice to use the exhaust tube, it's just done by those that don't have the ability to use the exhaust bellows and install it correctly.<br /><br />Here is a link to the Merc manual.<br /><br /> http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Servmanl/6/6covr3.pdf

 

[crawdadric]

Re: U-Joint Bellows Installation

Don S, Check out section 4B page 8 top right paragraph. It talks about the exhaust tube.<br /><br />Section 4B page 17 step 6 talks about mounting the u-joint bellows. Do you think the bellows end with the shaved rib is the end that should face the bell housing?<br /><br />Thank you...