water coming in- transom more pics added

[insaneasylm]

hey guys i have a 98 bayliner capri with a 3.0 merc. I have water coming through the transom. Last year i had water coming in but i could never tell where it was coming from. Now this year i just droped it in the water and i could here it pouring in. The water is coming in right in the middle of where the motor and upper unit connect to the transom. I called a boat place and asked they said it is more than likely the the rubber seal that goes around the drive shaft and that the u-joints may need to be replaced.

So what i need to know is this typical and could i do it my self. I pretty mech inclined i was an auto mech for a couple of years a long time ago. Is it hard, pain in the *** or what. And what might be an avg. price to have it repaired at a shop. thx

And if this is in the wrong thread sorry

 

[Bondo]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

Ayuh,... Go down to the Motors,+ I.Os forum,... Search Bellows Replacement when you get there...

 

[QC]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

Now you're already in the I/O section Good luck!

 

[insaneasylm]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

ok i have been searching around and i cann't really find what i'm looking for on this subject. Is there any place that might have step by step instructions on how to replace the bellow and the bearings if needed. Also what other parts that will need to be bought/replace during the process. thx

 

[QC]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

Take a look at the Adults only sticky at the top of this thread . . . You may want to consider the possibility that you'll even need a gimbal bearing and then this takes on even more time, money, tools etc. . . . With that said, there are a ton of threads here on this exact topic with lots of detail.

 

[insaneasylm]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

ok i was out side looking at the bellow and it looks fine. felt all around it as much as i could and no tears or holes and it doesn't feel streched out at all.
i notice when i pulled the boat out water was leaking from under the the bellow on the houseing, there are 2 holes down there on either side. that are at about a 45 deg angle and that is where the water was coming out from.


And also plz someone tell me this gets better. this is my first boat. i just bought it last year. Laid off from work currently and was hoping to do some boating during the day.

 

[Nippissinger]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

How big are the holes?

Are they perfectly round with inserts?

Try plugging them with drain plugs...

Or post a pic of what you have discovered. I am no I/O expert so they may be for something that is missin..

Will

 

[bruceb58]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

I assume you are looking at the upper bellows right? Have you pulled the drive lately? You need to do this and see what is in there.

 

[Bondo]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

I assume you are looking at the upper bellows right? Have you pulled the drive lately? You need to do this and see what is in there.

Ayuh,.... Exactly.... You're only 8 nuts away from Knowing the answer....

notice when i pulled the boat out water was leaking from under the the bellow on the houseing, there are 2 holes down there on either side. that are at about a 45 deg angle and that is where the water was coming out from.

Those are the exhaust idle relief ports,... Perfectly Normal...

 

[insaneasylm]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

ok thanks you guys for all the help this far. Learning along the way ya know. ok here is what i now know. i went out and bought some muffs and was out runnning the boat at idel and no water was coming in. 1 good sign i think. And yes those holes i was looking were exhust ports.

the bellows look fine no holes or any thing. After looking at the engine awhile i noticed where the drive shaft was and the water that was coming in was not from there. The water was coming in from below it. So i followed the around and i looks like that is where it runs too. Am I correct in this.

Is there any thing at all that could have been disconnected during winterizing that needs to be hooked back up that i'm missing before i tear in to it.

Just want to say thx again. I regret not coming back to this forum after i bought the boat now.

 

[insaneasylm]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

Oh and i forgot to say that when i had the boat down at the river i never had it started in the water. the water was coming in on it's own. and coming out those exhust idel ports on there own.

 

[Bondo]

Re: water in coming in- transom

Re: water in coming in- transom

Is there any thing at all that could have been disconnected during winterizing that needs to be hooked back up that i'm missing before i tear in to it.

Ayuh,... In the Adults Only section,... There's a thread titled Winterization,....
That'll tell you what Should have been done....
There's also a thread titled Summerization,....
It'll tell you what needs doing Now....

Aaaah,... You posted again,...

You probably have a large Hole in the exhaust downpipe,... Or it's just plain Busted...

 

[insaneasylm]

Re: water is coming in- transom

Re: water is coming in- transom

so should i still pull off the drive then and check it out. If i do that it's just the 6 nuts and the snap rings that are on the trim shocks correct and then i can move it out of the way and see whats going on in there. If that exhust pipe is cracked can that be fixed or do you get a new one. And the way it looks do i have to pull the engine to get to it. And will i be able to tell if that is busted or broken if i pull there drive off.

I also paid to have it winterized at a local marina. So would they have taken off the drive. And if they did wouldn't they have told me that the bellows, gimbell, and u-joints were bad.

 

[insaneasylm]

Re: water is coming in- transom

Re: water is coming in- transom

i'm so happy i could poop my pants. If what i found is an easy fix any way. I'm sure you guys will let me know. Well i was doing a lot more reading and got scared that my transom might be bad so i went back out side to check for stress cracks and there wasn't any. Moved the out drive around a bit to check the bellows some more. The top big one is the drive shaft bellow i take it and the bottom smaller one is the exhust 1 right?

Any way i was just looking at those 2. Right there in front of my face is the culprit. A smaller boot or bellow completly riped in 2. I don't know what it's for though. Looks to be a cable of sorts. Its on the right side of the out drive in the middle of the upper and lower bellows.

So now that i know where and why. I need to know if water coming in through this one might have affected anything else at all. if it would have let water into the shaft bellow and what not. Here is a pic so if you guys could tell me what i'm looking at that would be great thx.

 

[renny1]

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

its your shift cable bellows so now you need a new cable depending on how long the water has been getting at it whilst your there you would be good to change the exhaust and the UJ bellows and get greasing

 

[AZSenza]

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

That boot has sunk a boat or two I'm sure! Yes thats the shift linkage to the drive boot, Pretty easy fix. If your like I was when I was laid off, you dont have money for anything except whats broke right now! Am I right! Ok, Look up the manual for replacing the shift boot in adults only section. It will give you step by step, the part is about 10 bucks and your manual labor. Be careful, go slow and inspect all the parts you remove for excessive wear or breakage. If it aint broke-Dont fix it. Happy Boating!

 

[bpmcl00]

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

cusious mate, what your is your boat?

 

[humpbackshooter]

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

I am in the process of replacing the that same bellows. the lower unit has to come out, the the shifter cable needs to come out, the gimbal bearing is most likely bad. the total for parts right now is at $300. the gimbal bearing itself is $100. the u-jount bellows is $100. the other two--25 & 40. the water hose is a 2-ply hose, $15. not a bad job, if u take u time and go slow. My boat is a 96 Maxium. 4.3. I have pics, not here at work. good luck.
phil

 

[APPALOOSA2]

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

Pull the outdrive like Bondo said and believe me just change the whole shift cable if its not bad yet it will be and you will not have to worry about it or get towed in when it goes.
When it was winterized did the outdrive get pulled and the ujoints get greased ? Grab a gasket kit and just pull it and also you will be able to check both your bellows and I would also check engine aligment, buy or rent a alignment tool.

98 bayliner 11 years old bet your bellows are not far behind in changing and I would do the water pump while the lower unit is off if it original.

Much better to be boating this summer instead of saying I should have done this !

 

[insaneasylm]

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

Re: water coming in- transom pic added

well i went out and just bought the shift cable bellow today $30 buck at a marina that was close. I haven't started to pull it yet though. I think I will start on it monday morining. ya know being mother's day i don't think the wife would like me out there all day working on the boat.

when i had i winterized i belive they pulled it and did all that stuff i might call and check though just to be sure on what they did do. I know it cost me $200 to have it winterized. So since that bellows was bad would that have been letting water in to the shaft bellow also?

And i was reading up on all that i will need, like grease, thread loc and such.
Do i need to go buy that marine sealent with teflon or will any pipe dope with teflon work. And if they did pull the the drive unit out and greased all of it should i do it agian, and do i still need the gasket kit?

Also what about the shift shaft tool do i need to buy one of those. Or do i hold it while i have some one put the throttle in WOT. I think thats what it's for anyway.

So what i'm really asking is what all besides the parts do i need to get. Like grease, lube, loc tight ect. What can i use if i don't have to buy the stuff from the marina I really don't like paying there mark up on stuff