What can cause this to shift bellows ?

[Rake722]

Hi all, disaster averted.

foind the shift bellows on my A1 Gen 2 in a bit of a state. They were newly installed last season.

what can cause this to happen to one year old bellows ? It must have happened last year as we were getting water in the engine bay and couldn’t understand why till now.

the shift cable in the bellows was also damaged.
I’d say rodents - agree or not ?

 

[Lou C]

Is that OE or aftermarket?

 

[Rake722]

Is that OE or aftermarket?

OE - was brand new

 

[Lou C]

Almost looks like it got twisted somehow. I’m not really familiar with the Alpha drives I’ve had an OMC Cobra for years they use a totally different design just the same as the Volvo SX with a tube that’s threaded into the transom mount with the actual bellows above the waterline inside the boat.

 

[Rake722]

Almost looks like it got twisted somehow. I’m not really familiar with the Alpha drives I’ve had an OMC Cobra for years they use a totally different design just the same as the Volvo SX with a tube that’s threaded into the transom mount with the actual bellows above the waterline inside the boat.

Thanks for the reply.
When I installed them they were fine and not twisted. Looks in some ways that some kind of chemical got to the shift bellows but I can’t und how. There are 2 small holes there too

 

[Lou C]

Is the boat kept in the water? It looks like marine growth to me.
I can see the holes. Do you have beavers or muskrats?

 

[Rake722]

Is the boat kept in the water? It looks like marine growth to me.

Boat was in the water for 3 weeks then back on the dry

 

[Lou C]

Well that could be it. I have heard that beavers and muskrats sometimes like to chew on these. I’m in salt water so different problems. We can get barnacles on the bellows which can damage them. My next boat will be outboard only….

 

[Rake722]

Well that could be it. I have heard that beavers and muskrats sometimes like to chew on these. I’m in salt water so different problems. We can get barnacles on the bellows which can damage them. My next boat will be outboard only….

This was also in salt water.
The boat was put on a ship from Liverpool uk to Athens Greece after I fixed her up in an outdoor boat yard in Liverpool.

I can only think that a rodent did it and hope that someone can chime in with any other possibilities

 

[nola mike]

This was also in salt water.
The boat was put on a ship from Liverpool uk to Athens Greece after I fixed her up in an outdoor boat yard in Liverpool.

I can only think that a rodent did it and hope that someone can chime in with any other possibilities

agree it looks twisted/stretched. I can't see any clamp or tie on the aft side? Also possible if there wasn't enough slack left in the bellows it could stretch it when you tilt the engine. I'd think less likely rodent damage since it looks deformed in addition to the holes

 

[poconojoe]

Wow! Only a year old! Bummer!
Yeah, looks twisted or at the very least stretched.

 

[Rake722]

agree it looks twisted/stretched. I can't see any clamp or tie on the aft side? Also possible if there wasn't enough slack left in the bellows it could stretch it when you tilt the engine. I'd think less likely rodent damage since it looks deformed in addition to the holes

Thanks Mike, if you look closely at one of the images you will see a cable tidy.
Here is a pic after install - looks ok to me ??

 

[tank1949]

Hi all, disaster averted.

foind the shift bellows on my A1 Gen 2 in a bit of a state. They were newly installed last season.

what can cause this to happen to one year old bellows ? It must have happened last year as we were getting water in the engine bay and couldn’t understand why till now.

the shift cable in the bellows was also damaged.
I’d say rodents - agree or not ?

Or squirrels (same thing)? What is brown stuff?

 

[nola mike]

Thanks Mike, if you look closely at one of the images you will see a cable tidy.
Here is a pic after install - looks ok to me ??

Yes, if your drive is trailered in that pic. The bellows needs to stretch as the drive is raised