Where else can bellows leak?

[olbuddyjack]

87 5.7 cobra. When I put her up for the winter I pulled the drive and found water in the u-joint bellows. Simple enough, change the bellows. Well I got the bellows, bearing and such and started to change them out but the old stuff looks fine no cracks or holes, still flexable. What else could leak? The gasket and o-ring both look good too. I'm stumped.

 

[Don S]

Re: Where else can bellows leak?

OMC (And now Volvo) used a plastic tube that was pressed into the gimbal bearing area and on the outside had a grease zirk for lubing the gimbal bearing.<br />That plastic tube could pull out and leave an open hole for water to enter the gimbal bearing.<br />The bellows could also be so old that the drive doesn't press against it anymore and allows water in.<br />Replace the bellows anytime you see water. Even if it looks good.

 

[olbuddyjack]

Re: Where else can bellows leak?

Thanks Don, that was fast! The zirk is in place but I'll look at it closer. Should there be bellows adhesive anywhere? I didn't see any when I took it apart.

 

[Rick Byers]

Re: Where else can bellows leak?

No Glue on Bellows. Ever. If the transom end of bellows wasn't in the grove prior to hose clamp tightening the water could be entering there. I pulled the drive and bellows off of a Cobra on wednesday that wasn't in the transon grove and that is where the water tracks from the Delta water showed up.

 

[olbuddyjack]

Re: Where else can bellows leak?

Thanks RWB, I thought the manual said use adhesive but it actually said use OMC gasket sealing compound on the grove. I'll give that a closer look and make sure I get the new one in the grove.