yearly check on mercruiser alpha one drive

[john1947]

Every Year I pull my outdrive just to be sure.It only takes a couple of hours .This year no water in bellows just needed a grease job and new seals.The bellows are somewhat stiff but no leaks on there 9 th year.Is there any good way to know when to replace them?

thanks

john

[Songdog]

Usually you'll find a small amount of water collecting inside the bellow. Otherwise flex( pinch) the bellow by hand see if any surface cracks appear that is also a good indicator.

[Ready or Knot]

Ask yourself this. Do i want to be safe or sorry ? If they are getting stiff its a sign of deterioration. 9 years. Its time to change them. Its not worth the tragedy that could happen. IMO

[HB2]

Just saw a boating show on  tv when I was in North Carolina about this on an Alpha 1 outdrive  . The tech said change every 5 years . 

 

An oz of prevention is worth a pound of cure . 

[rolmops]

Bellows do not like salt water very much and salt water is capable of doing some nasty damage to most things it touches, so if used  in salt water you should change the bellows often,like once every 4 or five years. Fresh water does not do that much damage so that gives you a bit more leeway.

The rubber can go dry and brittle during the winter months or when spending most of its time on a trailer. I usually sprinkle some talcum powder on the bellows when I winterize. I will not change bellows in fall. It is smarter to do that in early spring so the rubber does not have to go through winter while outside. Every 5 or 6 years is fine. Dependent on the type of bellows you have, it can be a royal pain to replace them and successfully use the bellows glue so it ends up on the bellows and not your hands, I like to get a bucket of very hot water and dump the bellows in there to soften them up before installation. It makes the job a lot easier.