I'm replacing the bellows on my outdrive. The bellows were damaged and the drive shaft is full of rusty oily stuff.
You will see two types of shafts inside of the bellows area.......... the one with the bearing crosses, yokes and center section is the "Universal Drive Shaft".
The other shaft (the one within the flywheel cover) is the PDS (primary drive shaft).
If this area became wet, you may have also introduced water into the AFT PDS bearing.
Trust me........ you DO NOT want to undergo a bearing failure in this area!
A $16 each bearing replacement could save you from a very expensive repair later on.
I was wondering if there is any type of seal the would fit on the drive shaft and go inside the housing (boat side).
Yes, it will be a 35x62x7mm Timken or TCM single lip seal.
It installs in the Non-Conventional direction (seal lip and tension spring facing AFT).
On mine I can see the spline shaft that the drive shaft fits on, but no sealing of any kind.
The 35x62x7mm Timken or TCM single lip seal is missing.
You will want to replace it while you are replacing the PDS bearing(s).
The outside of the drive shaft is corroded, but if it doesn't seal against anything it shouldn't matter.
Depending on which engine you have, the seal is there to hold a certain amount of grease against the AFT bearing.
It is NOT a water seal!
I never took this apart before, so I don't know what it's supposed to have. All diagrams I've seen online don't really give me a good answer. Any help would be appreciated.
Post the engine year and model number, and we'll be able to help you.
Some use a single bearing PDS, and some use a double bearing PDS.
And listen to what Bob says!
Drive shaft bellows are and should be a routine replacement item, as well as the water neck fitting.
Raise the drive NO more than need be for road clearance while trailering.
Store the drive fully down and aiming straight forward.
Do this, and you will extend the life of the drive shaft bellows.
