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U joint bellows replacement AQ131275

V

volvo_farmer

Member
"I finally felt a little greas

"I finally felt a little grease on the bottom side of the U joint bellows before putting in yesterday. I think there's a little split on the underside of the bellows. I did the exhaust last year because it was easy but now it's time to do the drive bellows.

So I did some cursory searching of the board to find the general procedure for this job. Has anyone described it before in here and can find the post?

A few other things... How do I determine if the bellows is leaking water into the drive unit and how bad the leak might be?

I've likely only got 3 more days on the lake with this boat this season and perhaps 20 hours in the water, If the leak isn't too bad and I'm going to replace the u joints anyway, how bad of an idea would it be to run it as-is until the fall, when I can do the job at my leisure?

Thanks!"
 
"I know on a 270 outdrive, if

"I know on a 270 outdrive, if you get a hole in the bellows, your outdrive oil gets water in it and turns to chocolate milkshake. A few drain and flushes of the oil and you are good. Not sure if the 270 and 275 are diff so i won't describe much else."
 
"Bob, if the bellows has a tea

"Bob, if the bellows has a tear and water has reached the u-joints, you may want to replace them ASAP. When these things go, the damage can be big.

THere are two ways you can replace them: one is removing the upper gear assembly, the other one is removing the whole drive. Removinf the upper gear assemgly is the easiest, and you have to drain the oil from the outdrive, then remove the large clamp from the bellows, then remove the two bolts and two nuts securing the upper gear assembly to the intermediate housing. Then lift the upper gear assembly and pull it back towards you.

I would strongly advise that you get hold of a copy of the Seloc or Clymer repair manuals. Also, you may want to download this online manual:

http://www.mybayliner.co.uk/boatmad/280285290.pdf"
 
"Speaking to this, are you sup

"Speaking to this, are you supposed to grease the u-joints on re-assemble? I have to change out my bellows, gosh knows what else, but didn't see a mention about that in the Seloc manual? It kinds of leaves out some details at times. I am just going to pull the whole outdrive off likely...might have to pull the engine to do a little transom repair (or a lot)."
 
I am currently trying to remov

I am currently trying to remove the upper gear assembly in order to lift the engine out to replace the exhaust elbow. I have an AQ125A with a 280 outdrive.

Everything I have read on this board and in the Seloc manual simlpy says to lift the upper gear assembly straight up. Maybe tap it with a rubber hammer.

I can't get this thing to budge? I had a friend come by and give it a shot just to make sure I wasn't thick. He had the same result. Nothing?

Does anyone have any tricks or ideas?

Thanks.
 
Then it should come out. Try a

Then it should come out. Try a prying bar or a piece of wood between the clamping ring and the intermediate housing.
 
"Well, if these are the 2 nuts

"Well, if these are the 2 nuts and and 2 screws referred to. #'s 3 and 4.

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280 outdrive
 
"I tried a pry bar. No luck!!!

"I tried a pry bar. No luck!!!
I currently have a nylon strap around it and it is hanging from a chain hoist in my shop. It is holding up some of the weight of the trailer and boat rear end. It is about 2 inches off the ground.

There is obviously something going on.
214810.jpg
drive hanging"">

I am going to let it hang over night and see if it will budge.

Any ideas will definately be welcome.

Thanks"
 
"[i]Any ideas will definately

"Any ideas will definately be welcome.

You could do what I'm doing, and remove the entire sterndrive but then you'll have to fight with the support pins there.
Your shift piston area looks a whole lot better than mine...mine has rust around the seal (the housing)...makes me wonder if it's a goner. Going to have to replace that seal in the least. My boat must have been parked a long time.}"
 
"When I replaced my 250D drive

"When I replaced my 250D drive (idiot Previous Owner!) with a 280B, I decided out of curiosity to take the upper housing off of the unit (the 250)... or try, I should say... I tried everything...and I do mean everything! I finally got a small gap to open on one side (pry bar to stud head with nut on to protect the threads...)... Hurrah thought I ... I inserted a prybar tip in the gap....no go... all I succeeded in doing was making a dent in the housing edge... I even tried a chisel in that gap. There is no sign of corrosion. I eventually came to the conclusion that the PIM ( Previous Idiot Mechanic) used the hard setting Permaseal when the drive was reassembled.. I eventually gave up....Yes, I used a torch (propane)"
 
"This is my next project on th

"This is my next project on the to do list, especially before I head up to Lake Powell. I have no water in my drive, and I have no u-joint issues, but my bellows is starting to dry-rot and crack. I just want to let Sean and Robert F. know that you are doing a real good job of freaking me out about the whole thing now!!!
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However, it is very informative. Thank goodness for these message boards!
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Let us know if it comes off Sean!!!"
 
"Welllll.... wasn't trying

"Welllll.... wasn't trying to freak anyone out...sorry... However... I never really undertood the "take the drive half apart to replace the bellows thing..." Yes, can be a MAJOR pain to juggle the drive back into position and get the splines and pins to line up if you take the whole drive off, but my experience and conclusion, based on many years (I've owned and done my own work on VPs since 1966) of pulling the drive to replace bellows or for winter store security reasons, and having to take a 280 drive apart because the bearing at the bottom of the water tube seized... is... if you have to replace the bellows, pull the whole drive off and be done with it. Reasons...
1) You can avoid much of the problem lining the drive splines up by having a helper. Last time it was my mechanicaly inept, limited right hand strength wife... her and the judicious use of wooden blocks (and a safety line (3/8") thru the pivot holes to the stern cleats) to get the drive elevation more or less lined up.
2) If you take the upper housing off you have a bit of a cleanup job removing all of the permatex from the mating surface of the upper and lower housing.
3) If you do this, you will need to pressure test the lower unit, and if you screwed up the remating of the upper and lower housing and end up with a leak... then you have to do it all over again.

To quote my dentist brother-in-law... "Just because you have a hard time getting the patient to keep their mouth open, does not mean that you should fill their teeth rectally..."

My advice...Sean and Chris, pressure test the drive (see any manual) and if OK, pull the whole drive off and replace the bellows. BTW...sometimes the pins come out easier with the drive down and latched (always!) and some upward pressure on the lower unit...i.e., a 2x4 used as a pry on the end of the skeg. That and some WD40... brass or aluminum drift... I always replace the plastic bushings unless they are pristine...no cracks or splits.
If the drive fails the pressure and or vacuum leaks it does not mean that the drive needs to be reassembled...it depends on where the leak is... for instance a leaky seal on the shift arm does not require a drive take apart to fix."
 
"Here is the update. I gave up

"Here is the update. I gave up on trying to remove the upper gear assembly.

I opened the Seloc Manual and read what was involved to remove the whole drive. Basically, I need to undo one more hose clamp and remove the hinge pins. Sounded easy and it was, 45 min later the leg is off.
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I used a 1/4 drive 11mm deep socket and a 2 lb Thor hammer to drive the pins out. I also sprayed WD40 in the hinge pin bolt holes as I went. Should have done this sooner so I could have gotten parts ordered.

Thank You EL Pescador, Robert C.

Robert F. Thank you too! I will read up on pressure testing the drive and make sure I have a helper for reassembley.

Next is to hook the engine to the hoist and move it forward and see what kinda of mayhem ensues changing this exhaust elbow.
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I will keep you updated on the progress.

Sean"
 
"Glad you got yours off. My u-

"Glad you got yours off. My u-joint splines appear to be rusted in place and stuck and I wrenched my back trying to back the thing off. Will be convalescing a while now. Bummers.

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"
 
"Try removing first one of the

"Try removing first one of the spiders and leave the yoke attached to the primary shaft spline. Then you can either try to remove the yoke or pull the engine and bellhousing together if it does not budge. If the yoke is seized and rusty, chances are the bearing in the primary shaft also needs replacement anyway."
 
"I'll try in a bit, if tha

"I'll try in a bit, if that's the only way. The joints are moving, something is, about a 32nd of an inch if you pull push the drive back and forth, but might just be front (Engine side) bearing slop. I can spray some PB Blaster in there I reckon, might help. The bearing is likely toast as you mention. The more I look, the more I cringe! New boat name, "The Cringe That Stole Christmas"
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"
 
"Look at it from another persp

"Look at it from another perspective. You replace the bellhousing bearing and seals, as well as install new spiders in the u-joint, then grease very well the splines and reinstall with a new drive bellows. Chances are you won't have another problem in that area for as long as you own the boat.

We have heard/shared many horror stories in this forum regarding the substandard condition of some of the boats/engines we have purchased. Yours is not unique; in fact, it is pretty common."
 
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