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Bravo 3 Transom leak when drive trims up

B

Bahama

New member
Good Afternoon,
Transom drips when drive is down and a steady flow when drive is up? Could this only be the shift cable bellos?
Any thoughts
 
I think it's a bellows, and it doesn't matter which. Once you go thru the pain of pulling the outdrive and the bell hsg, change all three of the bellows. They are cheap compared to the effort of coming back later.
 
Yes 2004 bow rider just got my boat back from service shop. Have the parts they replaced ... all the bellows were cracked/leaking ...suspect any boat 8 years or older the bellows should be inspected/replaced
 
I am hearing the shift cable could be stuck at the nipple end of the shift cable causing it to stretch and crack. Is this usually due to that small end of the bellows getting hard? How does the short shift cable go bad or is it usually the sleeve?
 
Like an very old man things get hard and dont work like they were designed to work
Either way ,replace all the rubber components at the same time, plus to do a shift bellow the drive has to come off anyway
 
The merc. manual shows special home made jaws welded onto pliers jaws to crimp the clamp on the aft end of the shift cable boot. This is to insure the clamp isn't too tight. The cable is intended to slip in and out of the gimbal plate between trailer up, and full trim in. I just use regular pliers, but keep it loose enough that the bellows still slides. If too tight, trailering position will stretch the bellows beyond its limit, and eventually split it.
 
Got it. Bellows and shift cable ordered. But hears another update. I now have oil leaking in the water. Gear lube is solid color, not a drop missing that is its on the same level i filled it to. Trim tab also seem topped up. However, while at the dock yesterday, we used something to brush away the light oil slit and sure enough its coming up from the drive. All bellows and trim hoses replaced a few weeks a go except the shift cable bellows. Could the oil be leaking out the shift cable. Finally the water lightly running down between the transom mount and the back of the boat as well as 3 dripping areas 3-4 inches away from the back. Could any of this be mixing the salt water with the grease inside there as apposed to the gear lube or trim oil?
 
Could the oil be leaking out the shift cable.
oil would leak inside the boat if the shift seal in the drive was leaking gear oil into the shift bellow

Finally the water lightly running down between the transom mount and the back of the boat as well as 3 dripping areas 3-4 inches away from the back.

If you see water from inside the boat, the main bellows are leaking
 
pics or some video is helpful. steering arm leakage, main bellow leakage, shift bellow leakage, water inlet fitting, trim sender wiring rubber bushing, Just because you said you had the main bellow changed dosent mean its water tight.
We all make mistakes and without pulling the drive for a inspection you cant confirm a bellows seal.
 
Hey Bahama, replacing a lower shift cable on an Alpha (I know you have a Bravo, and I think it's the same) isn't as easy as the manual shows. You'll need a special long split socket - similar to a O2 sensor wrench - to remove the terminal fitting in the bell hsg. This is a pipe fitting. Mine was so tight, the split socket opened up and started rounding the fitting hex. So I mashed two hose clamps around it and it still slipped. I ended up completely removing the bell hsg, cutting the cable at the inside of the fitting, and drilling it out. It is a special 14.2 mm hex. Thanks Merc.

Point being - if the cable wire slips easily in and out of the cable jacket., I'd say let that sleeping dog lay. Others can chime in if they have beat this one. I didn't try a heat gun, which may have solved my stubborn fitting.
 
harringtondav said:
Hey Bahama, replacing a lower shift cable on an Alpha (I know you have a Bravo, and I think it's the same) isn't as easy as the manual shows. You'll need a special long split socket - similar to a O2 sensor wrench - to remove the terminal fitting in the bell hsg. This is a pipe fitting. Mine was so tight, the split socket opened up and started rounding the fitting hex. So I mashed two hose clamps around it and it still slipped. I ended up completely removing the bell hsg, cutting the cable at the inside of the fitting, and drilling it out. It is a special 14.2 mm hex. Thanks Merc.

Point being - if the cable wire slips easily in and out of the cable jacket., I'd say let that sleeping dog lay. Others can chime in if they have beat this one. I didn't try a heat gun, which may have solved my stubborn fitting.
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so here is the update. No gear lube is leaking. Level has not budged after 50 miles. Water in bilge is a light yellow color. Power steering or hydrolic fluid. Went under the engine and where the two cylinder hoses go through ther is a little salt cake in that opening and a little oily. As soon as I docked the boat yesterday the oil was coming out from my Nader my transom. Today to oil coming out at all. No water coming through the transom into the bulge at all as well. When underway I get water in and it’s a bit yellowish oil looking. Not green at all. So I could have torn shift cable bellows for starters but some leak in power steering or hydrolic for trimming the drives. Also which bellows could allow water to come in that opening where the inner cylinder hoses go through. Please help.
 
so here is the update. No gear lube is leaking. Level has not budged after 50 miles. Water in bilge is a light yellow color. Power steering or hydrolic fluid. Went under the engine and where the two cylinder hoses go through ther is a little salt cake in that opening and a little oily. As soon as I docked the boat yesterday the oil was coming out from my Nader my transom. Today to oil coming out at all. No water coming through the transom into the bulge at all as well. When underway I get water in and it’s a bit yellowish oil looking. Not green at all. So I could have torn shift cable bellows for starters but some leak in power steering or hydrolic for trimming the drives. Also which bellows could allow water to come in that opening where the inner cylinder hoses go through. Please help. Could this be a manifold assembly and hydrolic hose leak?
 
Bt Doctur said:
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E is the Manifold Assembly, correct?. Ordered hoses and manifold and cylinder seals, shift cable and bellow. All other bellows replaced already. So all this should take care of the oil leak and water intrusion? Finally could it be steering fluid leak in and out of boat. I live in Bahamas so I need to order thoroughly. Boat in/out water 3 times.
 
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