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jpetersen01

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okay vI got my 3.0 running for the first time in 7 years and running well! one issue< when i took it out on the water to test the lower unit, water was slowly leaking in from somwhere? all other vitals were great! where to look?
 
Im not familiar with anything, kinda just figuring it out as I go. Could you inform me of exactly where to look, is the bellow a large rubber connector? When I say the water dripping when I pulled it out of the water, it seemed to be coming from the left side, behind the starter or above it, the engine itself was dry
 
okay inspected the bellows, they seem to be okay but it makes sense because I can run it on the muffs for a long time and not a drop leaks from any hoses. They seem as if they wouldnt be too difficult to replace even with the lower unit still attached, am I mistake? Is there any way to test these without taking the off? Id hate to remove if that wasnt the issue. Thanks!
 
you have to remove the drive.

get a manual. you need it to do this job.

7 years is about the lifespan of all 3 Bellows (driveshaft, exh, shift cable) and they are what keep the boat from sinking

a torn bellows can sink a boat in a few minutes
 
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Back the boat into the water on the trailer. Don't start the engine, just grab a flashlight and look to see where the water is coming in. If it's coming from the transom assembly, it's probably one of the bellows (U-joint or shift cable bellows).

If not, water could leak from the exaust pipe, water intake hose, a crack in the block or exhaust manifold, etc.
 
when I back the boat into the water is when it comes in, once it is started no more water comes in so it must mean its coming in thru the exhaust and when its running,it is preventing it from coming in?
 
jpetersen01 said:
when I back the boat into the water is when it comes in, once it is started no more water comes in so it must mean its coming in thru the exhaust and when its running,it is preventing it from coming in?
Click to expand...


That could be? It's best to try and actually verify (view the leak) before taking things apart. On a 3.0 Mercruiser, I'm thinking you can remove the exaust pipe off without removing the engine? On the V-6 and V-8 Mercruisers, most of the time the engine needs removed to get the Y-pipe out.
 
water only comes in when backing into water before I start it, does not do it on muffs and does not come in when on the water running and stopping while running. Im ale to use bilge and its out in a minute tops. Im thinking its a slow leak in the exhaust possibly, going to go crawl in and check now and see if theres any loose bolts or anything noticable.
 
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