Alpha bellows

[Badchoices03]

I am guessing the exhaust has some kind of baffle in it so the exhaust boot works to just limit the water and does not need to have super tight seal like a normal bellows?

 

[mesquito_creek]

Can you explain how you can just ignore it if the bellows come undone on the drive side? My exhaust bellows has a crack in it, that is one of the reasons I am going to attempt this fix.

Well the exhaust bellows gets flooded as soon as you dip it in the water.. it really just serves to route the exhuast out the prop. It sort of serves no purpose. You could totally remove the exhuast bellow and not much would happen. Maybe someone will say there is back pressure or something... but if you look at the replacement boot it doesn’t even connect to the drive... the OEM boot may keep the soot off of stuff? But it’s not going to flood your boat or anything

 

[mesquito_creek]

Look at mine with the boot vs bellow.... when the drive is up it’s not even connected

 

[mesquito_creek]

My boat sits in a slip for months at a time ... so ignore the ugliness... I don’t polish my exhuast... lol

 

[mesquito_creek]

Only the exhuast bellow... the main bellow is critical that its water tight

 

[mesquito_creek]

If you are super anal and want things 100% fully OEM, which I have total respect for... use the OEM bellow. I run a pair for alphas 100+ Hours a year and do major annual maintenance and this one issue I have gone Aftermarket on because of how frustrating the OEM part was for me personally. On a boat like your you may do it once in your lifetime and be done with it. My drives are fully removed every year

 

[mesquito_creek]

The more I think about it... if mine came undone it would probably drive me mental, so my point is it’s cosmetic so do as you must. A crack in an exhaust bellow I would not go through the hassle, BUT if you have a crack I would bet thats a sign it’s time to do everything.... Some people go years and years with out touching their drives and bellows, with my luck the one year I don’t do a tear down my boat will end up on the bottom.

 

[Badchoices03]

Thanks for the explanation, my shift cable bellows is actually tore in half so everything has to come off anyway, but I may go the exhaust boot route when putting back together just to make things easier.


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[Badchoices03]

Took the lower off so that I can do an impeller service as well, got the upper off. Now waiting for the hinge pin tool to come in so I can get the gimbal housing off.

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[Badchoices03]

This is not going as smoothly as I would have liked, getting the gimbal housing off was a pain in the ass, using the hinge pin tool and a 25" breaker bar would not budge it, had to apply some heat and alot of cusswords to get it loosened. Then the little "ground cable" that is screwed into the side of the housing, that broke off as soon as I tried to loosen it. Then as I am trying to get the bellows and hoses disconnected the nipple to this hose fitting broke off into the hose and I have no idea how to take this fitting off or what it is to replace it.

 

[mesquito_creek]

thats where the drive oil reservoir line passes through the transom. I mentioned early that it is hard not to snap it off until you have done it a few times. It is not hard to replace if you can get to the back of the transom/engine. Follow the tube from reservoir to the pass through point. There is an connection with a button that will remove the hose. Then the pass through fitting has a C Clip on it. Remove that C Clip without dropping it in to the bilge. The broken fitting will slide out from the outside/drive side. Its a simple part to replace.

The rest of the issues you encountered are somewhat expected. Now put marine anti sieze and torque to spec, to help the next guy who has to do it.

 

[Badchoices03]

What is that pass through fitting called, so I can start looking for a replacement part?

 

[mesquito_creek]

What is that pass through fitting called, so I can start looking for a replacement part?

There are 2 different styles. C clip versus bolt on... remove it and compare to the manual pics and part numbers here. Its either part #1 or #6

 

[Badchoices03]

Current Situation

 

[Marios Metalworks]

So would you say this was one of your...bad choices?! Jk good to learn how to work on your own stuff. I bet you’ll breeze through it next time around!

My transom recondition in August of 2019 was quoted at 6hrs / $85hr. Took me all of one minute reconsidering if I should doing it myself.

 

[Badchoices03]

So would you say this was one of your...bad choices?! Jk good to learn how to work on your own stuff. I bet you’ll breeze through it next time around!

My transom recondition in August of 2019 was quoted at 6hrs / $85hr. Took me all of one minute reconsidering if I should doing it myself.

I consider it more like NO CHOICES, because I was quoted from $1700-$2000 for the work and about 3-4 months out....

 

[Marios Metalworks]

Makes perfect sense

 

[mesquito_creek]

I consider it more like NO CHOICES, because I was quoted from $1700-$2000 for the work and about 3-4 months out....

Now that you see how much detail you have given to the work... imagine a 17 year old kid sent out to the back of the boat shop to do the work for 2000 dollars. You will know alot more about your boat now! Between me and 2 of my good friends we have 3 express cruises with 6 alpha drives between us. I have probably done something similar about 20 times. EVERY time I still cross my fingers the first time I splash it back in and stare into the bilge for the first start up!!!

 

[Badchoices03]

Anybody have a gimbal puller and/or alignment tool I can borrow in the IE area?


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[H8Plow]

Anybody have a gimbal puller and/or alignment tool I can borrow in the IE area?


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I have a complete new set you can have. Just need to come to HB.

 

[Badchoices03]

I have a complete new set you can have. Just need to come to HB.

That would be awesome, I will be in the OC area on Tuesday


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[94essex]

I've missed a lot. I'm finally getting back to putting it together. I'm in the process of renovation on 3 rental units so boat got put on back burner. I'm putting shift cable back in and I'm confused. I have a small gap between the nut and shift cable brace. It also slips off pretty easy from the rear lever. It's all attached in the engine compartment. It looks correct but don't remember that gap between the nut and shift block

 

[mesquito_creek]

I've missed a lot. I'm finally getting back to putting it together. I'm in the process of renovation on 3 rental units so boat got put on back burner. I'm putting shift cable back in and I'm confused. I have a small gap between the nut and shift cable brace. It also slips off pretty easy from the rear lever. It's all attached in the engine compartment. It looks correct but don't remember that gap between the nut and shift block

your shift shaft looks 180 degrees off. It should face forward. Did you remove the screw/upper arm?