Aftermarket Bellows Kits....a warning

[cranchi boy]

This is my first post and hope its of some interest...

I have an old sportsboat on the Algarve fitted with twin Volvo Penta AD41p diesels and 290DPE outdrives. Last year, instead of buying Volvo Penta parts, I purchased aftermarket UJ bellows and exhaust bellows kits from Repower Marine Ltd and these were fitted end April 2013. The boat was lifted out 4th July this year for routine antifouling and anode change when we noticed that the clips securing the UJ bellows on both legs were badly corroded. In fact one clip was hanging on with just 1mm of metal remaining across the width.

The clips had some brown staining, the corrosion was on the underside where the clip was in contact with the gaiter and it tracked to a point where the metal had been lost.

I expected these kits to be good for at least the recommended service interval of 2 years but these suffered bad corrosion after just 14 months!

I returned a corroded clip to RM complaining it was not of satisfactory quality and requesting a refund but they told me I should check my berth as it was probably due to electrolysis!

I think its more like crevice corrosion since the clips are insulated from any metal so electrolysis can't occur.

Has anyone seen corrosion in Volvo Penta bellows clips after such a short length of time? I've had some as good as new after 4 years.

 

[Scubadoo]

All I can say is I have seen recommendation on this forum to replace the jubilee clips annually (Volvo Penta brand), I think it was Volvopaul.

 

[GrahamHR]

To give them protection by connecting them to the anodes later drive bellows clips are connected electrically to all other metal parts of the drives with " bonding wires". It's basically a daisy chain of stainless wire attached to clips which go under the jubilee type clips and to ring terminals bolted to the outdrve and transom shield at various points elsewhere. Easy enough to make, the clips are "J" shaped so they can't be pulled out from onder the clamps. I've never seen any corrosion on the VP clips ( the original exhaust one on my last boat had been used for 9 x six month seasons afloat in salt water)

 

[cranchi boy]

Thanks, I'll look into some bonding wires and that's certainly my experience with VP clips, they seem to last ages and in my case 4 years! I'll certainly be using VP kits again.
So is the recommended service interval for bellows 2 years and securing clips just 1 year?

 

[volvopaul]

Any clip on a dpe or dph drive isn't bonded. If you read the book carefully Volvo advice an inspection EVERY year on the drives, fitting clips every year is common practise in certain areas of high fouling or electrolysis, I doubt it's anything to do with after market parts, however I DO NOT supply or fit aftermarket parts myself on drives especially drive bellows.

 

[cranchi boy]

I can cope with inspection every year! Its a long time since my school days but I'm sure electrolysis can't happen without an electrical supply and these clips are totally insulated from metal and any potential power supply either from the boat or ashore. Stainless steel is also noble cathodic so would probably be the last to erode.
I read on the net that VP use a special metal alloy in the manufacture of bellows clips to make them more resistant than standard stainless steel.

 

[GrahamHR]

Any clip on a dpe or dph drive isn't bonded. If you read the book carefully Volvo advice an inspection EVERY year on the drives, fitting clips every year is common practise in certain areas of high fouling or electrolysis, I doubt it's anything to do with after market parts, however I DO NOT supply or fit aftermarket parts myself on drives especially drive bellows.

My 2009 DPH has an official VP bonding wire kit fitted; I think it might have been retrofitted as the fitting instructions sheets came with the boat, unusual if it had been factory fitted. I can get the VP numbers for you tomorrow if you want them. I never physically checked whether the clips are included in the bonding, it would seem an odd omission if they are not though. It seems very strange indeed to me that VP USA fitted such kits to their SX/ DPS drives since ca 1995 but the European designed DPH/ DPR ones didn't have them unttl the late 2000s or even later!

 

[mm1]

So just out of interest how badly worn were the ring anodes after 14months ?

 

[Jurgen]

Never had any issues with the bellows fixings or any other external metal parts on my Bravo Drives, long live the Black Lumps lol

 

[cranchi boy]

Well they were well worn but they still had some meat left! I did stretch it to 16 months once after a long trip from Port Solent to Lagos and they were still ok then!

 

[GrahamHR]

My 2009 DPH has an official VP bonding wire kit fitted; I think it might have been retrofitted as the fitting instructions sheets came with the boat, unusual if it had been factory fitted. I can get the VP numbers for you tomorrow if you want them. I never physically checked whether the clips are included in the bonding, it would seem an odd omission if they are not though. It seems very strange indeed to me that VP USA fitted such kits to their SX/ DPS drives since ca 1995 but the European designed DPH/ DPR ones didn't have them unttl the late 2000s or even later!

I just checked; the instructions sheet I have is for fitting the bonding wires to the ends of the steering rams, no mention of bonding to the bellows clips ( seems a strange omission, if they are deemed useful on other drives from the same manufacturer).

 

[volvopaul]

I just checked; the instructions sheet I have is for fitting the bonding wires to the ends of the steering rams, no mention of bonding to the bellows clips ( seems a strange omission, if they are deemed useful on other drives from the same manufacturer).

Vp don't have a kit for the dpe or dph drives to bond the hose or bellow clips, would be a good idea to market one though, they have learnt over the years since the dph was born that isolated rams are a great source of connectivity to electrolysis !

 

[GrahamHR]

Vp don't have a kit for the dpe or dph drives to bond the hose or bellow clips, would be a good idea to market one though, they have learnt over the years since the dph was born that isolated rams are a great source of connectivity to electrolysis !

Both DPS drives I've had were equipped with bonding wires attached to the rear of the trim cylinder bodies, none to the rams like the kit fitted to my DPH has ! As a matter of interest re there bonding wires to the body of the DPH steering and trim cylinder bodies ? I'm 100 miles from the boat at the moment and can't check in the near future. When I got the boat this year I was surprised the paint was coming of the steering cylinder bodies; if they are not bonded to the anodes, in retrospect it's not surprising I suppose !

Edit; On looking at the parts diagrams for the DPH, the bodies of the steering and tilt cylinders are bonded to the body of the outdrive. I need to check the connections are clean.

 

[julians]

From this photo of my DPH drive there looks to be a bonding wire from the non cylinder end (you need to zoom in) of the steering ram, but nothing obvious from the cylinder end.

 

[volvopaul]

Two kits were produced about 12 months ago, the kit bonds the steering hoses where they screw into the transom shield, this is protect the round disc that is threaded to take the unions on the pipes, this was done because the disc corrodes away. The result is that the steering leaks oil, if it carried on corroding water could enter the boat.

The ram rods also have a bonding wire set up, later ram rods were threaded to take the kit, wire then bonds to body of drive under plastic cover, I have also I past services fitted a kit to the port steering ram hoses although it doesn't show this on the paperwork. DPS has wires to exhaust and drive bellow clips, similar to older SX drive.

 

[volvopaul]

Both DPS drives I've had were equipped with bonding wires attached to the rear of the trim cylinder bodies, none to the rams like the kit fitted to my DPH has ! As a matter of interest re there bonding wires to the body of the DPH steering and trim cylinder bodies ? I'm 100 miles from the boat at the moment and can't check in the near future. When I got the boat this year I was surprised the paint was coming of the steering cylinder bodies; if they are not bonded to the anodes, in retrospect it's not surprising I suppose !

Edit; On looking at the parts diagrams for the DPH, the bodies of the steering and tilt cylinders are bonded to the body of the outdrive. I need to check the connections are clean.

DPS has had bonding wires a while now, also inside the bush is a copper sleeve that tries to grip the drive body where it passes through, if this isn't in good condition the system doesn't work.

 

[GrahamHR]

DPS has had bonding wires a while now, also inside the bush is a copper sleeve that tries to grip the drive body where it passes through, if this isn't in good condition the system doesn't work.

Allthough I no longer have a DPS, I'm interested to know which bush you are referring to ?

 

[Dog's dinner]

The clips had some brown staining, the corrosion was on the underside where the clip was in contact with the gaiter and it tracked to a point where the metal had been lost
I think its more like crevice corrosion since the clips are insulated from any metal so electrolysis can't occur.


Friend of ours bought a brand new 34ft motor boat last year.
After 4 months it started going into limp mode and over heat alarm going off when on the plane.
Dealer lifted it out to find the raw water intake hose in the transom was hanging off with the Jubilee clip still attached but rusted through at the worm /screw bit.
As yours.

To be honest I also thought it had to be crevice corrosion.
But on further inspection I found the screw was not stainless but mild steel plated.
On searching the internet I found most of the cheaper brands of Stainless hose clips were in fact stainless band and steel worm / screw.

Is there a makers name and number on the Clip ?

I assume the Volvo Penta ones are fully stainless.

Can’t see much point in bonding something that’s not electrically connected to the boat. Could be introducing a problem.

 

[volvopaul]

Allthough I no longer have a DPS, I'm interested to know which bush you are referring to ?

The rubber ones where the ram goes over the pins.

 

[volvopaul]

The clips had some brown staining, the corrosion was on the underside where the clip was in contact with the gaiter and it tracked to a point where the metal had been lost
I think its more like crevice corrosion since the clips are insulated from any metal so electrolysis can't occur.


Friend of ours bought a brand new 34ft motor boat last year.
After 4 months it started going into limp mode and over heat alarm going off when on the plane.
Dealer lifted it out to find the raw water intake hose in the transom was hanging off with the Jubilee clip still attached but rusted through at the worm /screw bit.
As yours.

To be honest I also thought it had to be crevice corrosion.
But on further inspection I found the screw was not stainless but mild steel plated.
On searching the internet I found most of the cheaper brands of Stainless hose clips were in fact stainless band and steel worm / screw.

Is there a makers name and number on the Clip ?

I assume the Volvo Penta ones are fully stainless.

Can’t see much point in bonding something that’s not electrically connected to the boat. Could be introducing a problem.

Volvo ones are fully stainless and have the part number on it, you can buy cheaper after market clips, also you can use genuine jubilee clips, there full stainless too.