bellows change out and universal joint questions DP-G

aquatom said:
Splitting the leg is not a great way of doing it. More chances of future leaks and also more chance of getting dirt in there. You should be removing all the pins that attach the drive to grease them anyway.
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I think it might be spannerman that would disagree with you there.
But personally I would prefer not to be splitting my drives unless there is a good reason to do so.
 
aquatom said:
Splitting the leg is not a great way of doing it. More chances of future leaks and also more chance of getting dirt in there. You should be removing all the pins that attach the drive to grease them anyway.
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I’d fully agree with you there , the only plus side to taking the gearbox off the centre housing is that it’s nice and light job and it gives a chance to check the splined shear sleeve , I’ve had to replace a few last year that were twisted and just about ready to let go, this saves a tow and another lift out when it fails..
 
There are advantages to either method and I have used both methods in over 2000 Volvo drive services, all I can say is that I have never ever had a problem with a leak after splitting a drve, but thats because I specialise in drive rebuilds on all Volvo and Mercruiser models and its too expensive a repair to have a failure afterwards, so I always do vac and pressure tests on my work and never re-use seals or O rings.
 
Just been reading my operators manual for the kad 300 and so on.
On page 68 it says "check the condition if the bellows at least once every year - if cracks or defects are visible they must be changed".
It goes on to say that the universal joint bellows must be changed every 200 hours".

Going by what the manual says I know it would be good practice to change every 2 years but surely if manufacturers state 200 hours - I have only done 60hours since they were changed.
 
I have now looked at the volvo service schedule /protocol andon tge check list it says under the every second year to change the bellows.

Which is telling the truth?
 
Problem with translation from the OEM makers mother tongue in this case assume Swedish ,sometimes there is not an equivalent word that mirrors it and when two or more EN words are used a little nuance is lost along the way .
So you in these 2 % or less of text , have to mentally join the dots up .
Different people will join said 3 dots up different ways depending on there underlying agenda .

I would on aggregate after reading the manual- get 200 hrs or every 2 years which ever comes first .

So for you it’s every 2 years .

I don,t think you can convince us if a guy only does 20 hrs / y , to wait 10 years surely between each bellows change , because that’s what your dot joining excerise conjures up .
 
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Thanks portofino - I am going to get them changed out.
I just saw it and there is a difference in respect of time.
Thanks again
Jon
 
jon and michie said:
Thanks petem - have you looked in the operators manual?
It would suggest there's a contradiction.
Jon
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You're right, Operators Manual says 200 hours. Protocol is dated 2006 and Operators Manual 2002.

But to be honest, every perceived wisdom between owners and engineers us to get them done every 2 years (3 years absolute max) and don't scrimp on non VP parts. As the failure can be catastrophic (2 new drives / £20k) this is something I will comply with.

Pete
 
Portofino said:
Problem with translation from the OEM makers mother tongue in this case assume Swedish ,sometimes there is not an equivalent word that mirrors it and when two or more EN words are used a little nuance is lost along the way .
So you in these 2 % or less of text , have to mentally join the dots up .
Different people will join said 3 dots up different ways depending on there underlying agenda .

I would on aggregate after reading the manual- get 200 hrs or every 2 years which ever comes first .

So for you it’s every 2 years .

I don,t think you can convince us if a guy only does 20 hrs / y , to wait 10 years surely between each bellows change , because that’s what your dot joining excerise conjures up .
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Not convinced about your language point but I certainly agree that rubber perishes with time (and immersion) as well as use.
 
For those talking about splitting the drive, I do it all the time, but this is not relevant to the OP as he has DPG drives, which are not splittable.
 
Some thing, eg oil, it makes sense to change on hours. Others, like bellows, make more sense to change based on time. If you did 200 hours in three months you wouldn't change your bellows, would you?

Do it every two years. I use original VP for U joint and aftermarket for exhaust.
 
Would personally change bellows every two years regardless but fettle U/J purely on condition.
If a U/J bellows fails and is not detected, water will cause problems to not only the universal joint but possibly to the jackshaft and inner and outer transom sheild bearings.
This usually means the engine has to moved forward in order to remove a bearing inside the boat.
Basically its £150.00 and a mornings work vs several days work and possibly new bearings and jack shaft (£1K )
 
I have followed this thread with interest reading all of the different opinions. Regardless of language you will find manufactures usually specify either a time/hours or hours/condition interval. Thats why we engineers inspect components at every service to make sure nothing untoward has happened since the last service. I know that you can pull back the bellows on a Volvo drive after 1yr and find water in there, and all of the 5 workshops I have worked in during the past 23 yrs replaced Vovo bellows at 2 yrs max. Mercruiser bellows at 5 yrs as they are made of much thicker rubber than VP bellows, but the drive comes off at every service to inspect the bellows. The point I have always stressed with customers is that a bellows change is relatively cheap compared to the bill for damaged shafts, bearings, or drive, so in reality its cheap insurance. Overall I have found water in 25% of VP bellows over the years and around 15% of Mercruisers. And water in the oil on 30-40% of VP drives and less than 10% of Mercruiser drives. Thats just my personal experience over the years, I’d be interested to hear Volvopauls findings.
 
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