Opinions please....

[Hoblands]

We encountered a problem on our first trip out this season. Either water ingress or a sticky solenoid caused the Alpha One Gen II leg to raise right up to its 'on trailer' height when I'd only trimmed up by a couple of inches - the result was the engine spluttering to a halt amid a nasty smell of of unburned petrol. It took me a call to sea start before figuring out what had happened (a glance at the trim gauge on the dash would have told me but in the stress of it all I only thought to look at the oil pressure and temperature...) On opening the engine hatch there was an alarming amount of water in the bilge that hadn't been there before setting off (but may have come back from the bow when getting on the plane). After the problem was diagnosed I pumped the bilge dry, lowered the leg and cruised at planing speed back to Gosport marina and on re-checking the bilge (and again the following week) all was dry.

My concern is that the original water ingress may have been caused by the extended out drive damaging the recently fitted exhaust bellows and I'm now wary of doing any distance at speed. In an ideal world I don't want the expense of having the boat lifted and paying for the leg to be removed just to be told all is well but on the other hand I don't really want to sink!

Best to be safe than sorry? (and a bit poorer) or would it be obvious by now if damage had been done?

Opinions please....

Paul

 

[Scubadoo]

I think my next step would be to use an inspection camera over this side to see if the bellows are okay with the drive in the up position.

 

[Hoblands]

Good call, and its reminded me that I know someone that does underwater inspections with scuba gear. Is it possible to see both ends of the bellows with the outdrive attached to the boat?

Paul

 

[Spi D]

Just grab it by hand and feel if the bellow sits properly.

When fitting it must seat properly and should be glued too, to ensrure tightness.

Mercury Quicksilver Bellows Adhesive part # 92-86166Q 1 is what you need.

Bear in mind however, that water getting in around the bellows will fill driveline/bellhouse before showing in the bilge.

Ingress around the transom plate will show immediately inside the engine room

 

[volvopaul]

If the exhaust bellows was damaged it would not leak water into the boat.

However if the drive bellows is damaged and leaking there is a small drilling in the transom shield that allows a small passage of water from inside the bellows to enter the engine bay, it's there to tell an owner the bellows has failed, this is where I'd be looking.

Question, why fit a new ex bellows and not a new drive bellow at the same time, it's the drive bellow that's the important bit, any drive will still function with a damaged or missing exhaust bellow, it's just the gas isn't diverted through the prop or out the cav plate as on a volvopenta drive.

Are you sure you didn't trim the drive to max on the two stage button?

 

[Hoblands]

Thank you for the replies. My original post was a bit misleading. The exhaust and drive bellows were replaced, third party advise I'd been given had suggested that the exhaust bellows would be the problem...

Paul / Spi D, is it then your view that if there was going to be a problem it would be visible by now? This original problem was now a couple of weeks ago and although I haven't used the boat since, there has been no additional water getting in to the bilge. The trim is on a rocker switch on the top of the throttle unit, to put the leg completely up requires a push of a separate button half way down the control unit - there is no way I could have pressed this by accident as it requires quite a shove with a finger or thumb. The drive was almost certainly at its highest point as it took a good 15-20 seconds to trim fully down again.

Would it still be worth a under water inspection to play safe?

Cheers
Paul

 

[TheOrs]

You say you had just trimmed up by a couple of inches; maybe the rocker switch stuck in the 'up' position once you had let go.

I would try trimming the unit up/down at the marina to test the switch. Also, trim it right up and look for water coming in from the area above where the driveshaft goes through the transom.