Stressed Bellows... should I say something?

[lovezoo]

How so?

I too owned an outdrive powered boat many years ago which was kept in a drying harbour again with no particular issues with the bellows. Along with all the other outdrives powered boats in the same harbour.

And my Grandad fought in the first world war - never did him any harm.

 

[oldgit]

Newbie urban myth ?

Why are the legs be not to be left any any position other than down ?

The job it was designed to do,is to protect the U/J from water in any position from fully up to fully down.
Never ever found a piece of paper in a a bellows box from either Mercruiser or Vilevo recommending leg be left in any particular mode.
Many boats which are used on trailers have to be left in beached mode simply because drive cannot be lowered due to skeg hitting ground.

 

[RobWales]

Why are the legs be not to be left any any position other than down ?

The job it was designed to do,is to protect the U/J from water in any position from fully up to fully down.
Never ever found a piece of paper in a a bellows box from either Mercruiser or Vilevo recommending leg be left in any particular mode.
Many boats which are used on trailers have to be left in beached mode simply because drive cannot be lowered due to skeg hitting ground.

Maybe (and just that) a stretched bellows allows the beasty barnicle critters to attach and grow within the creases of the bellows...i.e in the valley of the crease so to speak, hence when then trimming down you are going to trap them where they are and then they must surely abrade that area while leg going from port to starboard?

Now if critters are growing on said bellows when the leg is trimmed down then once you trim up the expanding rubber surface might (and again just might) pop them off?

Just my theory of course!

 

[lovezoo]

Why are the legs be not to be left any any position other than down ?

The job it was designed to do,is to protect the U/J from water in any position from fully up to fully down.
Never ever found a piece of paper in a a bellows box from either Mercruiser or Vilevo recommending leg be left in any particular mode.
Many boats which are used on trailers have to be left in beached mode simply because drive cannot be lowered due to skeg hitting ground.

No, you are quite right. As you have argued on here many times before, outdrives are bulletproof and you can do anything with them you like, they will never let you down.

ROFLMFAO

 

[RobWales]

Maybe (and just that) a stretched bellows allows the beasty barnicle critters to attach and grow within the creases of the bellows...i.e in the valley of the crease so to speak, hence when then trimming down you are going to trap them where they are and then they must surely abrade that area while leg going from port to starboard?

Now if critters are growing on said bellows when the leg is trimmed down then once you trim up the expanding rubber surface might (and again just might) pop them off?

Just my theory of course!

Looky....

 

[longjohnsilver]

Ok, I agree common sense says keep drives down where possible, but where this hasn't been possible experience says that it actually hasn't caused the problems one might logically have expected.

 

[lovezoo]

Which was the VP outdrive where the steering rams were on the outside and thus permanently exposed to the elements (a bit like leaving your outdrive in the up position)? And how did that fiasco work out?

 

[epervier]

Maybe (and just that) a stretched bellows allows the beasty barnicle critters to attach and grow within the creases of the bellows...i.e in the valley of the crease so to speak, hence when then trimming down you are going to trap them where they are and then they must surely abrade that area while leg going from port to starboard?

Now if critters are growing on said bellows when the leg is trimmed down then once you trim up the expanding rubber surface might (and again just might) pop them off?

Just my theory of course!

That theory applies to the bottom of the bellows, what about the top section of the bellows, as you trim up the creases in the top of bellows close up tighter together, so it will steering left and right are the crustaceans going to pop off also?

 

[jimmcgee]

not one person has thought " look at my big shiny prop" pose
bet you any money thats what it is

 

[RobWales]

That theory applies to the bottom of the bellows, what about the top section of the bellows, as you trim up the creases in the top of bellows close up tighter together, so it will steering left and right are the crustaceans going to pop off also?

Not here for an argument....I stated it was my theory I'm no expert on this matter!

 

[Portofino]

What's stops the leg under gravity( they are heavy) when left up simply going " down"
Imagine a hydraulic jack - would you store/ leave it under permanent load?
Unnecessary stress on the seals in ram pipes and pump? Preffered option for those that can would be " park" down at rest , notwithstanding storage on trailers or drying mooring.
D6 + DPH leg circa 2004 to date had the external -open raw exposed steering ram( much derided on here) .previous to this ie kamd 300 2001 - 2003 DPG has steering ram INSIDE boat -dry and safe .Also the tilt apparatus is not a external ram on DPG it's a toothed cog arrangement.
Any external ram left extended is asking for premature seal failure by way of fouling knackering the seals .In the Med fouling is very severe , tests all systems to the limits , not quite like 2/3 months in the Baltic in a Swedish Sumer test, before final sign off to production
Bellows , actually quite Robust , 2 year change is probably not needed , but we do it because we need to sleep at night .

 

[mbird]

I think the bellows question is a bit of a red herring personally. The trim rams are what I would worry about. If left with the rams extended for any length of time, marine growth will attach itself to the ram shafts, and then as soon at the leg it trimmed in again, the rubber oil seals have to scrape it off. An easy way to shorten the life of the ram seals imho.

 

[dodgey rascal]

I can see the advantage of leaving the leg down BUT dont have a choice as I have little clearance at low tide ... the other disadvantage of 'leg down' on a river mooring (such as mine) is that anything coming down stream (including tree branches last autumn) can foul on the leg and then act as a mini dam on the back of the boat catching all sorts of other things... If I had a deep berth I would probably leave it but sometimes its the least of the worst evils

 

[PCUK]

Pinch his prop' and he'll probably leave it down after that and no unpleasantness!

 

[Richie]

Pinch his prop' and he'll probably leave it down after that and no unpleasantness!

Now that is some impressive lateral thinking. Problem solved and a spare prop to boot!