www.iFourWinns.com

Hi all,
I have owned this boat since 2006. I have not changed the drive or exhaust bellows and so far no leaks. However, I understand I should not have gone this long and am preparing on paying a local boat repair to come to my house and change the bellows and inspect the gimble bearing and U joint. Following that, I will probably do it myself in the future.
Can anyone help me with part numbers or a kit that I need to do this?
Thanks Rob

_________________
Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing
2001 Horizon 180

Just go to a Volvo dealer and pick up an OE bellows and a new clamp. You also need some gasket sealer for the end that goes on the gimble housing. I use OMC gasket sealer (otherwise know as Permatex Aviation Sealer)....
I would use only OE for a driveshaft bellows.
Have you ever pulled a drive off before? Its not hard, but if its not been off in years it can be a bit of a struggle cause Volvo does not use a gasket between the drive and the pivot housing like OMC & Merc do.
I'd invest in a drive stand/cart or build one if you're going to be doing this job. How strong is your lower back?
Used in salt water or fresh?
In salt we take them off each year. Or else....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Just got quoted $380 plus parts for a mobile marine service to come to my home and replace both bellows and check the bearing and U-joint. Seems a bit high. What do you think????

I was thinking of getting a kit but am not sure which one to get. I see this
http://www.michiganmotorz.com/volvo-pen ... p-382.html
It is a Sierra kit with the following part number
18-2100 Gimbal Bearing (VP # 3853807)
18-2765 Drive bellows (VP # 3854127)
18-1074 Exhaust bellows (VP # 3850426)
18-7315 Clamp (VP # 853012-3)
18-2996 Seal (VP # 3853807)
Any idea if it is the right fit for my boat.
2001 Horizon 180 with 5.0 GL engine and SX outdrive?

I use the boat primarily for the month of July in freshwater in Central Maine. It is in the water for the month of July. In Florida it gets 1-2 daytrips the rest of the year in the Indian River (Salt). So almost all fresh and even then not alot of time.
Thanks Rob

_________________
Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing
2001 Horizon 180

OE not Sierra for that . Price is probably fair if he's coming to you. The job is not hard but the best way is to take off the pivot housing. Sometimes those bolts won't come out. And, this is assuming the drive comes off easily .... When was it last removed?
If this price will not be increased if he has trouble it could be a bargain

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Thanks Lou,
The outdrive has not been removed since I purchased it in 2006.
It is all clean with no corrosion so I expect it will be an easy removal.
Rob

_________________
Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing
2001 Horizon 180

If the engine alignment is out (as mine was from the factory, engine set too high), removal can be quite a lot easier than refitting it ! Engine alignment is easy to check and adjust, except if the adjusting nuts on the engine mountings are seized, like mine were !

The drive has not been removed for....8...years.....??
That's a long time even for boats not left in the water and used only in freshwater. This means that also, the u-joints (if they have zerk fittings) and driveshaft splines have not been done either in that long. You are supposed to remove it each season, to check the bellows for water intrusion, the gimble bearing for smooth movement, the u-joints for tightness and free movement (also corrosion) and the driveshaft splines where they go into the coupler have to be greased. Also the alignment is supposed to be checked each season. The only way to grease the splines (on a Volvo or Cobra) is to remove the drive. If they are never greased they can wear out the splines in the engine coupler. If that fails, then you have to pull the engine to replace the coupler.
This work if neglected can cost you a lot of money....

The thing that can happen with Volvos is this:
Volvo used OMC's transom mount design from the Cobra. The Cobra used a gasket between the drive and the pivot housing. This gasket was coated with gasket sealer on both sides and that way the drive would not corrode onto the pivot housing. The Volvo's drive/transom mount design is different and does not require a gasket there. BUT, you have aluminum on aluminum contact there and the drive can corrode on (you might not even see the corrosion) right where the 6 studs come out of the pivot housing. In this case it might really be better to let a pro do it the first time. Then learn how to remove the drive at least and do it yourself each year. Its not hard but if its corroded on, it can be a beast to get off.

This is not unique to I/Os the same thing can happen to outboard lower units if they are never removed. Then the impeller needs to be changed and now the lower unit won't come off.

I/Os are high maintenance machines as I have said on here many times and the best thing you can go is get it on a schedule to make sure these jobs get done regularly. Neglect them and it will cost you.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Which SX drive do you have?
www.http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html

Maintenance Parts, Sx-M, Dp-Sm
Bellows Kit 3841481 1 $59.00
Exhaust Bellows 3850426 1 $44.60 Add to Cart
Bulletin P-44-1-20 Exhaust Bellows, problems with aftermarket parts



Maintenance Parts, Sx-A, Dps-A, Dps-A Oxi
Exhaust Kit 3888916 1 $34.92
Bellows Kit 3841481 1 $59.00

http://www.iboats.com

delete

Professional arrives Saturday morning.
Outdrive is VP SX-M 1.60. he is using OEM VP parts. I will let you all know what it looks like when openend up.
Rob

_________________
Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing
2001 Horizon 180

So how did it go?

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Lou I must prostrate myself before you. I am an idiot for letting the bellows replacement go for as long as I did. You were absolutely correct.
First the good news. The U-joint and gimbal bearing look brand new. No water intrusion and the alignment is good. I need to replace the shift cable as it had some cracks so replacement of everything will happen Friday.
The bad news..... I had to remove the pivot housing from the transom and spent 6 hours trying to get the pivot housing off the outdrive. I had to use wedges to pry the housings apart. What an idiot design where the drive bellows are mated to the pivot housing. Aluminum on aluminum and any little bit of corrosing in there causes the parts to weld together. There was very little corrosion but enough to make it hell for all of Saturday. Arrrrrgggghhhhhhh
I tried everything .....heat, PB Blaster hammering, cussing and finally wedges. The wedges finally broke it free and I spent the last 1.5 hours wiggling it side to side to get it off. I need to replace 4 of the studs as I buggered them up getting it apart. I had to use an acetylene torch to get the studs glowing in order to get them out yesterday.
I spent yesterday sanding and cleaning up the pivot housing as I dented up the interface between the pivot housing and outdrive. Luckily that is not a water tight interface or I would have real problems.
One other issue was that the pro that was helping he was slamming the outdrive down trying to break it free and ended up cracking the exhaust port on the pivot housing. I am welding that back up today.
I am humbled
Rob

_________________
Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing
2001 Horizon 180

Rob,
Sorry about the trouble you had but here in the salt pond we have heard every bad story about a stuck outdrive or out board lower unit. The only thing that could make it worse is if the bellows leaked and the driveshaft splines rusted into the coupler splines. Before you put it back together go to an Evinrude dealer and pick up a tube of triple guard grease and a can of OMC gasket sealer. Coat the mating surfaces between the drive and pivot housing with the grease. Coat the threads on the 6 studs and the trim ram threads withe the gasket sealer. I use that sealer on every threaded fastener on the drive.
The other horror show is if you have to split the upper and lower housings to fix the water tube gaskets or clean out the water intakes (we get barnacles in there). I have a trick for getting them apart without breaking anything...

And fresh water boaters don't think it can't happen to you, it can and it does.
So follow the manual and get the drive pulled on a regular basis.
That's how I made mine last so long... When I go to remove it one little tug and it slides right off.

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I think what Lou writes is especially true if the outdrive has never been serviced from new; Four Winns certainly did not use the VP recommended sealant on the outdrive and pivot housing when they built my old boat, No gasket sealant on the bellows ( ===> slight leak), no compound on the 6 studs ( no issue as I removed the outdrive after 1 season). If I'd left it a couple of years the bellows would have been full of salt water, the input shaft splines would have been rusty, the pivot housing studs would be seized in the outdrive and I'd never have been able to remove the outdrive.