www.iFourWinns.com

Volvo is replacing the bellows on all the XDP outdrives. Following is the service bulletin:

Service Bulletin

Group Number Version

44-1 73

02


Volvo Penta of the Americas

1300 Volvo Penta Drive
Chesapeake, Virginia 23320-9810

U-Joint Bellows

All XDP Sterndrives

Distribution: M Date: 12-2008 Binder: A, C

Information

A new U-joint bellows kit, Volvo Penta P/N 21277185 has been released for XDP sterndrives. The new
bellows replaces bellows P/N 3886847.

NOTICE! Please discard service bulletin 44-1-59 as this bulletin replaces the old one.


51670


NOTICE! Carefully follow the bellows installation instructions that are included in the kit. As with the
previous bellows, this one is marked to show correct clamp and bellows orientation.

NOTICE! Replaced bellows must be returned with the completed warranty claim form in order to receive
reimbursement.

Dealers in North America may return any new, unused 3886847 bellows for credit by shipping

them to:
In USA: In Canada:
VPA Bellows Return VPC Bellows Return
1300 Volvo Penta Drive 7972 Enterprise Street
Chesapeake, VA 23320 Burnaby, BC V5A 1V7

Dealers should file a warranty claim on Volvo Penta Partner Network for the number of bellows
returned as follows:

Warranty Claim Information for North American market only:

Warranty type: 41
Function group: 4418
Failed part: 3886847
Reason code: 02

Warranty Claim Information for markets outside North America:

Please contact Volvo Penta customer service in your market for instructions.

It's good to hear they are addressing this problem, I have read of repeated failures causing very expensive damage to the gimble and ujoints, esp in salt water regions. Apparently there was some interference between the bellows and a water tube when the drive is trimmed up.

_________________
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've heard the Ocean drives are being phased out. Volvo just didn't get that design quite right.

Not only was it very expensive if you hit something compared to the normal cases, but there are also some internal corrossion issues from what I've heard.

_________________

2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

I read that also somewhere but have not seen anything on Volvo's site about it. I wonder how Merc's Seacore is going to fare.
You can make a sterndrive last in salt water but it's a lot more work than if you had an inboard or outboard. The issue is that for one the antifouling paints don't last the whole season, at least I have not found that when letting the yard paint it. This year I am doing it myself to see if I get a better result. Another issue is the bellows, often barnacals will grow in the folds and can cut the bellows. Same thing can happen to the trim lines. What you wind up doing is pulling the boat mid season and re-apply the paint and replace zincs.
After a number of seasons of dealing with the issues, many people here will go OB if it's a smaller boat or IB if a bigger one. The last issue is that if you are in a 'hot' marina you can have very severe corrosion issues. I have not had that problem because my boat is kept on a rotating mooring and there are no docks with electric nearby. I wish FW would bring back OBs on their smaller boats.

_________________
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