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Just started my boat. Getting ready for the maiden voyage. Checking to make sure water was coming out the exhaust I noticed water coming out of the exhaust bellows as well. There appears to be 2 small holes at both ends near the hose clamps. They don't look like they are from wear and tear. And too uniform to be animal. Should those be there?

Oh yeah a 2008 8.1 Gi mated to a DPS

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi

I don't know what the exhaust bellows look like on the later drive you have. On the earlier DPS, there were 2 types though:

A convoluted hose attached to both the transom and the outdrive; these has a series of small holes moulded in ( correct orientation downwards). These are for pressure relief in case there is a blockage downstram of the hose! Normal for water to come out of those holes.

A stubby hose attached to the transom only. Again, it's normal for water to come out of this type.

Graham

The former best describes my set up. A corrugated rubber tube from the transom to the drive. I hadn't noticed water coming out before. I was wondering if they were there for pressure relief.

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi

I meant to type "corrugated" ! The pressure relief vents are sensible I suppose, without pressure relief and a blockage in the props due to week/ barnacles etc it could make quite a bang !

Graham

I knew what you meant.

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi

My buddy has a H180 with a 3.0L. Not sure what drive it has other than it is a VP. His also has the two small holes in it. I noticed it when we fired it up in his driveway the other week. I thought it was odd to, but they look to uniform like you said to be damage. PLus his boat only has 15 hours on it so I doubt it would be damage already. Must be there for a reason.

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1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

I have a 358 2008 and have had 1 leg and both bellows repaced under warrenty, no no water should come out from the bellowa

Sean

Actually no water should come out (or in!) of the DRIVE bellows. There are two holes in brand new VP exhaust bellows from the factory side by side IIRC. They should be facing the ground ie. down. C'mon, don't you guys replace your bellows every two seasons??

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V475
Chris Craft Catalina 23 w/ 300 G2
Previously-V338, 248 Vista, H210

Good point; no water should get IN to the drive bellows, the exhaust bellows by design are meant to have water passing through ( and out of) them. Even if the exhaust bellows fall off or are eaten by a rare, rubber eating sea creature it won't make much difference apart from noise.

Graham

And that's why the drive should be removed at the end of each season, to make sure there is no water in the upper (driveshaft) bellows, as well as being able to properly grease the gimble bearing, u-joints and driveshaft splines.

Graham being a salt water boater too, you can appreciate that we have to remove things every so often, just to make sure that they will come apart! I use a lot of OMC gasket sealer on threads to keep out salt water and minimize corrosion, it really does work.

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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 use the VP white sealing compound like recommended on things like the 6 studs that the outdrive is mounted on. It never really sets, but seems to isolate the stainless from any potentially exposed aluminium. From the factory, by outdrive didn't have this stuff on, nor the gasket cement on the bellows, water seal etc.

Yes, very important to regularly remove/ re-grease / re-assemble as much as you can on a salt water boat. I (and you) probably do more than is strictly necessary according to the manual, but it does mean things do come apart without the use of force, cheaper in the long term.

Graham

The OMC gasket sealer I use is a brown colored viscous stuff that doesn't harden either, it can be used on gaskets that you want to be able to get apart and also on threads that you don't want water getting into. It works well on the thermostat housing gasket and bolts, the 6 studs on the pivot housing and also the big gasket between the drive and the pivot housing (the OMC Cobra has a gasket that seals the periphery of the joint between the pivot housing and the drive, and the bellows also seals on the nose of the upper gear housing like on the Volvo). In addition to using the gasket sealer on the gaskets and bolt threads, I use OMC/Bombardier triple guard grease (a great waterproof grease) on the seal of the driveshaft bellows and also on the nose or collar around the driveshaft housing that fits into the bellows. The gasked does keep water out of this area, but the grease also helps keep water out in case that gasket ever leaked.
The next task I'm going to learn how to do is to split the upper and lower gear housings, because sometimes you get barnacles growing in the water intake screens (the Cobras have this plastic screen in the water intake). This year I was able to break up the shells with a jeweler's screwdriver and flush out the remains with the impeller (in the upper gear housing) removed, using the water muffs hooked up to the drive, and having the drive laying down on the stand I built. The water pressure forced them out so I didn't have to split the drive, but I do want to do it eventually just so I can get it apart if needed in the future. I learned a lot of this from my mechanics who are very experienced salt water guys.

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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 VP recognised the same issue with barnacles blocking thwe water inlet on the DPS; sometime after 1999 they went from a vertical row of 6 smallish inlets each side of the lower leg to vertical rows of 3 much larger inlets !

Graham

I have two small uniform holes in my bellows too facing down. H180 as well.

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-2006 H180 VP3.0 SS 21p