Exhaust Boot Poped Off ?

N

NODRAMA

New Member
Mar 28, 2009
13
Lancaster, Pa
Boat Info
2001 280SD
Engines
2001 Twin Merc. 4.3L
I have a 01 280SD with twin 4.3 alpha 1 drives, while lifting up the port outdrive the exhaust boot poped off the outdrive. After about 1hr. of trying to lower the drive and reconnect the boot no luck! The rubber is to stiff and cold?
I called the dealer and they said the boot doesn't need to be connected, and it wont make a difference:huh:

Question? Does this make the engine perform any different? Does this boot need to be connected? Just want to confirm before I put the boat in the water this Thursday?

Thanks for the help !
 
Put your boat info in your signiture...............or else.

Ha, good to see you here......... I'm going in Thursday as well, plan on being at BRYC on Saturday.

John
 
John,

Still learning my way around this site thanks. Wish I was in yesterday.....took the bike out with some friends (NON-BOATERS) put about 140miles on it. Still would rather be on the water !

Erik
 
I'm guessing you are talking about # 2 in the pic below.....



I don't know for sure, but if it were me, I'd put it back on before I put the boat in the water....
 
No performance or safety difference, as a matter of fact most new BIII's are shipping without them. Just a noise issue. Getting it reattached is not an easy matter as the rubber is very stiff. Heat it with some hot water to make it more pliable, this helps a bit however you need to lower the drive almost completely down to reconnect and that lesssens the amount of room you have to work your hands in. Use patience and bellows adhesive when you reinstall.
 
Great,
The picture is correct......Thanks for the help. Maybe I'll try one more time, but like you said there is not much room to work with :smt013.

I was mostly concerned about the performance issues.

Thanks again.
 
Your not getting that boot on unless you have a bellows expander tool and remove the drive... :smt021
 
You need a bellows expander tool...will make the job much easier.
 
Quint4 said:
You need a bellows expander tool...will make the job much easier.
Click to expand...

What they said. Very, very difficult without it (impossible?). The belllows are round, the attachment point is oval. You'll have to remove the outdrive to get the bellows tool through the gimbal housing and into the bellows, expand it, then pull t to slip it over where it needs to be. Then you can put the drive back on.

Being as it's this time of year, I'd probably just live without it for the year and replace it once the season is over...maybe replace all the bellows if the time is right. Although it is only a weekend job if you really want to fix it right.

Tom
 
Thanks Guys,
Think I will live with it for the season......already primed, painted, changed outdrive oil, and ready to go back in the water on Thursady:smt038

Was just one of those things that happens....you think your all done then you take one last look around, and say WTF !!
 
Difficult yes, impossible no. With the right tools ( a 1/4" ratchet with extension and 5/16" socket) and a lot of patience it's doable. First raise drive to trailer position. Start with the gimble side, the left side viewed from rear has a hole drilled in it that allows the 1/4" extension to fit in. Slide in the extension and add socket. This will allow you to tighten the clamp with the screw at the 9 o'clock position. Fitting the bellows over the oval shaped cone is simple because with the back part of the bellows open you can slip in a screw driver or flat blade tool to stretch the bellows over the cone. Don't forget to add adhesive to the male end. That's the easy half.

Now you need to lower the drive down to a point just above perpendicular with the transom. This is where trial and error is needed, the outdrive needs to be close enough so that you don't need to stretch the bellows too far yet not too close that you can't get you fingers near the work. Now the tough part, how to stretch the bellows back and still have your hands free to manipulate the boot over the rear cone and tighten the clamp. Here's what I came up with; the bellows is comprised of a bunch of ribs and valleys, like an accordian, I used some nylon twine and tied a piece snuggly into one of the rear most valleys and then tied two additional pieces (one on each side) to allow me to pull the bellows rearward towards the cone fitting. Heating the bellows with some hot water make the stretching easier. Once it's pulled back you can tie the two ends of the twine off to the trim piston ends to hold it in position while you add adhesive, and with a screwdriver, fit the bellows over the male end. Once I had enough rearward pressure on the bellows it easily slipped over the cone.
Tighten the clamp and cut the twine and that's it.
Now they probably make some tool that makes my homemade method obsolete, but at least my method doesn't involve removing the drive.
Good luck.
 
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