Replace boot when replacing shift cable?

Perhaps more of a vent than anything....but perhaps another learning experience thanks to the collective brain power and experience that make CSR the great resource it is.

Got boat hauled for a sticky shift cable, and am having outdrives serviced at the same time, so went over all the "might have tos" with the mechanic, then he returned to shop to build the quote. Service manager emailed that the mechanic "Can't do the shift cable," with no explanation, so I asked for more info.

"The reason he can't do the shift cable is because in order to do it he has to remove the boots from drive, the boots are old and should be replaced, he isn't confident that he could get the boots put back on and sealed, the only way he could do that shift cable would be to do the boot job on that side."

The boot in question is 2 years old, and the mechanic hasn't disassembled that drive yet for full inspection. As far as I can tell from this forum and other reading, being wet slipped/used on fresh water for 2 years without anything odd happening (like otters who seem to think they're a delicacy) wouldn't exactly destroy a boot, but of course I'm still pretty green over all and definitely am not a mechanic. (This boot actually replaced one that was only 2 years old. During routine outdrive service/inspection the mechanic found a pretty clean hole in it, which he surmised may have happened when it was installed, possibly from being pinched between other components or perhaps a slip of a tool the installer didn't notice at the time. Dunno--sounded plausible because the hole was so clean vs. a split along one of the ridges, not a weak/worn spot....and there were no claw marks. )

Am I oversimplifying by thinking it's kind of like an auto tire: there's a general life expectancy (30k tires, 55k tires, 100k tires), but in real life the tire may not last as long--or may last longer--due to variations in environmental conditions, driver habits, maintenance or lack thereof and other factors?

Is 2 years "old"?
Is it common/best practice to replace the boot, regardless of age, when replacing the shift cable? I haven't seen mention of this in parts lists/descriptions of shift cable replacement process.

TIA!!

Usually the u-joint bellows, exhaust bellows, shift cable and bellows are all replaced at the same time - usually because if they are the same age, they all need it. The shift cable bellows is usually the first to start leaking. If you are replacing the shift cable and bellows then yes, need to at least loosen the bell housing so you can get to the the shift bellows and attach the new one. If you are just replacing the cable, should not have to remove anything - but if the shift cable bellows have any age I would replace them.

Here is a video, so you can see what is involved:


As far as age, my 290 stayed in a freshwater slip year around, it was 6yrs old when I sold it, original bellows and no indication of issues. My dry stored 185, I changed the bellows and shift cable for the first time when they were 15yrs old (it's a 1999) the shift cable bellows was leaking and the shift cable was worn, but the exhaust and u-joint were solid. I did the job myself. I am 3 seasons past with no issues - I also used Sierra parts.

Not able to open the video at the moment to hear the description, but do boots = bellows? I've heard folks use both terms, as in "replace boots and bellows," making them sound like separate parts....but several written articles use only the term "bellows." If they're synonymous, that helps clarify. If it depends on the exact model drive in questions--some have boots AND bellows, some have one or the other--that helps, too. I do recognize there's a variety of bellows like you mentioned--u-joint, exhaust, shift cable.

More context: bought boat 4 years ago with no maintenance records from prior owner, so I had all new bellows/boots, gimbal bearings, impellers, and other "for good measure" parts done on both port and starboard, to create a clean slate. During outdrive service 2 years ago mechanic found hole in starboard boot and replaced only 1 part--what looked like a corrugated hose several inches long and a few inches in diameter; when he stretched it you could see the hole between two of the ribs.

Now, without inspection, the service team is saying "the boots" are old and therefore must be replaced. It sounds like your perspective is I can replace one or all for good measure, but unless there's obvious damage/major wear, it may be unnecessary....or maybe I could choose to replace only the shift cable bellows, not the exhaust/u-joint? (Legal disclaimer: I read member input as input and don't hold folks here responsible for decisions I make!)

Yes, Boots / Bellows are synonymous. The are 3 bellows on a Mercruiser outdrive (Alpha, Bravo I, II, III) A shift cable, u-joint and exhaust - on newer Bravo models the exhaust bellows is really a tube. There is no real reason you have to replace all at the same time other than if they are the same age, if one is leaking the others are probably not far behind. Plus the majority of the cost in replacing bellows is the labor, so it is common to do all three at the same time. In your case, if the U-joint bellows were replaced two years ago you probably don't need a new one, but I would inspect it to be sure.

Mechanics like to install what is called a transom kit which includes the 3 bellows, gimbal bearing, water hose and optionally the shift cable. And, in most cases where the bellows has leaked, you need to replace all these things. But when you inspect annually and replace these items as maintenance and not fixing a leak, they last a long time. Like I said mine lasted 15yrs and really were not in bad shape - I still have the original gimbal bearing.

Thank you--that helps a lot. The service manager's most recent response was in that vein: since these range from 2 - 4 years old, they may not truly need replacing, but it may be a mechanic preference/kit type situation. I made it clear that if the mechanic inspects and finds fault, that's different, but hearing a blanket "the parts are old" wasn't productive.

I stopped short of saying how I really felt, that it sounded an awful lot like a straight up money grab. And I didn't say the other thing that came to mind, either--if you have a mechanic who CAN'T properly re-install a part that was in good serviceable condition when he loosened/removed it....I might not want that mechanic working on my boat.

He's talking to the mechanic again and is supposed to send an updated quote with detailed explanation of what's absolutely necessary, what may be needed depending on detailed inspection (shift cable bellows if it's ugly), and what may make sense from a kit/for good measure perspective (maybe all three while he's in there).

It shouldn't be this difficult or time consuming to get the whole story from a service company--boat was in the marina lot before 11:00a Monday. And if it's humanly possible, I'll be present when he tears down that drive so he can show me what he finds and I'll know it's the whole TRUE story.

Sheesh.

Yes, you can just replace the cable and not the bellow/boot. Consider the fact that if it is damaged during reassembly you will have a leak. We mechanics dont like anything leaking after we work on a boat. We cant see what your bellow/boot condition is ,so how does an owner of a 30 foot vessel get excited over a $17 dollar part that keeps water out of the boat?

Bt Doctur said:

Yes, you can just replace the cable and not the bellow/boot. Consider the fact that if it is damaged during reassembly you will have a leak. We mechanics dont like anything leaking after we work on a boat. We cant see what your bellow/boot condition is ,so how does an owner of a 30 foot vessel get excited over a $17 dollar part that keeps water out of the boat?

Click to expand...

I made a snap judgment the mechanic might be fishing for dollars.
You made a snap judgment I got excited about a $17 part.
They're two sides of the same coin.

And it's all in the delivery--had the mechanic said, "Not knowing the age of the bellows, I recommend we replace them while I'm replacing the shift cable," or "I know you said the bellows are pretty new, but it's possible I'll need to replace them depending on how they look once I'm in there," or "We usually replace the bellows when we replace the shift cable," I probably wouldn't have blinked.

Yes, I've considered the fact damage can occur during reassembly, but using new parts doesn't negate the risk, as those can be damaged on installation, too. It's possible that happened the first time I had the bellows done.

My goal in asking questions and learning as much as I can is to be an educated owner of a 30 foot vessel who is prudent with maintenance, repairs, and boat bucks. For me, the point of having a boat is to use it, and if I spend $17 (or $2k) unnecessarily because a mechanic made assumptions about my boat or me, that's $17 (or $2k) less to put in the gas tank or the beverage fund or the saving-for-my-next-boat account. However, if a mechanic helps me understand why it's in my or the boat's best interest to take the recommendation, I'm much more likely to pay the $17 (or $2k) and forego an evening of cruising or a few adult beverages....not to mention recommend that mechanic to others!


I'll share a similar situation from years ago: my first car was a 1971 Corolla, a veritable POS for which I paid $200. When I took it to get new tires, the service manager wrote up a bazillion recommendations, including tie rods, steering box, u-joints, you name it. I could have the exact parts list wrong because it was so long ago, but the total cost was going to be over $2500. Being a starving college student, I called around to shop prices. I never questioned whether the car NEEDED the work, I simply tried to find a place where I might be able to afford it a little more easily and still eat for the next few months. I called everyone from Sears Auto to Goodyear to dealerships, probably 6 different places, and found $1500 was the most conservative estimate.

Then I called a local import repair shop. After taking down everything I said I needed, the person said, "I'm not trying to make decisions for you, hon, but....are you sure you even want to do all this work?"

THAT's more like it!!! First help me understand what's truly necessary, whether for safety or continued operability. Next, help me understand what makes sense: well, even if you don't NEED this immediately, if it does fail, it will damage other things when it goes, so better to be proactive than reactive.

Most of the cost of bellows and cable jobs is labor not parts so why not just have them replaced with all new items, same labor, and then you have a baseline of when all parts were last replaced. It would stink to just do the cable and then a little later on have something else in that same area fail and require a haul out and a tear down again to fix something that could have been done before? While your in the neighborhood.
I usually have everything done at once since access is better, bellows, hoses, cables, gimbal bearings and trim limit/sender pucks. Not cheap but it's good for peace of mind knowing when you splash her in the spring that everything is new and should last for many seasons.
Your first indication of a deteriorating bellows could be a sunk boat.

Mechanics in my area won't warranty work if used parts like bellows or clamps are put back in service due to the possibility of a failure caused by stresses induced while doing the work.

This winter I plan to do both my drives myself and will be replacing everything since I need do cables, it's been five years even though I have no leaks everything looks OK visually. I boat in salt water and the clamps take a real beating and barnacles love to grow in bellow pleats and the abrasion they can cause over time.

I've replaced bellows many times on my mercruiser boats. Again, the $ (time) is in the labor. Just replace them. $128.00 for a kit.
2 years is not old for bellows, but "as long as yer in there".
https://www.wholesalemarine.com/mer...tfx7gYDG8a2-uHeYG0OeQwXTF04dGGvhoChbAQAvD_BwE

He didn't mention gimbal bearings, though....

SloBurn said:

I've replaced bellows many times on my mercruiser boats. Again, the $ (time) is in the labor. Just replace them. $128.00 for a kit.
2 years is not old for bellows, but "as long as yer in there".
https://www.wholesalemarine.com/mer...tfx7gYDG8a2-uHeYG0OeQwXTF04dGGvhoChbAQAvD_BwE

He didn't mention gimbal bearings, though....

Click to expand...

The G word arrived by email today.

We're doing the whole seal kit, and I'm meeting the mechanic and the service manager at the marina in the morning for show and tell.

Thanks for the responses, all--I appreciate the reality check.

I've had several Mercruiser I/O boats, I've never replaced a gimbal bearing. If you keep grease in it and never have a bellows leak where it gets wet, they will last the life of the engine. My current one is 18yrs old, 600hrs and is smooth as butter. It doesn't hurt to replace it, and they come with the "transom kit" so I guess becomes part of the "transom service". Also, a gimbal bearing is very easy to replace, only have to remove the drive - it's a 30min job with the right tools.

The new OEM gimbal bearings come as lifetime sealed with a plug to replace the grease zert.
Go figure. 18 years will be in the past now!