Mercruiser Alpha drive - is water coming out near bellows normal?

[Ryan Shultz]

I found what I think may be a good deal on a 1988 Chris’s craft 230 amerosport with. 350 5.7 mercrusier alpha 1. I haven’t owned a boat in a while. My question to the experts is the water while on muffs is coming out of the area behind the drive where the bellows are is this normal? If not normal how big of a problem is it? I have a video is only 5 seconds but too large to upload. Thanks in advanced.

 

[Ike]

No not normal. Should be coming out of the center of the prop.

 

[Ryan Shultz]

No not normal. Should be coming out of the center of the prop.

That’s what I thought. Could just be a cracked exhaust bellow? or something serious could be wrong also?

 

[fallguy]

I dunno. I've seen water exiting there before..I'd call it normal.

 

[gonzo]

Are you referring to the two holes on the sides of the bottom?

 

[Ike]

That’s what I thought. Could just be a cracked exhaust bellow? or something serious could be wrong also?

That was my thought, but then I don't have an Alpha. I have an earlier model. But even in that video it doesn't look right.

 

[Ike]

I looked at a few videos on Youtube of the Alpha 1 drive. Most of them do show a water discharge port at the bottom front (next to the transom) with water streaming out. see

.
None of them show water coming out of the bellows like yours except one video and they show a big hole in the bellows for the shift cable.

 

[gonzo]

The pre-Alpha drives would only connect the exhaust rubber pipe when the drive is down. It is not a bellows connected at both ends like the newer models. The rubber gets old and cracks or deforms and may not fit properly. There is no problem except for it being noisier.