SX outdrive maintenance.

[tetonguy]

Hi all,
Finally found this forum. Too bad about the old one. change is good some not so much, lol.
My SIG270 has SX outdrives. Both engines at about 580 hours. All reg oil changes and impellers hoses and belts up to date. My question is wether or nor its worth it to pull the outdrives and replace the bellows yet? I have never driven the boat a WOT much, I like to cruise slow and steady usually just staying on plane and motoring around. Boat has spent it entire life in the lake in a boat slip so the drives are rarely raised and lowered except for the on plane touch adjustments which aren't much since the trim tabs work great. I am a DIY guy and not afraid of wrenching. just not sure since the boat runs fine if it is worth the PM effort? What do you think? Also its always been in fresh water in a algae free lake so any thoughts on the cooling risers. They are pig iron and also seem to be holding up really well...thoughts?

 

[dgiles]

I would. Some guys will say to pull the drive every year and check bearings, etc but at least every second or third year you really should be pulling the drive and checking bearings and alignment. When this happens, I would change the bellows just because they are cheap and the labour is already done. If one starts leaking, then the repair cost goes way up with water now in the bearing.
Risers are probably fine.

 

[dan02gt]

Your boat is a 2004 and the drives have never been off? If that's the case yes you need to pull them and do the bellows, grease the coupler, and check the alignment. Mine is a 2014 with 90 hours on it and I did it last winter. My driveshaft bellow was starting to show it's age so I'm glad I did it.

 

[carl_jarrett]

FWIW, just had my 08 290 Sig out of the water, pulled both drives (DPS-B replaced under warranty around 2012), and I believe they were the original bellows. The boat has been in the salt water since 2017, and I pull the drives up a few times a year to clean the props in the water from the transom.

Anyways, had the bellows replaced, I helped the mechanic with some of the lifting, but watched him do it, fairly straightforward job, just finnicky at times getting everything seated properly. It took 2hrs per drive to remove, replace, and reinstall with a really basic dolly to hold the drive when it came off.

 

[tetonguy]

Just a followup here. Pulled both drives and replaced the bellows. bearings are fine. One drive bellow had started to leak a little water so it was good to be ahead of that. Did the orings and greased everything up per the mtce sched. Both came apart easily. As for putting them back I did not have the alignment tool so I improvised by threading a ratchiting tie down stap around the axel used to connect the trim hydraulics to. and hooking it off to the rear cleats above the swim platform. Then slid the drive onto the six bolts and hand tightened the two middle nuts just a bit to keep the drive from sliding back off. Trim was set to dead level BEFORE the drive was removed. By placing my cheek against the drive and leaning into it (after adjusting the strap so it floated like a swing) it only took a few wiggles and feeling it with my face to get the shaft to slide in. Worked great for both drives no problem. Literally took less than 2 minutes to get the drives back on. Hope this helps anyone else with a SX drive.