Hi,
I had some water in my outdrive when I did my end of season maintainance. I had the outdrive pressure tested and it tested out good. Guess the seal only seals oil from going out , not water coming in.
My bellows also had water in it.
I checked the gimbal bearing and it needed to be replaced. I removed the bell housing and pulled the gimbal bearing. (Stubborn little sucker) I am having a hard time getting out the seal behind the bearing, as you can't get behind it to pull it. Do you have to just take a hammer and screw driver to it to get it out? I still don't see why the water got in there in the first place. The bellows looks like new. I still am going to remove it and give it a good inspection and re-seal it. The shift cable bellows also looks like new. I probably won't remove it , as I don't have the crimp tool to re-crimp the clamp at on the end of the boot. The water intake hose looked ok, it had some corosion between the hose and the bell housing, but I don't think this was the problem, as the seal seamed real tight I don't see any evidence where the water could be leaking in from.
I would appreciate any help from you guys that have been through this before, as this is my first time doing this.
Thanks,
Steve

Definitely inspect your bellow - mine looked new and had developed a tear. I bet yours is leaking because that is really the easiest way to get water in there. Even if it isn't torn it needs to be seated correctly, installed with Bellows Adhesive, and clamped properly.

The shift cable bellows would put water in your bilge but not in your drive shaft bellows in any way I don't believe.

I am not real sure what Gimbal Bearing 'Seal" you are talking about, but while we are talking about Gimbal Bearings - I referenced it in some other posts i made here recently about the orientation of the Gimbal bearing in the assembly - you might want to search on it to see how you are putting the bearing back in, because there is a right way, and a wrong way (the mercruiser way). Mercruiser insists you put it in so that you have to use a puller every time in an effort to make you pull the outer housing each time in addition to just the bearing. BUT, the nice thing to do is put it in "backwards". If you put it in backwards the housing is notched, so that in the future all you have to do is tap the bearing with a screwdriver, spin it 90 degrees, and pull it out with your fingers. You can truly change Gimbal Bearings in 25 seconds.

The seal you are talking about keeps greasefrom the gimbalbearing from gettin all over it doesn't keep water out of the bellows as there is a hole that vents the bellows into the bilge of the boat. replace the bellows and clamp it corectly use bellows adhesive and if your gimbal bearing was bad you should replace the u-joints because they aren't far behind the gimbal bearing

I removed the seal behind the bearing with a dent puller and slide hammer with a chain it popped right out. The bearing was a SOB

Make sure you line the gimbal bearing up with the grease port.
There should be a mark or dot on the bearing.

It is possible to get water into the bellows if for some reason you got a lot of water in your bilge and your auto bildge pump didnt work.

As much as I hate to admit it, I forgot to put in my plug first time out and got quite a bit of water in the bilge. I guess that could have leaked backward into the bellows? Going to install a bigger automatic pump this winter as well.

I also was getting water in my bilge every time out and I could never find any loose hoses or where the water was coming from. After I pulled the drive and saw the water problems, I figured it must be coming from the drive.

The seal I was referring to is behind the gimbal bearing. I think I will modify my puller and get it out today.

I have done some reading about putting the bearing in backwards. What do you merc mechanics recommend?

Thanks for all the tips. Keep them coming.

The seal popped out easy today. Put in new seal. I removed the gimbal boot and cleaned and checked it over real good. No problem with it. Going to remove and check the shift cable bellows next. Which way would you put the bearing back in, slots forward or back? Going to make a tool to drive it back in with. Hope it goes in easier than it comes out.

Do a search and you can read all morning. My opinion is always do it the Merc way and replace the race also.

You would not change the wheel bearing only on your car without replacing the race, or would you

I put mine in with the slot facing backwards - towards the drive, NOT towards the engine.

They have been like that in my boat for a long time, with no adverse side affects.