aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

[MercPower]

So I was cruising down the lake on my vintage 72 Glassmaster when out of no where the alternator jumped off its bracket and shredded my drive belt!! I noticed when I tried to slow down and stop the "transmission" did not want to respond. So I killed the power and went to check the engine and low and behold...

I thought this would be easy as sliding on a new belt and remounting the alternator. Just one problem though.. It seems IMPOSSIBLE to fit a belt around the crank pulley. It looks like it is too tight against the engine mount or something.

Question: Do I need to adjust/raise/remove the engine mount to fit the drive belt?? And should the two pulleys be offset from one another?? It looks like the top pulley (water pump?) is about a quarter inch overlapped from the bottom crank, almost like a kid with an overbite.

I have the Mercruiser Type-1 Sterndrive powered by a 140hp 3.0

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

Your pulleys must be aligned or it will happen again. Don S. has a post here somewhere about replacing the belt. I remember that he had warnings about exactly what to remove and what not to remove to keep the drive aligned. Also buy two belts. One to replace the old after fixing the pulley alignment and the second is a spare so you don't have to undo motor mounts.

 

[MercPower]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

I was searching through the archives before I posted.. didn't find too much. I did however find out there are two spacer bolts?? Going to see if I can locate them now.

 

[MercPower]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

So... I just took a looksy.

The only two bolts that would make replacing this thing easy, look like they are actually a part of the motor mount and are supporting the engine. I'm kinda weary about taking out these bolts. Don't want the right side of the engine to fall or even worse, internal damage done to the stern drive.

Also, it looks as if there the water pump wasn't fitted correctly. I looked inside and saw a small gap that would compensate for the overlap.

So. . . What now?

 

[Don S]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

 

[MercPower]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

Don. You are the man!

Any insight on the pulleys not aligning? Could it be the pulley was not seated properly when replaced, assuming it WAS replaced?

 

[Don S]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

Hard to say, could be the wrong pulley on the circulation pump, or even the wrong circ. pump. Being a 72, it's impossible to say.

 

[daydreamer1252]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

Can't see what you are working on.....most times the pulley on the circulation pump has an "offset" there is a definite in and out to the pulley.....is is possible that the pulley is on "inside out"?.....that would absolutely cause it to be out of alignment with the crank pulley.....just a thought....

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

When "the alternator jumped off its bracket" did it bend the alt. mounts by any chance?

 

[MercPower]

Re: aaarrrggghhhh!!!! BELT BROKE WHILE ON WATER!!

The pulley on the water pump is one way, impossible to put on backwards. I guess there's no way for me to know if the wrong pump was used, I'm not tearing it apart.
And as far as the alternator bracket goes, not bent. The lower alternator bolt looks like it became stripped somehow and must've fallen out, which in turn caused the adjusting bolt to work itself loose and this fiasco to occur.

Guess I'll have to replace the bolts and work it out from there. Won't get myself stranded like this again.. Bought two belts since I can quickly change on the water now! Thanks