Hi does anyone have problems with alternator belts breaking 2 or 3 times a
yr. about 100 hrs./yr. Looks to me the cause is rust on the pulleys grinding
down the belts and leaving a nasty rubber powder behind, I always keep a
spare on board never had to change out of port,(almost the last time out but
I thought my partner lost the anchor and I was close to port.) never had to
get towed yet thanks goodness. The pulleys look to be running true. I think
it is when I start it the first time for the day I have to pump the carb.
alittle, (throttle) and leave it open some and the jump in rpm's and first
rust of the day pops it off. What do u think? Thank u all, Need Help in
Jersey.

P.S. it is a 1993, 351, OMC King Cobra.

"Wildest Dream" wrote in message
. net...
Hi does anyone have problems with alternator belts breaking 2 or 3 times a
yr. about 100 hrs./yr. Looks to me the cause is rust on the pulleys
grinding
down the belts and leaving a nasty rubber powder behind, I always keep a
spare on board never had to change out of port,(almost the last time out
but
I thought my partner lost the anchor and I was close to port.) never had
to
get towed yet thanks goodness. The pulleys look to be running true. I
think
it is when I start it the first time for the day I have to pump the carb.
alittle, (throttle) and leave it open some and the jump in rpm's and first
rust of the day pops it off. What do u think? Thank u all, Need Help in
Jersey.

How's the tension. Properly adjusted?

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
How's the tension. Properly adjusted?

It is the pulley's. My 351 was also going through belts. The 351 is a
marine engine from Ford and Red Line Marine in Lewiston, ID is a parts
distributor. The pulleys are only one the marine engine. Red Line ships,
the pulleys are not cheap. Pull the pulley's and check the numbers on them.
They are stamped in to the metal.
Bill

Calif Bill wrote:
"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...

How's the tension. Properly adjusted?


It is the pulley's. My 351 was also going through belts. The 351 is a
marine engine from Ford and Red Line Marine in Lewiston, ID is a parts
distributor. The pulleys are only one the marine engine. Red Line ships,
the pulleys are not cheap. Pull the pulley's and check the numbers on them.
They are stamped in to the metal.
Bill



All the above, but also be aware the harmonic balancer (crankshaft
pulley) can move out of alignment on it's rubber bush as they get older.

Particularly so if you accelerate the engine hard with no load, as you
describe.

Also just confirm all the pulleys are the same profile (usually "A").

Marine belts on "normal" pulleys seem to last OK if properly aligned &
tensioned, so the slight surface rust you describe is not unique to your
boat.

K


This is an example of liar Harry's MO, he pretends he has actual
experience than he can say whatever, he invents his jetski so he can
spread his lies & hate in the jetski NGs, till they told him to sod off.

As far as your other complaints, well, almost every president in my memory,
and I *remember* Truman, Eisenhower (who cheated on his wife), Kennedy,
Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush, lied and participated in
deceit to one degree or another, and on issues far more important than who
was giving them blow jobs.

Good lord. I met *every* president in the damned group except Bush, and I
worked once for his father.

K Smith wrote:


This is an example of liar Harry's MO, he pretends he has actual
experience than he can say whatever, he invents his jetski so he can
spread his lies & hate in the jetski NGs, till they told him to sod off.

As far as your other complaints, well, almost every president in my memory,
and I *remember* Truman, Eisenhower (who cheated on his wife), Kennedy,
Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush, lied and participated in
deceit to one degree or another, and on issues far more important than who
was giving them blow jobs.

Good lord. I met *every* president in the damned group except Bush, and I
worked once for his father.



So tell us, Karen of Oz, did you go to school to learn how to be an
idiot, or did it come naturally to you?

"Calif Bill" wrote in message link.net...
"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
How's the tension. Properly adjusted?

It is the pulley's. My 351 was also going through belts. The 351 is a
marine engine from Ford and Red Line Marine in Lewiston, ID is a parts
distributor. The pulleys are only one the marine engine. Red Line ships,
the pulleys are not cheap. Pull the pulley's and check the numbers on them.
They are stamped in to the metal.
Bill

Tell us, Bill, how are you 100% sure it's the pulleys, and all of
them? Could it not be just ONE pulley with a burr on it, or worn so
that it's not true anymore? Could it not be that one or more pulleys
are out of alignment with the others? Could it be that the harmonic
balancer is not aligned properly, thus allowing the crankshaft pulley
to run eccentric?

"basskisser" wrote in message
om...
"Calif Bill" wrote in message
link.net...
"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
How's the tension. Properly adjusted?

It is the pulley's. My 351 was also going through belts. The 351 is a
marine engine from Ford and Red Line Marine in Lewiston, ID is a parts
distributor. The pulleys are only one the marine engine. Red Line
ships,
the pulleys are not cheap. Pull the pulley's and check the numbers on
them.
They are stamped in to the metal.
Bill

Tell us, Bill, how are you 100% sure it's the pulleys, and all of
them? Could it not be just ONE pulley with a burr on it, or worn so
that it's not true anymore? Could it not be that one or more pulleys
are out of alignment with the others? Could it be that the harmonic
balancer is not aligned properly, thus allowing the crankshaft pulley
to run eccentric?

Because I had the same exact problem last year. Checked all the wrecking
yards for pulleys. Called the marineizer for the engine, and they sent me
to Red Line as the Ford authorized supplier. Changed the pulleys on the
harmonic balancer and the water pump with pulleys from Red Line, and the
alternator pulley with a pulley from the local parts house. Red Line said
they are industrial engines and the pulleys are only found on them. No
problems since. Since I, unlike you, have a brain. I know what the problem
is!

Belt breaking is usually caused by misaligned pulleys or structurally weak
mountings that allow vibration. Both usually indicate a missing/bent/wrong type
bracket. If the pulleys have taken a bad set and worn side to side the belt can
be bottoming in the groove. That will cause them to wear out prematurely
because they slip.
First use a straight edge across the front edge to see if the pulleys look
right. Look for wear in the sides of the grooves. Then take a good listen at
idle speed with a new belt properly tensioned. Do you hear it popping and
scrubbing. Is there any strange resonance or vibration at various RPMs? Is it
running true, not wobbling ? I bet by then you will have seen the problem. The
toughest thing to find is a missing bracket since you may not be able to look
at one that is set up properly. Marine setups are sometimes cludged together
and they may have removed a bracket you would have in a car, to make room for
something else.

First use a straight edge across the front edge to see if the
pulleys look
right.

Won't work if the outside edges are different castings or pressings.
Better is to drop a dowel with a diameter of the belt width so it
doesn't touch the bottom of the groove. The dowel can be just barely
the length of a suspended leg of the belt so it's easy to get in
there. Take a look at how the dowel rests in the groove, using ink to
help if it's tough to get a lotta light and a dental mirror in there.
Do it at several positions of the pulleys. If it's not right on the
money you've got a problem.

What confuses me is I can't locate a carbon fiber/kevlar(?) toothed
belt (they run cooler) for my motor. It's a very short belt, from a 4"
to a 2.2" pulley. The ones I use are stretchy and require adjustment
during the belt's service life. I'd pay for one that didn't. I think
they're for lawnmovers or something. Is stretch a design consideration
in alternator belts? Sort of a high load slipping clutch like the
doughnuts in an outboard propellor?