Changing Alternator Belt - Perkins M30

[Gene Regan]

ata guy mike, those little wrenches ars just the thing to have around.glad you made it.

Gene Regan

gene regan

[Mike Smith]

Hi Ron -
 
The alternator (Sir Nigel says don't paint 'em) is the original which came with the new engine, which I had installed 5 years ago.  This is the first time I've had to change a belt on it, so one belt in five years doesn't seem excessive. The pulleys are in alignment. We were on the boat all day yesterday, motoring and sailing, and the tension is still about 1/2" midway between all pulleys. I picked up an emergency belt at West just in case. I've ordered a shop manual from Atlantic Diesel for the M30 and have talked to a couple of folks on the C32 discussion board about belt length. I'll talk with my Perkins distributor here in town (where I bought the engine in '98) again Monday. More pressing right now is my Ultra Jr. bilge pump - the float switch has stopped working except for the high water setting. I'll be taking it apart and cleaning it this afternoon.
 
Mike

Mike and Jan Smith
S/V Breezer
www.mikejansmith.com

[Glenn]

Mike,
Like others have said, it's hard to tell from the photos, (no depth perception) but could you take the bracket off, and have a welding shop remove 1/4" or so, really just the width of the bracket arm and re-weld it.  If you removed that amount of material not from the front where the bolts are, but where it makes that first 90 degree bend, it seems the mounting bracket arm would now be on the front instead of the back.  This would allow the bolt to be easily accessable from the front.  My guess is the bracket would be easy enough to get off and a few bucks at the welding shop should do the trick.

[Mike Smith]

Following up on an old thread - I found an owner of a C36 who had a Perkins M30 just like mine.  With his advice, I bought the right belt, cut the newly installed one off and easily slipped the new (correct) one on.  Adjusted the alterator to mid range in the bracket and tightened it down. Piece of cake.

Mike