Belt removal

[cmainprize]

I was attempting to replace my accessory belt this week and realized I cannot get enough slack in the belt to get it off.  The alternator hits the coolant line running down the port side of the engine.  I have an extra piece of hose around the coolant line to prevent chafe because the hose rubs a bit on the engine and the alternator bracket so this might make things worse for me. 

I removed the water pump pulley to get it off, I guess I could have pulled the alternator as well, but the pulley seemed easier.

Anyone else run into this issue, I will take a picture next time I am up!

[Stu Jackson]

Cory, your M35 is different than our M25, but I've found that the easiest way to get the belt off is to pull the alternator pivot bolt.

[Ron Hill]

Cory :Look in the old Mainsheet tech notes and you find that Bill Nuttall wrote an article (late 1990s) on how to make that inlet hose "uncaptive" so you can remove the belt with out taking that hose off of the raw water pump!!
Essentially Bill cut the hose and install a male garden hose fitting on one side and a female fitting on the other side. This should give you enough extra hose so the belt does not touch the drive belt  OR
You can do as I did and run the inlet hose on the top of the outlet hose in the center of the engine (also an article)!!

If you look closer at your M35 alternator engine bracket you'll find a second bolt at holds the bracket to the engine.  If you loosen that bolt as well as the bolt that holds the alternator to that bracket you should get added slack to take the belt off the pulley.  You still might have to use a long flat tip screwdrive to help the belt off and on.

Both Bill's and my article are in the Mainsheet tech notes!!  You'll find that 99.9% of any C34 problem has been written up in the mainsheet or on this message board (WiKi) 

Don't be afraid to read!  A thought