Serpentine woes

[Rick]

So I am so excited about an upgrade. I get with Rod Collins (aka MaineSail) and I order, after some research, a serpentine kit, Balmar upgrade, etc from him. I did it in my home from memory and the fact that Balmar is making these kits basically plug and play. Well, never sit back in front of QVC with a bottle of wine and your credit card... so my wife says. I get over to the boat on a biz trip for thirty minutes and realize that my idea of the engine compartment is not the "high" that i was thinking that "groovy", this will be easy. So... I have a Hunter 420 center cockpit... take a look. The pulley has to go over the harmonic balancer. It has so little play.

My question (before I try to bribe Rod for a return) is...

Has anyone taken off this kind of HB. I have about 1 inch of purchase before the hull. Is it pressed? Or can i try getting the bolts out? This is depressing. Engine mounts and tranny coupling make this not cost effective because solar is my primary charging source. And if any of you say my boat is F,d up I swear... lol Im a Hunter 420 Passage
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[Rick D]

After looking at that, I think I'd go with a 90 amp and single pulley. (That's what I have.)

 

[Stu Jackson]

I have essentially the same "front of engine, are you kidding?" spacial constraints, restrictions, limits, carp... Ain't gonna happen in this century, or the last.
I stayed with a 3/8" belt on a 100A with the AO to the house bank, combiner, MC-612 with Small Engine Mode switch. No solar.
Reality sometimes bites...!!!

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Is there even space for a V-belt. What were they thinking??

 

[Rick]

Thanks guys. Rod hand makes a CMI-80 (on his website) that is externally regulated, that I HAD IN MY HANDS, before I returned it thinking I should just go ahead with a series 6 and serpentine kit. Im leaning the way you guys are thinking. Im thinking a sizeable bribe to MarineHowTo might be in order! Sheesh, he is gonna think I am a complete rookie. You wanna do another return? Arghhh

 

[FastOlson]

That fine web site is donor-supported to some degree, so go ahead and click on donating a few bucks... real expertise like that, at the price of a site visit, is rare on the "monetized" internet these days. (IMHO)

As for your engine and it's belt. Oh my.
All of us have some degree of access difficulty. First there is the way the engine builder combined their parts when they marinized their particular flavor of small industrial block. Second, the boat builder chose how much servicing space to leave when planning the boat interior.
While not a guarantee, most higher-end builders would better plan for later servicing and general 'room' around the engine components. Less so at the (tactful wording) High Value end of the market. I have helped a good friend work on his Hunter- engine compartment and lazerete areas - and we both learned some new swear words that day.

By comparison, our old Universal had a coolant hose jammed against the alternator case, and then one side of the engine was pretty closeup against a bulkhead. Rest of the area was pretty easy to work in. (Easier is not synonymous with "fun".)
Now we have a new Beta, and their engine really IS better-designed for servicing - it's not just ad hype. Their stock alternator drive belt is also a flat belt. (!) Lot quieter engine, too.

The advice here to maximize the present drive V belt architecture with an appropriate alternator size seems worth considering.
(If you keep your electrical needs modest, this will reduce the desire for oodles of amps, also. It might be cheaper to upgrade your refrigeration and box insulation than to put in larger alternator, for instance...)

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[Gunni]

I would be sorely tempted to take a sawsall or grinder to that grid cross-member and make a pocket.

 

[Rick]

I would be sorely tempted to take a sawsall or grinder to that grid cross-member and make a pocket.

Gunni I thought about that however, you know what is on the other side of that space? Its called the bildge. Im gonna take the advice of the above. I have 520 watts of solar for my primary charging when off the dock. Im thinking Mainesails CMI-80, he made for me, coupled with my Balmar ARS-5, should do nicely, when it is gloomy and I am sitting on Rick D's mooring in Two Harbors! And I have donated to Compass Marine before. Think im gonna try to get RC in a good mood before I email him.

Cheers

 

[FastOlson]

Apropos of whatever....
the thread title sounds like the problem that Adam had in that Garden...

 

[Rick]

Apropos of whatever....
the thread title sounds like the problem that Adam had in that Garden...

Thanks for the words. Bottom line is the alternator must be changed. Right now it is a "stupid" stock internally rated Hitachi that doesnt know a volt from a bendix. Has to go.

Cheers

 

[Rick]

So to wrap up this thread. Mainesail recommended I keep the 6 series alternator and the alt temp sensor. Then use belt manager to derate for my belt. He responded while out cruising. Wow. I will take his advice... haha. Go figure.


Cheers

 

[Gunni]

Yep, click the belt manager setting up until she smokes, then dial her back until it stops! Lay on a few extra belts including those fancy green ones and slap a K&N on the air intake to stop the belt dust.