Shredded alternator belt on 2007 MC 30 Alpha

I´m the owner of a 2007 SeaRa

I´m the owner of a 2007 SeaRay 185 Sport MerCruiser 3.0 Alpha (raw cooling).

Yesterday I went out for a ride but only after 3 min run at half speed the alarm sounded.
I immediately put it into neutral and shut the engine off to see what was wrong.

After opening the engine compartment i found that the alternator belt was shred to pieces.
I also noticed that the drive lube level was low..but this I´ve read can be common on new engines.

However.. today I installed a new alternator belt and filled up the oil.
The engine starts and seems to operate nicely .. BUT...

I now have 3 questions I´m hoping you can help me..

1. What could have caused the belt to break after only 35 hrs of non-violent runtime?!

2. When running the engine in idle the temp quickly rises to 170. I can´t remember what was the temp before. What is considered the normal healthy operating temperature for this engine? At what temp is it overheating?

3. Should I consider it safe to take her out for a test spin or could the broken belt have caused other issues?

Thanks in advance!

"That must have a serpentine b

"That must have a serpentine belt? If the alt. and the water pump turn freely I would go for a ride. Do your pulleys look in line with each other? As far as your temp., 170 is good. If it gets aroud 200, shut it off, you have a problem. Sounds like it is running perfect. Go boating and keep an eye on it."

1. The belt could have just b

1. The belt could have just been defective or the pulley could be out of alignment due to a loose bracket or bent shaft.

2. What temp. does the engine run at while under way? If it is much lower than 170 F. then the OD impeller probably needs replaced. An overheating temp. is the temp. that cannot be controlled under normal operation due to the failure of one or more cooling system components and thereby causes damage to the engine and outdrive.

3. Test drive it near the boat ramp at moderate speeds while keeping an eye on the temp. and the voltmeter. The broken belt probably did not cause damage to the rest of the engine because you had the sense to shut it down when it ocurred.

"Thanks guys for answering my

"Thanks guys for answering my Q's so fast.

The engine operates nice

Regards,

NF"