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Vbelt to serpentine

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pfd843

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"good afternoon ladies and gen

"good afternoon ladies and gents. i have a quick question that i hope someone can help with. is there a conversion to change from the standard v-belt to a serpentine setup? if not how about running 2 v-belts on the alternator? the problem i'm having is this: alternator belt squeeks almost constantly. starts as soon as i start the engine and continues for a few minutes, everytime. last time i took it out it started squeeking as i was running down the river at about 3000 rpm. at that rpm it wasnt real noticable, but a chatter every now and then. i've changed belts, alternator, and checked alignment. everything is good. i cant figure this thing out. boat is a 1995 marada mx1 with a 3.0lx alpha gen2. any help would be appreciated. thanks."
 
"Ayuh,... There's No Serp

"Ayuh,... There's No Serp. belts for that motor,...
And,..
There's No reason you shouldn't be able to stop your's from Squealing....
Is your belt too long to start with,..??
Are the pulleys Rusted,..?? Are you boating in Saltwater,..??"
 
"yep,
you would think either

"yep,
you would think either loose or wrong belt,
or bad bearing, pulley or alt. been years since I have seen anyone have to use belt dressing."
 
"thanks for the reply bondo. t

"thanks for the reply bondo. to answer your questions: belt is standard length according to mercruiser. pulleys are clean, and this is fresh water. would moisture in the engine compartment have anything to do with it? i have a full width sunpad with 3 seperate panels and 2 of the panels seem to hold moisture. upholstery and wood are getting ready to get replaced. getting married next month so after that i will start on the interior."
 
Never heard of a conversion ki

Never heard of a conversion kit. You might get the necessary parts from a junkyard vehicle w/the same engine. You'll need the pulleys and brackets for it.

Are you using smooth V belts or the type that looks like a timing belt w/cogs cut into it? If the pulleys are glossy the greater the chance for a smooth V belt to squeek due to slippage.

Oil leaking onto the belts will ruin them asap and cause a squeek condition.

If the pulleys are glossy then I remove the gloss w/a coarse sanding sponge while the engine is running. BUT! I watch what I am doing and wear short sleeves and do not wear gloves. I stay on the open side of the pulleys and have someone w/one hand on the ignition key in case I was to get my hand or fingers cut off.

I am not recommending that you do it the way that I do. I'm just telling you how I do it.
 
"thanks for all the replys. i&

"thanks for all the replys. i'm going to take it all apart next weekend and see what i really have going on. the belt is smooth, not cogged. everything except the pulleys is new. well, the water pump is not new, but seems to spin fine with no belt. i'm almost positive its the alternator belt because when i hear the sqeek the volt guage is running real low. also when i trim or put a load on the alternator it starts sqeeking. alternator was just rebuilt last season by a reputable builder."
 
what are the condition of the

what are the condition of the batteries?
Too high a charge rate can make most belts squeal.
 
"Too high a charge rate can ma

"Too high a charge rate can make most belts squeal.

could you please explain that to me, not doubting you,am trying to learn something here, never knew that.
thanks."
 
"The only things that will mak

"The only things that will make a belt squeal is a worn belt, worn pulley,miss alignment, or not enough tension on the belt.You just need to determine which one."
 
Check the alignment of all pul

Check the alignment of all pulleys w/a straight edge; correct as needed. Check the alternator output; voltage not to exceed 14.8 volts. Replace all belts w/cog type belts with the right tension. Check and readjust the tension after 5-10 hours.
 
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