Alternator belts - good makes / makes to avoid?

[Emerald Fox]

Thinking about perhaps changing the alternator belt on our 'new' (first) narrowboat; the present one (I almost said 'current' one!) should be OK for a while but I'm getting ready for the future. Are there makes/brands that are recommended, and makes/brands that have more 'iffy' reputations?

What is a rough guide for changing the alternator belt intervals? Once-a-year / 90,000 miles? Just to give me an idea to start with...

 

Thanking ye...

[pearley]

Gates, Dayco. Are we talking about vee belts or poly vee?

Edited March 27, 2014 by pearley

[Guest]

Another vote for Gates if you can get them.

[bigste]

You won't go wrong with Fenner. I'd say 2 to 3 years is about right but it depends on your alternator load. Big alternators can cause more wear. By big I mean output. A 45 amp output will cause less wear than a 100 amp output and 2 alternators will wear more than one. There is no need to change it in under 2 years, just keep a spare belt.

[cereal tiller]

Avoid Halfrauds belts,they stretch and fray very quickly!

 

Another vote for Gates

 

CT

[Keeping Up]

Or if you're setting off on a particularly hazardous bit of river and the belt is say 2 years old, put new belt on and keep the old one as a spare. I keep my spare and the appropriate spanner on the bulkhead next to the alternator so I can do a quick change in an emergency.

[Paul C]

I keep a spare belt and inspect it every service interval (for us, 200 hours or so) and if its frayed or otherwise damaged, change it with a spare kept on board. Then the spare is replaced at a convenient time.

So far, never had a belt snap, and never had plans disrupted due to no alternator belt, always been able to take my time and source a new one at a cheap price.

[steelaway]

Another vote for Gates if you can get them.

 

You can order them at Partco

 

Alex

[ditchcrawler]

I have a spare wired to the front of the engine as I have two belts, pulleys and alternators plus water pump, so if the back one goes it can be changed without disturbing the other

[OldGoat]

Firstly, I'm assuming its a standard V-belt,

(secondly find out its length - before the markings rub off),

thirdly consider using a toothed , 'notched' cogged belt, they last for ever, for ever, for ever..

 

Gates stuff is good - that's reflected in the price

Fenner IME not so good, trouble is they are widely available

 

Some tears ago (a typo but I'll leave it...) I tried belts fro BearingBoys:-

 

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/AX_Section__13mm_x_8mm_-1519-c

 

Excellent value. They do it by post.

 

I started with standard V belts - and they lasted me better than Fenner,

later - on advice - I moved to cogged belts, both A and B section and I didn't have to change any of them (twin A's and ditto B's) until the engine pulleys fell off.......

 

 

[DJW]

Another vote for Gates here and you can get them on eBay pretty cheaply. Ours seems to be an unusual size (Vetus M4.17) but easy to find on eBay. Buy a couple while you're at it and keep one as a spare.

[Guest]

I got a Gates replacement for a Vetus 415 without problems. The Gates are proving to be good belts, but I have found that you have to adjust them 2 or 3 times before they finally settle, whereas the Vetus belts settle more quickly, but cost a great deal more. I will be sticking with the Gates.

[AndrewIC]

Avoid Halfrauds belts,they stretch and fray very quickly!

 

My boat (Beta engine) came with a 1000mm belt, commonly available, but which I could only replace by removing the water pump pulley - there was no way I could force a new 1000 belt over the pulleys. Then I found that Halfords used to sell a 1013mm belt which I could get on but which wasn't too long to run out of adjustment bracket. Then they stopped selling belts altogether...

 

I've always been a bit paranoid about belts since the occasion in my early days of boat owning that one gave way in the middle of a tunnel!

[ditchcrawler]

 

My boat (Beta engine) came with a 1000mm belt, commonly available, but which I could only replace by removing the water pump pulley - there was no way I could force a new 1000 belt over the pulleys. Then I found that Halfords used to sell a 1013mm belt which I could get on but which wasn't too long to run out of adjustment bracket. Then they stopped selling belts altogether...

 

I've always been a bit paranoid about belts since the occasion in my early days of boat owning that one gave way in the middle of a tunnel!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gates-Fan-Belt-1013mm-9-5mm-section-6275MC-fan-alternator-v-belt-AV-10-/360440794771 on ebay

[Eeyore]

I got a Gates replacement for a Vetus 415 without problems. The Gates are proving to be good belts, but I have found that you have to adjust them 2 or 3 times before they finally settle, whereas the Vetus belts settle more quickly, but cost a great deal more. I will be sticking with the Gates.

Vetus genuine belt is now a Gates belt, saw two on my colleagues desk earlier.

[David Schweizer]

 

My boat (Beta engine) came with a 1000mm belt, commonly available, but which I could only replace by removing the water pump pulley - there was no way I could force a new 1000 belt over the pulleys. Then I found that Halfords used to sell a 1013mm belt which I could get on but which wasn't too long to run out of adjustment bracket. Then they stopped selling belts altogether...

 

I've always been a bit paranoid about belts since the occasion in my early days of boat owning that one gave way in the middle of a tunnel!

 

Is that quite recent? I bought a two for our engine not long ago, I had to ask at the stores counter as they no longer seem to display them and they had to be orderedm but they were branded "Halfords".

[Paringa]

Another vote for BearingBoys... I used their sizing calculator and worked out the sizes, ordered and it is an excellent service and they have lasted as well as the makers stuff.

 

My reason for using pattern parts was the Four belts - Two on the engine and a couple of spares - were costing me over £100 and I had to wait a month for Perkins to get them to me!...er no thanks. Lets face it they probably only re-badge what I bought anyhow...

[Bazza954]

I have used Camskill for my belts, two of which are poly rib.

 

cost of belt for travel power,

 

Engine supplier £41.33 inc vat

Camskill £11.80 inc vat

 

Same genuine belt manufactured by Dayco

 

http://www.camskill.co.uk/

[Emerald Fox]

Thanks for this, sets me in the right direction! I'm the kind of person who does things like changes belts before they snap, and engine oil for my car at 4000 kilometres rather than the recommended 15,000 - best way to preserve an engine. Notes taken and added to my files!

[AndrewIC]

Is that quite recent? I bought a two for our engine not long ago, I had to ask at the stores counter as they no longer seem to display them and they had to be orderedm but they were branded "Halfords".

Must be a year or two ago? The display stand had gone and when I asked they dug a couple out from the back. Just ordered some off eBay so won't have cause to find out whether Halfords could supply them again for a few years!