Linked V Belt on Alternator from Ruston Hornsby 2ydm

[Colin Brendan]

Hi,

 

Has anyone had any experience with linked (detachable) v belts and do you think they'd be ok with a 2 cylinder high torque engine like this?

 

It runs to an alternator

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

Edited February 4, 2016 by Colin Brendan

[Flyboy]

Hi,

 

Has anyone had any experience with linked (detachable) v belts and do you think they'd be ok with a 2 cylinder high torque engine like this?

 

It runs to an alternator

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

My experience with linked belts is confined to machine tools. They work surprisingly well but don't like small pulleys like you find on alternators.

[ditchcrawler]

Surely its the size of alternator that gives the loading on the belt, not the torque of the engine. 50 amp alternator of 150 amp one?

[Arthur Brown]

Linked belts work, they do not like small pulleys and usually don't transmit as much power as a fixed belt. In low poser applications they are useful, in high power applications they really need replacement with a primary manufacture of a belt of suitable design for the pulley size and power transmission. Small alternator (35 - 50amps) they may well work, beyond that not recommended.

[furnessvale]

Hi,

 

Has anyone had any experience with linked (detachable) v belts and do you think they'd be ok with a 2 cylinder high torque engine like this?

 

It runs to an alternator

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

To me, the only reason to use a linked belt is where some measure of stripping the engine down to replace belts would be required.

 

I have been in that position with both the alternator on a Petter PD2 and the water pumps on a Bolinder 1052.

 

In neither application were the belts overstressed and worked fine.

 

Although they are rather expensive, and I would always consider some method of using standard belts, fitting an extra spare belt, strapping it out of the way for emergency use, rather than using links, if at all possible.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Kieron G]

Hi, I have to use a linked belt on my engine for the alternator ( 35 amp ) and have no problems. I use a small alternator pulley size because with a larger diameter it drops out of charge when engine is at tick over. Also there is a correct direction of travel with the thin end of the wedge shape indicating way the belt should go as I was advised by East yorks engineering.

[ditchcrawler]

 

I would always consider some method of using standard belts, fitting an extra spare belt, strapping it out of the way for emergency use, rather than using links, if at all possible.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

Not many people think like that, we often use to do that

[Iain_S]

Contrar to others'experience, I've been using a linked belt on Gamebird for years.

I find that it is actually better than a standard belt, and can be adjusted with a fair bit more slack before it starts to slip.

[Colin Brendan]

Linked belts work, they do not like small pulleys and usually don't transmit as much power as a fixed belt. In low poser applications they are useful, in high power applications they really need replacement with a primary manufacture of a belt of suitable design for the pulley size and power transmission. Small alternator (35 - 50amps) they may well work, beyond that not recommended.

Hi Arthur,

 

Would this be different if it was a 24v alternator, i.e. would it still be able to do 35-50amps?

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

[Batavia]

 

 

I have been in that position with both .......... and the water pumps on a Bolinder 1052.

 

 

Great design, isn't it?

 

First remove the oil filter and sump pump so that you can remove the gearbox, then remove the gearbox to change the water pump belts - and this is easier than trying to get the pulley off the end of the camshaft! All for want of a few mm clearance between the gearbox casing and the pulley.

 

I think that perhaps nowdays I don't dislike linked belts as much as I used to....

 

Chris G