Boats For Sale:
alternator rubbing on cradle |
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BaccoBouncer 
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Joined: April-25-2016 Location: Essex MA Status: Offline Points: 285 |
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 Topic: alternator rubbing on cradlePosted: May-31-2020 at 7:42pm |
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I have a 1997 Nautique with the GM 350 TBI. The person I purchased the boat from was the original owner. He had very low hours on it and never any major service, just recommended maintenance. When I first looked at the boat I noticed that the alternator was rubbing on the engine cradle. When I changed my drive shaft a few year back and was aligning the shaft/moving teh motor around, the only way to get the shaft aligned with the motor was to have the motor in a position where the alternator was touching the motor cradle. It makes it miserable for getting the belt tight. I have to buy belts that are as small as possible to where I can still get them on, but it is still hard to get them tight. From what little investigation I did it seems that cradle was designed around the Ford with an alternator mounted high. The GM has no clearance.
I figure the best solution is to get an alternator with a smaller housing diameter. Any ideas? I figured some hotrod guys might know of alternators that are compact for light weight racing etc. Or has anyone else with a GM motor experienced this same issue? Thanks -Adam |
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'97 21' Sport Nautique
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Nautiquehunter
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Joined: December-31-2008 Location: Lake Lanier GA Status: Offline Points: 1010 |
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 9:13am |
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What is on there now. A picture would help a lot.
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BaccoBouncer
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 9:44am |
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'97 21' Sport Nautique
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8122pbrainard
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Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 9:55am |
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Adam, To me, it sure looks like you need an even shorter belt. |
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KENO
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Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 11112 |
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 10:27am |
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Bacco
Just so you don't feel like the Lone Ranger here's another picture with not much clearance 
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GottaSki
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Joined: April-21-2005 Location: NE CT Status: Offline Points: 3363 |
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 10:48am |
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Perhaps dont dismiss a shorter belt yet. if one removes the adjustment bolt for a moment. Or swing the slotted adjuster down and out of the way for to get the belt on then replace the lower bolt.
Seems you already took a grinder to the cradle. those always squeal like a pig. wonder if a double belt could be configured with a different alt pulley. |
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"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worthwhile as messing around with boats...simply messing."
River Rat to Mole |
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KENO
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 10:54am |
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BaccoBouncer
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 12:52pm |
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Keno, Wow you are good with research. That pic had the alternator loose I think.
I cant' go with a smaller belt because the alternator is hitting the block with it swung in. i even removed the locking bolt just to see if I could more. i might have also removed the pivot bolt (don't remember but I may try that. I could take the Alt pulley off and put a smaller belt on and then slide the pulley back on. But I dont' know if that get's me anything considering I am pulling the Alt pulley farther from the crank pulley to get it on and off. Some of the spacing get's used up with the motor moving from torque. It seems to push it back in as it hits the cradle and it is looser than when installed. You can see how I just want to find a smaller alt. Why does it need such a large one anyway, it charges the starter battery and runs a radio at most. I don't have a fridge and air conditioning on it. Over all it's just a ridiculous design considering how much space their is on this boat for the motor. Why was there so many motor options? It is ridiculous and adds so much more engineering to making sure they all can work. Motors put out torque on a rotating shaft. That's pretty much it for functionality. Have two options big and small, by the same manufacturer and be done with it. I'm not just ranting I am actually curious if anyone has an answer for this silliness. BTW I'm an engineer that has worked in marine engine design. My motors were 90,000 Hp and went on super tankers, turbo two stroke diesels. You could walk in the crankcase. So this kind of BS drives designers nuts. |
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'97 21' Sport Nautique
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BaccoBouncer
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Joined: April-25-2016 Location: Essex MA Status: Offline Points: 285 |
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Posted: June-01-2020 at 12:57pm |
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This is me next to a piston and an exhaust valve I participated in the design of. I did the calculations to optimize thermal load vs physical stress. (That's not a perm, it was just the '90s)
 
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'97 21' Sport Nautique
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BaccoBouncer wrote:
