Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 23 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 23 Thanks gents. On the parts diagram, it is item #10 that I reached the limit on. The alternator won't pivot any higher. If it were to pivot higher then there would nowhere for item #14 to bolt to. Sooooooo frustrating .... How does a seemingly good looking belt stretch anyway - it can't have done more than 3000 miles ? Presumably I need to get a new belt from usual suspects? 1 hour ago, CarBuff said: You couldn't have dropped any of the spacer washers on the alternator support? #3 in the parts image. I didn't drop any, but haven't got them anyway. Why might this affect tension? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarBuff Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 7 minutes ago, thebartman said: On the parts diagram, it is item #10 that I reached the limit on. I didn't drop any, but haven't got them anyway. Why might this affect tension? If you have run out of room on the slotted adjusting strap, your V belt is a bit long. Or, it is too narrow. I've run into issues like this when obtaining belts from auto parts stores.😡 Did you loosen item #11 and #7 before attempting to tighten #14? AND the upper support threaded rod #2 that I referenced? The washers (and the split 'sleeve' shown) keep the alternator from wobbling at the top. Difficult to tighten if the alternator keeps moving. Also, the alternator might be twisted (misaligned) with those washers missing. You didn't lose # 15 I hope.😇 I'd have a new V-belt on hand, just in case. Perhaps one size shorter? But new ones DO loosen/stretch over time and need to be re-adjusted. Quote Atwell Haines '88 Esprit Succasunna, NJ USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM Sparky Posted February 23 Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 23 Sure you got back the same pulley? 1 Quote British Fart to Florida, Nude to New York, Dunce to Denmark, Numpty to Newfoundland. And Shitfaced Silly Sod to Sweden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdoom Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 Worth examining the belt width vs pulley groove width, as Atwell remarked. It is rather important that they are a match. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 24 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 24 Thanks to all - So in summary, I'll get a new belt - any recommendation? SJ/PNM/ebay etc. ? Also, part #3 x2 missing, part #15 missing - so I'll source replacements too - may as well try and get all prts in place And finally (for now) to answer @Sparky 's question re: pulley - I am assuming that there is only one place it could go because other belts are on the pulley and this looks like the only one available - although very trick to actually get visuals down there !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM Sparky Posted February 24 Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 24 No, I mean: did the rebuilt alternator come back with exactly the same pulley? There are various diameters, and even slightly smaller could result in failure to achieve tension. Quote British Fart to Florida, Nude to New York, Dunce to Denmark, Numpty to Newfoundland. And Shitfaced Silly Sod to Sweden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LotuStuart Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Is this one what you need? Found on the bay as a replacement for AL49x LRA00715 Alternator 12V Electrical Replacement Spare By RTX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarBuff Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 2 hours ago, thebartman said: I'll get a new belt - any recommendation? Name-brand belt part numbers often indicate a length. So get a shorter one (lower #) locally, no need to pay a specialist. EX: Gates 7340 is shorter than Gates 7345 If there is a stretch issue, the first 3000 miles is when it would happen. That #15 'clamp plate' serves to prevent the nylon tension strap from spreading. I just noticed that it wasn't called out as fitted on Carb'd cars, sorry...but SJ sells them. https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and-accessories/A912E2221F.htm The #3 washers are not anything special...but if you want to DOUBLE the resale value of your Esprit, use new Stainless Steel washers. 😇 🤪 Quote Atwell Haines '88 Esprit Succasunna, NJ USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillidoggy Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 If the belt was correct when before the alternator was removed, but is now slack, then the belt isn’t the issue and attempting to fit a smaller one isn’t the answer. As an aside, V-belts and indeed cam belts don’t stretch much at all, they wear. 2 Quote Margate Exotics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarBuff Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 1 hour ago, Chillidoggy said: V-belts and indeed cam belts don’t stretch much at all, they wear. If that is true, why do I often need to re-tension our V-belts after several thousand miles? For that matter, Esprits with the original A prefix timing belts needed a tension check periodically. Tension check is part of a B service. (Blue Gates Racing belts are a LOT more robust) Quote Atwell Haines '88 Esprit Succasunna, NJ USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillidoggy Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 3 minutes ago, CarBuff said: If that is true, why do I often need to re-tension our V-belts after several thousand miles? For that matter, Esprits with the original A prefix timing belts needed a tension check periodically. Tension check is part of a B service. (Blue Gates Racing belts are a LOT more robust) Loss of tension is the result of wear. Quote Margate Exotics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 25 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 25 22 hours ago, Sparky said: did the rebuilt alternator come back with exactly the same pulley Yes - for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 25 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 25 20 hours ago, CarBuff said: but if you want to DOUBLE the resale value of your Esprit, use new Stainless Steel washers. 😇 🤪 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 25 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 25 Still scratching my head ..... Here's the original belt- it's been working for 2 years. All of a sudden it's got too much slack. ? Anyway - I measured it, and looked up the Gates part number - found a match and it's the same length etc. as the one I have. For reference, it's a Gates 6263MC - (875x10mm) Does it look "worn" ? I still can't understand how a working belt/alternator etc. now has a 2" slack in it. And also, BTW, (showing my ignorance) why are there teeth on a belt for a system with no teeth on the pulleys? Without any images in Service Notes, is there another pulley/tensioner involved? or is it just carankshaft pulley to alternator? Thanks to all, us usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydclements Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 I'm going to ask a silly question but as we don't have a picture of the alternator in place, I cannot answer it for myself. @CarBuff , have you got the alternator turned so that it's 180 degrees out? By that I mean the bolt hole that should be for the pivot bolt is the one on the slider and vice versa. The holes are not diagonally opposite, when fitted the side where they are closer together should be close to the engine. I'm sure you cannot even fit it the wrong way because the rear mounting wouldn't work, but ..... it may be possible for the outer case of the alternator to be fitted incorrectly when they refurbished it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 25 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 25 Good question @Andyww - especially as I just wrapped her up for the night - a photo in-situ tomorrow. Essentially, the top casing fits between the mounting holes at top of mounting, and the lower bolt fits/connects to the lower (slotted) bracing bar. In fact, if these were to be swapped, the "slack" in the belt would be more like 6" (15cm), not just the 2-3" it now has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowrx Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 I once drove an embarrassing distance with my alternator belt on the smaller of my two crank pully diameters.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarBuff Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 Good point... USA Turbos had A/C fitted. DOM vehicles A/C was an option. The alternator belt goes on the outer, most forward V drive of the crank pulley. Quote Atwell Haines '88 Esprit Succasunna, NJ USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAR Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 Did you loosen off the slotted bar during disassembly? Could you have tightened the retaining bolt up with the slotted bar not being horizontal? 2" is definitely not going to be a stretched belt. It'll be the tensioning mechanism that's not adjusted correctly I feel. Quote It's getting there...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painterdave Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 12 hours ago, TAR said: Did you loosen off the slotted bar during disassembly? Could you have tightened the retaining bolt up with the slotted bar not being horizontal? 2" is definitely not going to be a stretched belt. It'll be the tensioning mechanism that's not adjusted correctly I feel. Have a good look at the slotted bar maybe wrong way round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chillidoggy Posted February 26 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 26 Notched V-belts follow the pulley profile better, run cooler, and with less slip. Slippage and friction is what causes wear, and wear means less tension. Again, it’s not your belt that’s the problem. 3 Quote Margate Exotics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painterdave Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 7 minutes ago, Painterdave said: Have a good look at the slotted bar maybe wrong way round Looked at a picture bar is strate so may not be that alternater may have been put together wrong way round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 26 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 26 So here is the alternator in-situ. The blue marker is the long bolt (#2) about which the alternator pivots. The yellow marker is the slotted metal bracket (#10) This has not been moved. The bolt that secures the bracket (#7) has not been moved either. Bolt (#14) can only travel to a certain limit - and it is exactly where it originally was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillidoggy Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 So, you can move the alternator to the end of its adjustment on the slotted bar, and the belt is still slack? Quote Margate Exotics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM thebartman Posted February 26 Author Gold FFM Report Share Posted February 26 No - The slotted bracket it at an angle, and as the unit pivots, it can't move any further along the bracket - only upwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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