For Nordhavn / Nothern Lights tekkies only:
After the broken drive belt game and having wondered why there are two belts to drive one small engine battery alternator on our main engine, we did some digging.
Here is what the Lugger / Northern Lights guru "Lugger Bob" had to say. (He has been mentioned in here before as the "go to guy" for any queries and that he is amazingly helpful to the Nordhavn owner community). When asked about alternaitves to the twin belt setup a while ago by another owner who didn't like the belt dust it created, Bob gave these alternatives:
After the broken drive belt game and having wondered why there are two belts to drive one small engine battery alternator on our main engine, we did some digging.
Here is what the Lugger / Northern Lights guru "Lugger Bob" had to say. (He has been mentioned in here before as the "go to guy" for any queries and that he is amazingly helpful to the Nordhavn owner community). When asked about alternaitves to the twin belt setup a while ago by another owner who didn't like the belt dust it created, Bob gave these alternatives:
1.Run with one belt. Each belt can carry 100 amps with so much wrap on the pulley. It's the famous Lugger "two belts and no suspenders" approach. Two belts allows you to upgrade to a big, rebuildable alternator when the cheapo little starting battery alternator dies and goes to heaven. One belt may mitigate the torsionally induced vibration of the belts enough to kill the dust. If that doesn't work, I'll bet you a dinner that a Gates green back Fleetrunner will do it. If you want to run two belts, that's OK, too.
2. If you want to run with zero belts, you should disconnect the alternator field and turn your paralleling switch ON between the house batteries and engine start batteries. Make a note for the pilothouse to remind you to turn if off while at anchor. Read the note before you go to bed.
2a. If you'd rather not mess with the paralleling switch, buy an ABC switch (automatic battery combiner) that will switch power from the house batteries to the starting battery bank when the house batteries reach 13.5 (or 27) volts. Blue Seas makes a nice one, as do some other vendors. NO battery combiner diodes!!
THIS APPLIES TO ALL L668D/T, LP668T AND L1066T LUGGER ENGINES!! Everyone else: just buy the green belts and have a good time.
So, now you know, even if you didn't want to. Good that his method of running with no belt (option 2) was the same as our idea on what to do if both belts had broken. Reassuring!
So, now you know, even if you didn't want to. Good that his method of running with no belt (option 2) was the same as our idea on what to do if both belts had broken. Reassuring!
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Thanks for your ideas / cheek / corrections / whatever! They should hit the blog shortly after the system checks them to make sure they will not put us or you in jail.....