Fan Belt Problems

[dogbert]

A good friend bought a 2002 Tige 21v Riders Edition last summer and he keeps having problems with the fanbelt slipping, where it doesn't move at all. He's had it in the shop about half a dozen times for this problem. The Ski Dock here in Austin is usually pretty good about finding and fixing problems, but this one appears to have them stumped. Anyone have a similar problem?

My friend is ready to get rid of the boat because he keeps getting stuck on the lake.

[olier]

He has the wrong kind of tires on the boat as well. Get the ones suitable for the lake.

[Tige M.D.]

do you know if it is the belt that has stopped or a pulley that has froze up. do you know if they have replaced anything, belt, pulley's, alternator, pumps? this model boat tends to eat up idler pulley's and sometimes alternators. the water that drips off of the rear hatch lands right on them. tell your buddy not to sell it just yet, we can help you guy's figure this out.

[olier]

I am ssorry, I really thought he was kidding about the "fan" belt thing.

[dogbert]

Thanks Tige M.D. Also, I just talked a guy from the Ski Dock and apparently there's a recall or something for the whole assembly. It doesn't appear to extend to this model, but they're working with Tige on it.

[raythompson]

Remember that the V-Belt must not bottom out in the pulley. If the belt is too narrow it will slip regardless of the tension. The V-Belt relies on the force into the V-groove to provide traction.

[walkers2rad]

The shop should be able to take care of this for you however I will relate something that may help you or anybody else out that runs into something like this...
The first thing I would check would be to loosen the belt and make sure that everything is free to turn (altenator circulating water pump and ideler pulleys) and especially that the raw water pump, and that it rotates in the direction that the engine turns. The rubber impeller will have a fair amount of drag to it, but if it has dried out, like over the winter it may be stuck to the housing. If it rotates freely in both directions then you definatly need a new impeller.
It is good practice to remove the pump and inspect it before every season, if the impeller looks good I lube it up with a good o-ring or rubber lubricant (not grease) and put it back in.
I would suggest you buy a full pump rebuild kit and always have it on the boat. The one you have is for a mercruiser bravo (http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/w...uctId=13109756) $49.99. There is a excellent write up on how to replace this on this website somewhere, print it and keep it with the kit along with the specific tools to do it, there are only a few. It could save a ruined day at the lake!
In my opinion every boat owner should know how to do their own raw water pump, it is probably the most critical high wear mechanical item on the boat. Neglecting it has damaged countless engines.

Hope this helps, Ray
I am a mechanic, but not a marine mechanic. Overqualified I would bet.
I only guarentee my free advise to be worth every penny.

[dogbert]

It's not the water pump, it's been replaced. It's like the tension mechanism on the pulley keeps loosing.