Nu-T link belt - experience?

[neil1967]

I have recently fitted a 130A alternator to my Perkins 4108, and fitted a Nu-T link belt (13mm A section) to deal with the increased load caused by the alternator. I ran it for around 20 mins under low load (moored up but in gear) and then tightened the belt. We went for a sail on Sunday, which involved about 2.5 hours motoring, after which I found large amounts of dust from the belt in the engine bay, but more worryingly, the belt had stretched considerably and was very loose. The alternator would not have put too much load on the system as the batteries were fully charged. Has anyone else experienced this - is this a one-off stretching as the belt beds in, or is it unsuitable for the task? If the latter, any suggestions to address the problem?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Get the correct size and profile belt for your pulleys, make sure both pulleys are of the same profile

 

[NorthUp]

Nu-t link will not cope with the power required- there is not enough contact area round the circumference of the small diameter alternator pulley.

Even if you change to a conventional rubber vee belt, one will struggle to cope with a 120 amp alternator, (12 or 24volt) without excessive belt tension that will hurt the bearings.

New pulleys, either multi vee belt, or two or even three groove conventional vee belts are the answers, a good bearing supplier can supply, and you will probably have to have a PTO shaft stub machined to carry the pulley on the end of the existing crankshaft pulley.