Right 10-ribbed belt for a Penta D2-55A, could it be 42"?

[skippeer]

I have bought a Balmar XT170 Amp alternator and a pulley kit incl. 2 x 44" 10-ribbed belts (Bando Europe GmbH, 440J, No. 17 243) to my Volvo Penta D2-55 A (2002) plus a new adjustment arm & belt buddy.

Balmar order number for the pulley kit is 48-VSP-D2-A
and the delivered belts is my current showstopper.

When performing a dry test I wasn´t 100% happy because the 10-ribbed belt seem to be too long.
I could not remove the old adjustment arm (in green colour) so I hold the new arm on top of the old one to get a rough feeling how it will look soon.

Asked Electromaax regarding belt length for the same pulley kit, they deliver it with a 42" long 10-ribbed belt.

Shared some images with Balmar technical support and told them my findings.
Response back was that I as customer should do the homework that I assumed Balmar would have done together with the first D2-55A customer,
fine tuning the setup and measure the optimal belt length.
After that order 2 new belts with a price around 100 Euro/belt, leadtime from USA to Europe can be several weeks.

Anyone with a completed 10-ribbed pulley installation on a D2-55A who can share the perfect belt length?

 

[ChromeDome]

Cant help with your quest, but in addition to web seaching, here's ideas to measure belt

 

[skippeer]

Later versions of D2-55 have 5-ribbed serpentine original Penta belt and the belt length should be 1040 mm = 41”, 5PK1040.

Maybe Balmar BAL48B42 could be the right belt, length 42” (Bando 420J 10-rib), width around 24 mm.
Todays lesson learned is the different belt profiles:
PJ 10 x 2,34mm/rib ==> 24 mm
PK 6 x 3,56mm/rib ==> 22 mm

Better price and short delivery time when buying from belt shops on internet in Europe, 10PJ1067.
YouTube video about belt naming definition.

Still would I like to hear from others upgrading D2-55A with 10-rib serpentine belt system.

 

[ChromeDome]

Would the Balmar have same or different pulley diamerter, affecting the belt length?

 

[skippeer]

@ChromeDome : Yes the diameter has impact on the right belt length but all manufactures need to relate to the physical dimensions on the engine so the sizes should be rather similar is my guessing ;-)

At "cruisersforum.com" did a guy with a Perkins 404C 22 (= VP D2-55) claim that he could use belt length 39" to 42" after he installed a pulley kit for D2-55.

Regardless of pulley diameter did I expect that Balmar had have verified required belt length for the alternator (XT-SF-170-J10) and pulley kit
(SKU48-VSP-D2-A) designed for D2-55, especially when they have sold the pulley kit in several years.

Balmar kit spec measured by myself:

• Water pump pulley diameter 87 mm => 3.4"
  (Inner diameter 68 mm)
• Crank pulley diameter 133 mm => effective dia 5.085"
  (Inner diameter 120 mm)
• Alternator pulley 57 mm => effective dia 2.285"
• 2 x Bando Rib Ace belt profile J, 10-rib, length 44" / 1118 mm => 440J10
• 4 x M6 length 16 mm, 3 x M12, length 30 mm
• List price today 643 USD (PKYS)
• Additional cost for belt with right length 2 x 47 USD (PKYS)
  
  If I would buy today would I bought the pulley kit from Electromaax due to length of the belt seem to be more correct, kit spec from retailer:
• Water pump pulley 3” diameter
• Crank pulley 5.5” diameter
• Alternator pulley unknown
• The belt is 420J10 (42”, 1067 mm)
• The bolts 4 x M6 – 1.0 x 16mm, 3 x M12- 1.75 x 30mm
• List price today 479 Euro (Sm@rtm@rine, NL)

I have submitted an order of a test belt from a German company, 420J10, to be used when I continue/finalize my dry testing.
The old 100A alternator can be used as a spare part (need to replace the pulley on it which might requires support from a machine shop).