Alternator advice - '85 Mercruiser 170

[scook]

I bought a kit from Breezeworks. It was a long afternoon installing it - the parts all seemed fine and they fit OK. The instructions were fair - not real detailed and they told me to skip two steps (since I don't have power steering) and it should have only been one step but it was pretty obvious. Spare was right about checking that there's enough room. I had to cut about 5/8" out of the edge of the deck inside the engine well but it was all on the horizontal - didn't look like it weakened anything significantly.

Fired it up and it charged fine. I have one fishing trip on it (probably 5 miles) and no problems. It's a good project for anyone who's a little bit handy and has a few tools. I'm glad I had my Harbor Freight oscillating multi tool to make the cut in the deck, it wasn't easy to access but an old fashioned coping saw and some patience would have done it.

[Jbreen07]

I highly recommend putting a dial indicator on the new pulley, if it is not as close to perfect as you can get it time will take a toll on the mounting brackets from bad vibrations! A friend of mine learned that the hard way haha

[smokeonthewater]

Make sure and seal up that cut deck w some epoxy too

[scook]

I saw the ones that came with a pulley that you add on and have to set up with a dial gauge - the one I got runs the belt off the existing harmonic balancer. I wasn't looking forward to laying on the deck, messing with the pulley - I would have done it but really liked the simple installation of the Breezeworks kit.

Thanks Smoke - good catch. That had slipped past me - I'll do it.

[cfelton]

Hey scook,
My 170 was converted over to an external alternator before I got it. It has worked fine till yesterday when the adjusting bracket broke and the alternator fell off damaging the alt. fan. Gotta fab up a new bracket. Mine mounts on top of the front engine mount with a adjustment bracket that mounts to the motor water pump. I think years of a little vibration and metal fatigue finally broke my bracket. I bought a new marine 105 amp alternator years ago from Rare Electric out of Cherokee N.C. for 67.00 about eight years ago and its done great!

[scook]

Hey Bro' Felton,

Sorry to hear about the busted bracket - hopefully you're like me and enjoy little fab projects like that. I wonder if there's a way to work a rubber grommet in the mix somewhere to dampen the vibration? Anyway, I hope you get the old girl going soon - this is the season. Also, very happy to hear about improvements on the home front - that's the really important stuff

[cfelton]

Thanks Scook! Made up a new bracket and fixed the alternator fan. Got it back out on the river with my baby, and all ran great. Did your conversion kit work out ok?