Alternator squeals when field turned on

[clyde]

wondering why you use both to charge 4, 6v, 200 amp batts/2 12v`s? does`nt make sense...use the 160 amp for the house, and yes you need at least 6, [if the room is there, get 4 new L-16`s, then 4 will do it, at 350 amps ea] then the 100 amp for the start batt [s]...as others said, when you turn the sw on, it puts a heavy load on asap, not slowly! you can run up to 100 amps with a single 1/2" belt...not sure if the 'next' can control 2 alt...i have the ample power V3 reg, and it will...where is the sense wire connected? sounds like someone did`nt know what they were doing! my dad use to use the phrase 'backasswords' for things like this...clyde

[donradcliffe]

Tighten up the new belt until the squeal goes away. Its pretty common for new belts to have to be re-tensioned after they are run for a bit.

[DeepFrz]

I seem to remember that the belt should sit just slightly above the shoulder of the pulley when new. If it sits down inside the pulley then you have either the wrong size belt or wrong size pulley. Check how it sits on the crankshaft pulley to determine which is wrong. I'm certainly no belt expert so take this advice for what its worth but I will say that using a single belt on an alternator above 100 amp. is asking for trouble.

One other point is that the Balmar external regulators have a setting called "Belt Saver". This ramps the field voltage up slowly so the load doesn't come on suddenly. They also have a setting that allows you to dial back the m
ax. output current in order to run the alternator cooler. That also helps save the belt.

It sounds like you have a huge charging capacity for the size of your battery bank. Certainly better than have to small of an alternator though.

Edit: This page shows probably more than you ever need to know about belts and pulleys but is does show how the belt should fit in the pulley groove and the power factor depending on the drive contact angle from 180 degrees.

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tabl...Vee_belts.html

[Cadence]

Play with the belt tension if you didn't have the problem. Try some belt ease it might tell you if it is belt squeal. I would expect the bearings are about shot if that does not solve it?

[shantycrew]

Clyde. Normally I have six 200Ah batteries on the house bank but because one has a bad cell I took that one and another good one out of service, until I get a replacement for the dead battery so I still had 12v house bank. My 160 amp baby is driven by two belts and is working just fine no squeals when that is operating, only when I turn on the field of the Balmar, which looks pretty new to me but I didn't buy it, came with the boat so not sure of it's age
I do have switches for both field wires, the one for the 160 is almost always on, except when I switch it off, of course.
The battery sense wire comes off a positive post close to the house bank, not sure who asked that one.
I think that your right DeepFrz, that the belt is sitting too low in the pulley. I'm just using spares that came with the boat, which we've had for just over a year and usually when I've tightened the belts the squeal disappears. seems to me if it was the bearing it would squeal all the time, not when I turn on the field. I like the idea of the Balmar regulator and belt saver thing.
So thanks guys, I'll investigate a new wider belt, although down here in the Republic Dominicana I don't know if I'll get anything super duper.
And when we get down to civilisation in Puerto Rico I'll invest in a separate regulator for the Balmar, cause i can't see how this system I've got here works. In fact for a while I split the two alternators, having the Balmar feed the engine and the 160A feeding the house bank with the next step, but because there was no regulator on the Balmar I think I boiled away all the electrolyte killing the battery which is why I reverted back to the original wiring. Stupidly I figured there would be an internal regulator in the Balmar DOH!
Oh well it's all learning curve.
Oh and I checked the belt tension and it seems about right, just over a quarter inch play, don't want to tension it more than that.
Thanks your wisdom never ceases to amaze me

[Dauntlessny]

Originally Posted by St. Elsewhere

If the field is off there is no load. When you turn it on the load hits with a jolt. Hence a noise if it slips momentarily.

squealing=belt slip

Even OEM belts are not necessarily so. Check tension, if OK, it's the belt.

[kentobin]

Originally Posted by shantycrew

I think that your right DeepFrz, that the belt is sitting too low in the pulley.

You might want to take the time to verify that your Balmar alternator and engine have the same size pulley. If they're different Balmar sells different size pulleys so you match it to the one on your engine. http://www.balmar.net/2014-balmar-master-catalog.pdf

[sy_gilana]

Sounds like you have a field mouse?

[four winds]

I'm guessing the OP knows how to tension a v belt.

When a belt bottoms out in the groove the v sides can't make proper contact with the pulley. The gripping force must be on the sides of course to work correctly.

If bottomd out and tightened enough to prevent the banshee sound the belt will fail in short order.

[shantycrew]

Thanks all, I think they have had the wrong belts onboard in the spares box. I'm going to buy a wider belt, if I can find one. Of course getting to that belt means having to remove all the others, as well as taking off the water pump">raw water pump. It's the trickiest belt to change, but hey "that's boating". I don't have a diploma in belt tightening, four winds, but I just get a big lever on the side of the alt. give it a push and nip up the adjuster bolt, which seems to do the job.

[shantycrew]

Hey Cpt DeepFrz, was this a joke
Vee belts / V belts

I just wanted to go cruising,

[four winds]

What? No diploma?

With the setup you have, I figurated you could teach the class, as to what regards belt tension. ....( nod to Polux on words and grammer) :-)

[DeepFrz]

Just trying to help you get your diploma!

I actually posted it for the one drawing showing how the belt should fit in the pulley.

[Boatyarddog]

Is your switch hooked directly to 12vts, with no regulator installed in the circuit.
If so, your full fielding the alternator.
Can't imagine that, but?


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[Boatyarddog]

More likely an incorrect belt or tension.


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