Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: bad Chad on June 07, 2019, 09:45:19 AM
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I pulled the bell housing cover off to take a look at the alt belt. 44,000 miles, It looks pretty good, lots of very small cracks in the grooved rubber side, but over all it looks like it will go a while before trouble. However, I don't want to wait for such, so I trying to figure out what it takes to change it. The service manual says to check the workshop manual for info, but I couldn't find anything relevant, other than it saying that I would should have a special tool for the job, do I need this tool?
From what I can see there is a tension adjustment bolt on the right side and a pivot bolt on the left of the alternator, I think I would have to loosen both to allow the belt to come off and get the new one on? The adjustment bolt looked pretty hard to get to, but I assume it must not be too bad, and how tight should the new belt be set to?
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I checked the workshop manual to see if I saw anything you missed, but I think you're right, there's not much in there. They describe installing a new belt as part of the new alternator installation, and it just says "use the special tool to set the tension."
I'm hoping that one of our pros will chime in and describe how it's actually done .... ? On most engine belt drives, there's a quick-and-dirty way to check belt tension that doesn't involve spending a ton of money on a special tool that'll only get used once or twice in your life ...
Lannis
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I think the accepted method to test for belt tension without the tool was to twist the best in the middle. Something like 90 degrees was right. It's been a while since I swapped out my belt so I don't remember clearly.
I did the service while I had the tank off for something else. Yes it was a pain but not as bad as I had feared.
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That's how I did mine. The ole 90 degree twist. I can't remember if I marked the threads with a sharpie before releasing the original belt tension. *not saying that belts with the same part number can't be of slightly different size.
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Bad Chad,
I can't say how long your belt will last but mine broke at 46K leaving me along side the road in 100 degree weather. And you can't jump the bike to keep it going so you are screwed. Luckily I was only 40 miles from the house and not a thousand or more like I have been.
IMHO change it and relax. I had the dealer do it as I don't like working on something that I hated like I did the Breva.
Tex
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Yikes! Now that I’m in central IL I’m 170 miles from any competent shop. But if it’s beyond my limited skill I may have to travel. Could be worse, I could be dead!
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Chad, it's well within your ability. Get the tank off and everything becomes a lot clearer.
Oh, and the bell housing is the bit at the back of the engine/front of the gearbox! :laugh:
As for tension? The tool is a king sized PITA and difficult to use with the engine in situ. I just set it by twist but of course saying 90* is a bit rubbery because how far it will twist is dependent on how much force you use! Common sense is the only real way to go. It's got to be tight enough not to slip but not so tight as to overload the bearings.
Pete
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Ok , I’m gonna give it the go. !
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hey when you're done with that, you can do my Centauro belts
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I don't believe its necessary to pull the tank, I realize a Griso is not a B1100 but it should be similar.
I did my Griso and documented the process, just regular tools required.
I changed my belt over the weekend. Although I was in the comfort of the garage I deliberately restricted myself to the tools I normally carry on the bike.
Allen Keys, 4,5 & 6mm (these have a ball end but it's just a nice to have)
Ring/Open end wrench 13mm, a small adjustable would do at a pinch.
Remove bottom 4 cover screws
Remove ECU cover and ECU holding bolts, swing it out of the way.
Remove the 5th cover screw and the breather box standoff which also acts as a cover screw.
Loosen the 6mm clamping screw at about 11 o'clock with regard to the alternator pulley.
Remove the cheek from the right hand side of tank
Loosen the locknut on the belt adjuster, easily accessed once the cheek is out of the way.
Back off the belt adjuster until at least 1/2" of thread is exposed
Squeeze the belt together so the alternator swings down, if the belt is broken lever the alternator down
Place new belt around alternator pulley, start it around crank pulley
Turn the crank with a wrench or crank it with the starter and the belt will pop on.
Re-tighten the belt tensioner and the locknut. I just put it back where it was but also noted it was easy to twist the belt through 90° in between pulleys. It should also be possible to turn the motor over using a small wrench on the alternator pulley nut, a little slip would be ok.
Re-tighten the 6mm Allen clamp screw
Refit cover
Bolt back the ECU and cover.
The original belt at 40,000 km has a few small stones embedded in it probably from the Dempster trip but still has plenty of life left, I will carry it as a spare.
I probably missed a step or two,
Don't forget to carry the old belt as a spare, you could be someones hero.
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Ok, so far so good! I got the old belt off without too much trouble, just took my time, and thought it through. Thanks to the help I got from you ladies, to this point it has been one of my more successful first time endeavors. I'm waiting now for a new belt and goodies to show up from MG Cycle. In the mean time I got a pair of my wife's old pantyhose, cut a leg off and made a temporary belt so I can ride, seems to be working well... :boozing:
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I'll bet you got that idea from one of FW's "Tips" books.. :evil: :smiley:
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:evil: :afro:
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It's a good thing I don't work for someone when it comes to work on motorcycles. I guessing that 3.5 hours to change an alternator belt is a little on the high side?
Belt went on easily, but I didn't tighten it to where it was, seemed like it would be far too tight, but it seemed good to me, maybe a 10mm of play in the middle. What was killer was those dam sponsons on the tank! I didn't want to take the tank off since I have never done it, and heard lots of horror stories about the fuel release. I was at my wits end trying to get the three screws that bind the sponsons to the tank in, took off the right side coil, valve cover, still couldn't get it. Then I realized the tank would move around quite a fair bit without disconnection, Bingo! Bing Bang Boom everything back together, no extra parts, nothing broken, everything working. I think I might be ready to change the air filter in a month or two!
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Attaboy, Chad. That sucker will make a mechanic out of you yet. :grin: