A couple problems...thoughts?

[Okie Boarder]

A couple things I thought I'd get a little feedback on.

1. The last few times out we've been tripping the main breaker on the motor. It happens after we've been running for a while and immediately as we shut of the engine. I wait a few seconds, open the engine hatch and push it and it resets. I'm assuming it is just going bad...is that assumption correct or is it telling me something else is going on?

2. We broke a belt this weekend...the belt that goes to the alternator. In the spring I changed my impeller and when I did I checked the belts and tightened everything up. I'm thinking maybe I tightened the alternator belt a little too tight. The alternator spins easily with the belt off. Again, was this just a belt gone bad or is it trying to tell me something else is wrong? Note: the belts are about two years old.

Any thoughts or ideas would be helpful. At this point I'm planning to get new belts and also a new breaker.

[DAFF]

I would check the breaker using an Amp/voltage tester. By putting + & - on the two poles of the breaker watch the amperage reading when the engine is running and then shut it off. If there is a spike when you shut it down then you can safely assume the breaker is not at fault. If I remeber correctly this breaker runs in line with the points and distribitor and basic engine funtions.....

As for the belt perhaps it was too tight or it might be a symptom of the other issue .... Is the voltage regulator built into the alt or external??? I as for I have a feeling it might be the alt full fielding or going to ground. This would cause a substancial strain on the belt increasing tension and heat.

[Okie Boarder]

I'll check that out and see what I find. I'm not sure whether the regulator is built in or not...I'll have to look.

[sybrmike]

Repeated tripping of the breaker can make it more sensitive at lower amperage.

I assume you've checked alignment of the pulleys & for any wobble @ speed? Could just be overtightening, but 2 years sounds short. Let us know what you turn up?

[Okie Boarder]

I did watch the motor a bit on the test run in the spring and there wasn't anything glaringly wrong. I'm going to see if I can get the belt local and do some testing tomorrow evening to see what I discover.

[Okie Boarder]

Got a belt and got the motor running. Everything seems fine. I ran it and shut it off looking at current and voltage through and across the breaker, main resistor and main connection (looks like a regulator or just terminal block - where the main positive and negative leads connect to that run over to the battery). I saw no spikes in current or voltage no matter what I did. The breaker never popped, either. I got to thinking about it that the breaker never popped on my test runs first time out either. I didn't have the doghouse on. I'm leaning towards this being a heat issue and the breaker has just gotten weak. Would y'all agree?

[TitanTn]

I agree. I think it's a heat issue.

[Okie Boarder]

Put in the new breaker and ran the motor...no problems. We were on a trip to the lake camping the past several days and went out many times and never had it kick off. I think the problem is solved.

[TitanTn]

Put in the new breaker and ran the motor...no problems. We were on a trip to the lake camping the past several days and went out many times and never had it kick off. I think the problem is solved.

Thanks for the update. Glad you found the culprit.