Alternator belt BMW GS

[grr442]

Hello everyone,I'm reading my Haynes manual because I want to change the alternator belt which looks reasonably straightforward even for a novice like me,,,it states you need a special tool to wind the belt on the alternator pulley,can I do this without buying what I'm sure will be an expensive and rarely used tool,,,,thank you in anticipation
This is the R1200 adventure

[diver1]

Hiya grr42,
See this, it will help
www.r1200gs.info/howto/alt-belt.html

Regards,
John

[grr442]

Thanks John for taking time to put this on,,,suppose it won't hurt to get a quote first!

[Womble]

There's a sticky thread on UKGSER on this somewhere, looks straightforward, but with a warning about getting the tension right which I understand is not straightforward. Got mine booked in at an independent to get it sorted in next couple of weeks

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread ... light=belt

Have fun

[sledgegreen]

I notice that one person in that thread on UKGSER says that he slackens off the alternator adjusting bolts, swaps the now-slack belts and then re-adjusts.

That is how I did this job on my R850GS about 3 weeks ago. The job was easy, once I realised that the adjustment ratcheting gadget has to be turned anticlockwise to adjust.

[mikeyboy]

I notice that one person in that thread on UKGSER says that he slackens off the alternator adjusting bolts, swaps the now-slack belts and then re-adjusts.

That is how I did this job on my R850GS about 3 weeks ago. The job was easy, once I realised that the adjustment ratcheting gadget has to be turned anticlockwise to adjust.

spot on
it is a pretty simple job on a 1200,the belt is a stretch belt,
there is no tensioning to do,tank off,front cover off.
slacken the three alternator securing bolts,this will relieve the tension on the belt,remove the now loose belt and replace with the new one,then evenly retighten the three bolts,refit tank & cover job done. (thumbs)

[sledgegreen]

Sounds like the 1200 is even easier than the 850, and that would have taken less than an hour, if it hadn't been for the 3 or 4 hours it took me to realise I was turning the tensioner the wrong way.

Here is how I described the job on another forum, in a thread about numpty moments:

A more recent numpty moment:

Couple of weekends ago I was (for the first time) doing a major service on my R850GS, which included fitting a new alternator belt and then adjusting it. According to the Clymer manual, the procedure is simple - slacken all 3 mounting bolts until the alternator slides down to sit on top of the engine; remove old belt; fit new belt; tighten lower left bolt to specified torque; tighten other two bolts; tighten lower left bolt.

The lower left bolt has a clever ratchet system on it, so as you tighten it it will climb up the ratchet tightening the belt. As the correct tension is reached, turning the bolt gets harder and when the correct torque is reached, the belt is properly tight. Anyway, that is the theory ...

I apply torque wrench, and very quickly it clicks. I poke the belt just in case - and the belt is obviously far too slack. I must have cocked up - slacken off and start again. Click. Still too loose. Perhaps the Clymer people made a mistake - nope, Haynes describe the same procedure and give the same torque value. Perhaps those clever people on the internet will have the answer. Nope. Oh dear, its getting dark. Better pack up and have another look tomorrow.

I'll have another go before packing up - and it worked. I had slackened off the bolt before going to browse the internet, and forgot to reset the torque wrench - and that is how I found that I had been turning the bolt the wrong way. Doh.

[Tonibe63]

Jeez how to make a job complicated.
No need to remove tank, no need to undo alternator.
I did it as per link in first reply http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/alt-belt.html and it was a piece of piss.
Only difference is I looped belt over alternator pulley and used the plastic protector on engine pulley, it could be done at the roadside it's that easy.