no cooling fins on alternator?

[oilydogg]

1987 lund 2100v with a 3.7 mercruiser...so fishing today and somehow my cooling fins on alternator started rubbing then bent. The boat has aftermarket charging system. Delco alternator and low mount bracket. Only option I had was to beach it and tear off all the cooling fins...would anyone else keep running a alternator with no cooling fins?

 

[Don S]

Re: no cooling fins on alternator?

You need the fins, or your alternator will not deal with the heat for very long.

You need to find out why the fins were bent and fix the problem.

 

[oilydogg]

Re: no cooling fins on alternator?

The fins were bent I believe becuz of a hole shot with 8 people on board...the motor flexed enough to allow the fins of the alternator to come in contact with the stringer on the boat. Which is allready ground away to make room for the alternator... after removing the fins drove boat home for over two hours at 3800 rpms. Didn't seem to have any problems charging...

 

[Don S]

Re: no cooling fins on alternator?

the motor flexed enough to allow the fins of the alternator to come in contact with the stringer on the boat.

That shouldn't happen, and needs to be corrected. Shorter belt, remove part of the stringer, whatever it takes.

It won't have any problems charging until after it gets hot a few times.

I only lead horses to the water. It's up to them to drink or not.

 

[scarpint]

Re: no cooling fins on alternator?

The fins were bent I believe becuz of a hole shot with 8 people on board...the motor flexed enough to allow the fins of the alternator to come in contact with the stringer on the boat. Which is allready ground away to make room for the alternator... after removing the fins drove boat home for over two hours at 3800 rpms. Didn't seem to have any problems charging...

WT? Motor "flexing" to this degree?

 

[oilydogg]

Re: no cooling fins on alternator?

Enuff said. I will repair not regret.

 

[Don S]

Re: no cooling fins on alternator?

WT? Motor "flexing" to this degree?

You don't know how close it was to whatever it hit. And yes, the front mount engines move quite a bit.

 

[oilydogg]

Re: no cooling fins on alternator?

To scarpint.
The aftermarket bracket for the alternator is a very tight fit on my boat. Had it working great till today and one good hole shot fully loaded with people seemed to put enough flex into it to make the fins come in contact with the aluminum stringer I had previously cut back to make room for the alternator. I just hadn't cut it back far enough. And yup a wide open throttle hole shot fully loaded puts a little more strain on my motor and motor mounts than when its just me and my dog. Lol!