M127 230SL Alternator Belt

[wlb50]

 First of all thank you for allowing me to join this forum even though I do not have a pagoda. My family did have a nice 280SL afor 15 years but that was sold back in the 80s.

I am helping a club member with her  1966 230SL.

 Among the small problems I have addressed has been a charging problem. I knew when I got the alternator off that the belt was going to be a problem.

Even though I turned the adjustment nut  all the way in it was still stuck on the pulley   And I had to loosen the alternator at the mount to get the belt off.

 Well of course it came  to put it back on  with the new alternator   and of course it is so tight I can't get it around the pulley.

 And  I should have tried to read the old belt and see what size it was, but I failed to do that and she lives an hour away up in the mountains.

Lest you think I'm just another "Newbie" looking for advice I do have a few things to contribute here.

 I learned that the proper size belt is 9.5 mm x 875 mm.  So I ordered a new proper size belt not knowing if the old one is the proper size.

I did call the MB Classic Center in Irvine and they told me something interesting besides the proper size.

 They said that when they are restoring these cars sometimes even the proper size is too tight so they just go up 20 or 30 mm.

So that's what I may be facing when I get up there.

 If I recall the alternator belt is the second one in on the main pulley and I failed to look for the adjustment mechanism giving that first belt tension in case I have to remove it.  The pictures of the M127 engine do not seem too helpful to me. Are there any tricks involved?

Thank you in advance.
Bill

[Jonny B]

Does the car have A/C? This puts the alternator at the top of the engine. If so just wait for someone with the same set-up to reply.

My car does not have A/C, and the alternator is mounted at the bottom right. The adjustment bracket (at the top side of the alternator) has a large range of threads, and I have not had any issue getting the belt in place.

Also, on my car, the belt is on the pulley groove closest to the engine.

The power steering belt is another matter. What I have done in the past is get the belt as closely positioned as I can, and the adjustment as far in as possible, unhook the coil wire, and bump the starter. It pops the belt right on the pulley.

[wlb50]

 Thanks for your reply Jonny. The car does not have air conditioning. I'm going to go back up tomorrow or Saturday and I might implement your idea of using the starter I hadn't thought of that.

Thanks again!