Westerbeke 4.5 KW drive belt replacement

msballin

Member
May 30, 2008
259
Islip Terrace, Long Island
Boat Info
2000 340 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 7.4L Horizons w/ Hurth V-Drives
Good morning - I'd like to replace the belt on my Westerbeke 4.5 KW generator as it looks worn and as well has gotten some oil on it as a result of a leaky seal on the oil filter. Can you advise me as to where the tensioner (if there is one) is located? And if not, how best to remove the old belt. Also, can this belt be replaced with one purchased at an auto parts store or must it be OEM? Thank you in advance.
 
I think the alternator is used for tightening the belt. Take the old belt with you to any auto parts store, they should be able to cross the numbers.
 
I think the alternator is used for tightening the belt. Take the old belt with you to any auto parts store, they should be able to cross the numbers.

Go to NAPA and make sure you get the right size "Gold" grade belt.
 
the westerbeke manual refers to a timing belt replacement. Sorry if this is a silly question...is this the same belt as the drive belt?
 
ok..answered my question. two belts...one timing and one drive for cooling system. the manual states to loosen the mounting screws on the raw water pump. I have located the pump. However I can't seem to determine where the mounting screws are. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
Hey, I know this is an old thread, but just in case anybody else stumbles here, still looking for an answer, THE OWNERS' MANUAL FOR THE WESTERBEKE BCGB 4.5 IS WRONG.

There's no diagram for replacing the raw water pump belt (or the governor belt, for that matter). Thanks Westerbeke!

The user manual tells you to loosen the mounting bolts for the Raw Water Pump assembly. NO!!! Your darn pump will fall out and you'll break the gasket and it won't help you install the belt. If the belt was loose before, it will be just as loose after you remove the raw water pump to seat the belt. There's no "adjustment" to the raw water pump wheel.

On the underside of the pulley (middle left) are two 10mm bolts. Mine were rusted over, I could barely even see them.

Loosen the pulley mounting bolts. I had to spray the whole thing with rust remover to get the pulley mechanism to slide. Then use a pry bar or a big wrench handle to lever the pulley mechanism (it mounts to a little "sled" for lack of a better word) and tighten the 10mm bolts while keeping the belt tightened.

EDIT: You'll need a 10mm box end wrench. Unlikely you're going to be able to fit a socket head in the gap.
 
Last edited:
Yep that's correct!

Also for the governor. Dont forget to change the oil in that too! I think they say every 250 hours.
Two bolts to take the governor off plus the cable hook. oil drain plug on the bottom, weep hole on back side, fill on the top.
Open the weep hole, drain the bottom. Close the bottom and fill from the top until it comes out the weep hole. Close weep and close top. Done.
 
Yep that's correct!

Also for the governor. Dont forget to change the oil in that too! I think they say every 250 hours.
Two bolts to take the governor off plus the cable hook. oil drain plug on the bottom, weep hole on back side, fill on the top.
Open the weep hole, drain the bottom. Close the bottom and fill from the top until it comes out the weep hole. Close weep and close top. Done.

Oh wow. I had no idea. Thanks for the heads up! 99.9% sure the guy who owned the boat before me never did this, so it probably needs doing.

I can almost remember when I had more weekend than I had boat maintenance to eat it up.
 
Yep that's correct!

Also for the governor. Dont forget to change the oil in that too! I think they say every 250 hours.
Two bolts to take the governor off plus the cable hook. oil drain plug on the bottom, weep hole on back side, fill on the top.
Open the weep hole, drain the bottom. Close the bottom and fill from the top until it comes out the weep hole. Close weep and close top. Done.
IMG_2098.JPG

When did WB stop using oil in governors? Mine is a 5 kw. No oil. Does yours use oil? What output is it?
 
There is a addition to the manual that was put out by Westerbeke that shows all of this. It's somewhere in this house or out in the shop. It also shows everything you want to know about the governor.

As soon as I lay my hands on the manual I will post the supplement numbers, maybe then folks will be able to find it online

One last thing, there are a good deal of mistakes in the manual. Just be sure to review it carefully when using it and working on the unit
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,942
Messages
1,422,701
Members
60,927
Latest member
Jaguar65
Back
Top