ELAST Alternator Belt on 04 R1150RT - Help

[1024JLC]

ELAST Alternator Belt on 04 R1150RT

 

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I have an 04 R1150RT which has the "free-wheel" pully on the alternator, and apparently there is a "special tool" required to spread the upper and lower pullies apart in order to acheive the proper tension on the belt. The old method of using the torque wrench at 8 nm apparently will not work, at least from what I have read thus far. I have two questions:

 

1) Is there a way to spread the distance between the two pullies without the special tool?

 

2) Does anyone know what the distance in mm is supposed to be between the two pullies, when properly set?

 

I find lots of information regarding the older "poly belt" adjustment methods, but nothing about the "Elast Belt", except going to the dealer due to special method and special tool requirements.

 

Kind of makes me wonder what one would do if the belt need changing in a remote area on an extended trip.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Ken H.]

Personal opinion, the BMW spreader tool is way over the top, way over kill. On the Elast belt you can still use the old torque spec method, or the more ‘shade tree’ method of ¼ turn.

[ianboydsnr]

I never used either method, I just tensioned it untill it was the same tighness as the last belt, which is that the belt will just about twist 90 degrees along the longest side, allways works for me.

 

I have a 2000 r1100rt and a 2003 r1150gs and do both the same way.

 

[Anton Largiader]

I wrote an article in OTL about a year ago describing all of that. If I get a chance (probably not for a week or so) I'll put it online.

[1024JLC]

Thanks Anton...and thanks to all for your input. I can not seem to located any manuals that show the alternator with the "free-hub" and the Elast belt. Even the microfische (sp?) that I find on line with the various dealers do not seem to show this arrangement...I must just be missing something.

 

Thanks again all!

Jeff

[Anton Largiader]

It's one area (of many) that BMW poorly communicated in the documentation that's available to the public. They simply put no priority at all on that. They think everyone takes the bike to the dealer and the dealer tells them about all of the changes when they visit.

[T__]

1024JLC, I have only done 2 of those elestomer belts on the 1150.. On the first one I did it by measuring the distance between upper & lower pulley flanges BEFORE removing the original belt.. I don’t have my notes handy here but if memory serves me (not as good as it used to be though) it was something like 4-1/2” from upper pulley lip to lower pulley lip..

 

On the second belt (different bike) I simply marked the alternator original position then installed the new belt,, then pried under the alternator to put it back to the markings.. (this seemed to have worked pretty good..

 

I couldn’t convince myself that using the ¼ twist was an accurate method on the elastomer belt as it has a lot of stretch to it..

 

Twisty