Trim tab switch + runaway belt

[AlwaysSober]

Had "issues" with our 1996 3200 SCR over the long weekend.

First, the trim tab switches are broken.

Second, threw a serpentine belt on the 350 w/ B2 drive. Belt now has a tear. Heard a big BANG and while I was trying to figure out what was going on, an alarm went off. A short time later I figured out it was the Merc alarm and we were overheating. Shut it down and limped back on one engine.

Being a bit upset, we unloaded the boat from a long weekend, pulled the belt out of the bilge and called it a day. Forgot to get the trim tab switch brand.

Does anyone know what brand trim tabs we have? Thinking they may be Bennet. is it possible I burned out the pump from the switch being stuck?
http://www.bennetttrimtabs.com/catal...?vID=198&cID=7

Anyone have any thoughts about the belt failure? Could the raw water pump have seized? Tensioner issue?

[pascavone]

funny, i replaced both my trim tabs and cylinders, and my switch died last week, so I was still boating crooked.

The good news is mine where 13 years, old, and only cost $70 for the euro style 2000 series that you have.

You can install them in 2 hours.

Throwing the belt was probably due to the alternator spike for the shorted switch. The alternator grounding out and jumping to 65 amps outputs puts a huge load on and better the belt stretch and break.

The broken belt will stop your raw water cooling pump from running.

So, not a big deal for the 17 year old switches.....

[mmwjr]

How old is the belt, may just have been the end of it's life. Try turning the the alternator, tensioner, engine water pump by hand. If they turn freely and don't make any noises then I would suspect just a bad belt. Raw water pump should be able to be hand tuned but should also have drag from the impeller.

[shrew]

The trims tabs are most likely Bennett. If they are hydraulic, then they are definitely bennett.

[AlwaysSober]

Thanks Shrew. Got the switch assembly. Now just need time to install it.

Didn't know about plastic power steering pulleys when it happened. Opened up the engine room hatch to check things out and maybe replace the belt only to discover pieces of pulley laying around. Time to write out another check.

[mmwjr]

Oh yea that problem. Merc has a retrofit kit with a metal pulley and a new belt. If I recall they changed the dia. of the pulley which results in a different belt size. I did this when I first got my boat as I wanted to replace the belt and it was no longer offered only the kit.

[AlwaysSober]

How hard was it to replace the pressed-on pulley? I got scared and told the mechanic do it on both engines.

[mmwjr]

Not to bad but you need a pulley puller which you can rent from any auto store. However if the one has already began to break up you may need to use a cold chisel and carefully split the old one off.
I would do both as you planned.