250C Belt Configuration

[ctaylor738]

OK, W114 experts:

This car has power steering and the higher-capacity alternator. Here is how the pullies are laid out:

Alternator - two groove
Water pump - two groove
PS pump - single groove
AC - single groove
Crankshaft- triple groove

No belts came with the car, and I am getting conflicting information from suppliers. I have not been able to find a diagram. My memory of my other cars has faded.

The only configuration that makes sense to me is:

Belt 1 - crank, alternator, water pump (inside)
Belt 2 - crank, power steering
Belt 3 - alternator, water pump (outside)
Belt 4 - AC (outside of crank pully)

Does this sound right? I question the usefulness of Belt 3, but it would provide some additional drive to the alternator.

Thanks.

Chuck

[DANTRCAV]

Chuck:
Sounds right but I am at work. I will look at mine tonight as I left the 250C in the garage.

I do remember having the double on the alternator and I was told my my local Benz mechs to make sure that I always had two belts and that they were tensioned the same. Didn't think to ask why.

Dan

[ctaylor738]

The dealer was right. The belts have different paths but only one adjustment - the alternator. It would definitely stress the alternator and water pump if they had different tensions.

Looking forward to your answer!

Chuck

[DANTRCAV]

Chuck:

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. Your description matches my config. Since you don't have any belts here is a bit of advice from someone who has been there. When I first got my car it had been sitting under a tree for over a year. The belts were pretty bad so I decided to replace them as a course of "first maintenance". Since this was my first MB since 1972 when I picked up a 61 220sb for a $375.00 mechanics lean at a local garage, I went to a "non-foreign" parts house (AutoZone first then Pep Boys) to get a complete set of belts. The ONLY belt that fit was the PS belt. Had a difficult time convincing the "parts houses" of my problem. Ended up going to a European Parts House (still trade there) and got the rest of the belts and they fit as they should. I was told by the owner of this parts house that "a lot (but not all)" of the chain parts suppliers use something close to "generic" belts in that they fit "most" of a series of cars (especially older models) but not all. Actually, he showed two belts for the AC and gave me both of them, charged me for one and said to bring the one that didn't fit back - which I did.

The other bit of good news from the European store was that, as I remember (been 4 years), I may have paid another $1.50 to $2.00 per belt for his that fit.

Just one of the many things I have discovered while on the road to maintaining an "older (i.e, vintage) MB".

Dan

[jylee]

When I replaced the belts on the 115, I have to remove a metal/rubber guild in front of the alt belt. It looked bad, but as I do not have a new one. I just put the old one back. You may want to buy one prior to the belts installation.

jack

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Hello Chuck,
Both of my 250 and 250C have the following belt setup-
Rear crank pulley powers waterpump and rear alternator pulley. Front alternator pulley not used.

Center crank pulley drives PS pump

Front crank pulley drives AC compressor and AC belt tensioner pulley.

(I think some versions without AC or PS used double belts to waterpump and alternator. 1968-69 models used an extra waterpump pulley to drive a smog-pump. My cars don't have the double waterpump pulley)

If you don't have old belts to match up you might try Olympic auto parts
on Eisenhower Ave. in Alexandria.

Good Luck, Mark DiSilvestro