A CESSNA T210 IN CLB AT 9600 FT HAD ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE DUE TO A SEVERED ALTERNATOR DRIVE BELT CAUSED BY A THROTTLE BODY COTTER KEY INTERFERENCE AT HIGH THROTTLE SETTINGS.

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AIRPLANE IS NEW TO ME; THOUGH I HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF TIME IN TYPE MANY YRS AGO. IT HAS A KING GPS; WHICH IS ALSO NEW TO ME. DURING CLB; I WAS PROGRAMMING GPS AND WAS THUS DISTR FROM FLT. I CLBED THROUGH MY ASSIGNED 9000 FT ALT TO 9600 FT. I HAD JUST NOTED THIS AND STARTED CORRECTING WHEN ATC ASKED FOR MY INDICATED ALT. ABOUT 30 MINS LATER I NOTED AMMETER SHOWING DISCHARGE; INDICATING ALTERNATOR FAILURE. I WAS ABOVE CLOUDS; ON VECTORS FOR APCH TO ASTORIA. I SHUT DOWN ALL RADIOS/ELECTRICAL EXCEPT COM/NAV #1 AND XPONDER AND NOTIFIED ATC (ZSE). I ASKED FOR VECTOR BACK HOME TO 75S WHERE REPAIRS WOULD BE EASIER/CHEAPER. THOUGHT I COULD GO VFR ON TOP; THEN DSND THROUGH LARGE HOLES I'D REMEMBERED AT 75S. SHORTLY AFTER; MY XPONDER FAILED; SO I ACCEPTED VECTOR TO OCM TO BELOW CLOUDS; THEN CANCELED IFR AND PROCEEDED VFR HOME. PROB WAS: MY EAGERNESS TO GET HOME PUT ME AT RISK OF BEING LOST ABOVE CLOUDS; IFR DSCNT NEEDED WITHOUT RADIOS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS ACFT HAD 6 ALTERNATOR DRIVE BELTS REPLACED BEFORE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE RPTR SAID THE CAUSE WAS AT HIGH PWR SETTINGS A THROTTLE BODY COTTER KEY WOULD RUB ON THE DRIVE BELT CUTTING AND DAMAGING THE BELT. THE RPTR STATED THE THROTTLE BODY WAS SHIMMED TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH THE COTTER KEY AND THE DRIVE BELT AND CHKED OK ON ENG RUN.