alternator belt shredding [Merged 6-8] shedding falling off squeal noise thrown

[marksae]

Alright.. i've gone through some hell w/ my alternator belt on my 1g. Ever since I removed my AC belt, my alternator belt has flown off 3 times, and I've shredded 2 of them. If i leave it too loose, it flies off. If I tighten it too much, the belt shreds. I'll check my pulleys to make sure they're all lined up and aren't dinged up. Will overtightening this belt cause it to shred?

As this amalgamation of threads shows, the usual causes of alternator belt troubles are:
1. Failed harmonic balancer.
2. Bent pulleys.
3. Pulleys put on backward.

 

[93LaserRSBham]

I'll do that, thanks for all the help guys, I'll let you know if he calls me today...

 

[LaserDad91]

I did take the heat shield off the manifold yesterday (I've never looked under there before, I'm a newbie) and saw that the manifold had a couple of big cracks. They may have been there a while, I don't know..

Looks like you have a good excuse to buy a header!! Let me go get my hammer.. ..."oh huny, guess what cracked and now I need a header.....

 

[LaserDad91]

Have any ideas as to why it won't start? .

To be honest with you, the car is smarter than you. It knows it is going to need a crank pulley soon and refuses to run until you replace it! This is also why my car threw the belt twice before I parked it and changed the pulley. Second time it was in my driveway, so I listened and left it there.

Crank sensor could be the problem, like the previous post stated, relax and see what he says.

 

[93LaserRSBham]

Well, the mechanic says it's my crank pulley, like you guys thought, so I'm going to order the part right now and try to get him to put it on by Friday. I guess that's the best news I could've expected, and he also told me that it started up this morning when they moved it out of the garage. No clue why it didn't want to start, but I guess we'll see after I get this pulley on! Thanks everyone, I'll post an update soon...

 

[LaserDad91]

And some people think a DSM is a "dumb" car!!

 

[93LaserRSBham]

***UPDATE***
Well, I was supposed to get my car back today, and while I was on the phone with the shop manager, I heard the mechanic say something about "the timing is off", referring to my car. The manager did say something about the lower timing belt cover looked a little tore up, so is there any way that my timing jumped because of the crank pulley throwing my alternator belt off? I already checked the top timing belt cover before I had the car towed, took it off, and the belt looked fine. I'm just trying to figure out if the guy is trying to screw me or not.

 

[93LaserRSBham]

Anyone think my timing could have jumped because of a crank pulley problem? I'm trying to find out something by tomorrow, I'm short on funds and been without my car for a week now!!! Please help, sorry to keep buggin about it...

 

[Defiant]

I already checked the top timing belt cover before I had the car towed, took it off, and the belt looked fine.

When the crank sprocket shears the teeth off, it won't show from above. If you tossed belt parts into the path of the cogged belt, it can slip. I don't like you talking about "a horrible sound".

I'm just trying to figure out if the guy is trying to screw me or not.

No guess. We don't know him. However, it's really not worth it for shops to try and screw customers. Too easy to pick up an STD (Summons To Depose).

 

[Crawl]

heh, yeah mine didnt wobble either , notice pic, the whole crank pulley is nasty but notice t he big chip missing there in the middle, thast just tasty

 

[93LaserRSBham]

Well, the shop just called and they can't get the car to start now. They're saying that it just doesn't have enough compression to start., like it tries to start, but they can't get it to do anything. Oh well, looks like it's time to get it towed home until I can save up more money so I can get it fixed...

 

[oldman]

Did they run a compression test? Numbers? Sorry it didn't work out.

 

[93LaserRSBham]

Well, I had 0 in the #4 cylinder before this, and he said that I was real low on another, he didn't say specifically. I'm going to talk to him and get more details tomorrow when I go pick it up with the tow truck...Thanks anyway, I'm sure I'll have it fixed in a month or so and have the money to maybe do some new valves or whatever it is that messed up on it, I have not a clue

 

[Defiant]

You've jumped timing and bent valves.

0 before this? My god.

 

[93LaserRSBham]

, yeah, the car's been running with 0 in that cylinder for about 7 months or so. I know, I know, I'm an idiot, but I'm an idiot with no money to fix it and no mechanical knowledge of my car, or else I would have this fixed long ago. Well, I was waiting on the tow truck today, and a guy started talking to me about putting a new head on the car and he said he has a 92 Talon that he's been working on and that he would help me put a new head on for $200. He also said that I could get a new head for $200, is that even possible? I thought they were way more expensive than that.

 

[Eclipsed]

Well, if that is the case, how serious is this and how much do you think it would cost me to fix? I've pretty much prepared myself to take it to a shop tomorrow and try to get the work done, so don't be easy on me, .... Defiant where are you? You seem like the expert on the subject of the harmonic dampener around here, or at least that's what I gathered from reading loads of posts about the topic.

Got mine for $80 and did the job myself. I wrote a tech article about harmonic balencer falling apart with pics to see what it looks like when they go bad.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169254

 

[shallowshowcase]

ok my alternator belt came off and my battery died instantly, i want to put it back on track but im having trouble, do i just unbolt that thing right above the alternator? I think its the power steering pump. or do i go up from under the car to put it back on, it just slipped off the pully closest to the drivers side headlight, will i need a breakerbar to release tension or will it slide right on with a snug fit?

 

[97GSX-509]

Dude, you don't need to take anything off to get the alternator belt on.....just loosen the slider bolt from below the car, and you should have a tensioner bracket on the top/front of the alternator, and loosen that up as well. You then should have enough play to slip the belt back on.

 

[shallowshowcase]

thanks, the haynes manual said i had to take everything off

 

[shallowshowcase]

ok man i removed that whole long bolt that goes through that small block that has the other bolt going straight through the alternator, and loosened some other bolts and i have no play at all, its not even sliding through the little sliding area

 

[PSIcho]

ok man i removed that whole long bolt that goes through that small block that has the other bolt going straight through the alternator, and loosened some other bolts and i have no play at all, its not even sliding through the little sliding area

There are ONLY two bolts you need to be concerned with to place the belt back. First, loosen the bolt that locks that long bolt into place. Secondly, loosen that long bolt which should also move the alternator inwards in order for you to slip the belt on/off. If after this it still doesn't work, try moving the alternator inwards (toward the engine), after you loosen that long bolt and moved it away from the clamp thats holding it, you can use a long thick screw driver to sort of pry it and it should move.

 

[napkinthief]

on the n/t, the power steering pump has 3 bolts holding it on, the top most bolt has a guide that lets the pump slide back and forth when loosened, you can loosen that, put the belt on, then tighten it back up. it gave me enough room to completely change the belt..

 

[shallowshowcase]

there was another bolt under the alternator you have to loosen, once i found that then everything worked fine thanks guys

 

[SlowdsmGST]

I been have the same problem but my lower Alternator bolt keep sliding out or shering off at the bolt head. I think I fixed it but it still has a nast skweel in the morning or if it sit awile

 

[shallowshowcase]

well it might be because it isnt tight enough, mine is doing that so im going in the morning to have it checked for proper tightness

 

[lilpastrana]

ok so i let my friend drive my car and it was a lil snowy and he kicked it down went through 1st 2nd 3rd with the tires spinnin, redlinin witch was weird cuz with the jerking the car doesnt redline, and then the alternator belt broke, no powersteering, no heat, then later i drove the car home, it seemed to idle fine witch was weird, so i was going like 45 and put it in 5th and gave it gas, and it didnt jerk at all? but the boost gauge went up slowly. This would be the 3rd alternator belt that has broken, somehow it loosens up and it slips and b4 i can tighten it, it snaps, i dont know why the tensionor slips, it boogles my mind, it has a new alternator, and the egr is blocked of only mods, o and ony day when it was (-) degrees i opend the hod when it was runnin and i could see just the tinnest leak on the back of the motor, but i was thinkin that could be the egr valve, not sure. And when the car is on ACC and i open the hood i can hear a constant ticking ..... sounds like it is commin from the top back of the motor.. i dont know what its called.. well i just thought i would post about the alternator thing, it boogled my mind, tell me what ya think thanks,
1991 plymouth laser 2.0 t fwd