another problem with shredding belts

[jaders]

I sold my Talon about 7 months ago. I only asked for 3000. I put a lot of work into it. My wife and I could not afford the payments after moving into a new apartment. I have been stuck driving a mini van since then. Not realy a huge deal except for that I work as an car audio installer for best buy and all of the other installers drive civics with engine swaps. They used have more respect for me in the Talon. Now they chuckle when I drive by. Any way thats not my real problem. The guy I sold my car to wants to sell it back to me for 800. The problem it is having is it keeps shredding belts. When I go to pick it up it will be on it's 3rd belt. when I had it I replaced the water pump/ harmonic balancer/idler pulley/idler and all belts. I am not a mechanic and did these repairs on my own. When I had the car it only sqealed when it was realy cold out. Smoke usualy would puff out for a few seconds after a cold start. My friend told me that his talon does that too. I did not think anything more about it. The new owner told me that the alternator went bad and he had replaced it. He started having the sqealing problem on just about every start up. About 5-6 months after the new alternator his belt shredded. He had a mechanic put a new belt on. 1-2 months after that it shredded again. He does not know anything about these cars and I have helped him on some other problems he has had with this car. I don't feel he is trying to scam me or anything. It is a realy good deal. The clutch and flywheel I had put on cost more then 800. I read the other posts and everything that I read does not fit my problem. I may have missed something. The water pump and harmonic balancer are new. Less then a year new. I plan on checking the alternator and seeing if it was installed correctly. The only thing is that the guy who put the alternator on for him was the same guy who helped me my timing belt. He knows more about these cars then I do. He has owned 2 1st gens and 1 2nd. Is there something else I can check with out pulling the wheel off and takin that damn cover off the timing belt. Thanks for any help I am excited and scared at the same time. I need some advice and some reassurance. Jaders

 

[jaders]

Yesterday I pulled my alternator off. It was a cake walk. I don't know why I was so scared. Maybe it's because it looked harder then it was. The pulley seems to spin freely.It makes a brushing like sound when you spin it. Is that normal? This is the first alternator I have taken out. It took me about 30 min. I went ahead and pulled my waterpump pulleys off too. They seem to be alright. The wheel on the water pump spins freely. The only thing I noticed was the bracket that held the tensioner for the alternator and bolted to the bottom of the waterpump, was loose. I don't think that makes too big of a diffrence as long as the pivot bolt was tight I don't see how it would make a diffrence but you never know. I will take the alternator in sometime this week. I will let you know how it goes.In the meantime if anyone has anyother ideas please let me know. Thanks

 

[jaders]

Ok now I am frustrated. I took the alternator in to get checked and it worked fine. Any one have any sugestions? I realy need some help.I am going to put the alternator back in in a couple of days.There are no oil leaks on that side of the engine and there was no oil on the belt when I pulled it off. Could that bracket that was loose cause all of this. I don't see how. I know for a fact that the pullies are on right. There is no movement from the crank pulley and now my alternator checks out fine. Please anybody have anything? I bought this car a few weeks back and it has just been sitting in my garage.

 

[oldman]

Didn't you double check the harmonic balancer like the other memeber suggested? When crank pulley become seperated it will move when you start which causes the belt to jump a tooth or come off completely.

 

[jaders]

Didn't you double check the harmonic balancer like the other memeber suggested? When crank pulley become seperated it will move when you start which causes the belt to jump a tooth or come off completely.

Yeh I got underneath the car while it was running and everything was moving correctly that was when I noticed the smoke was coming out around the alternator pulley. I had the splash shield off and the drivers side jacked up so I could get a good look.

 

[oldman]

Have some one start the car while you're looking at it, see if it moves when it first turn over. $800's still a good deal though, just take your time and look through everything and make sure the belts are not too tight. Good luck.

 

[jaders]

Well I finaly put the alternator back in. For what ever reason the squeels have stopped.I guess the person who installed it the first time did something wrong. I know he pulled the alternator out the hard way. Through the top. Now I have another problem. When I start my car for the first start of the morning it shakes and stutters until I give it gas and then it runs like normal.It pops like I stopped in gear with out my foot on the clutch. But when I give it gas it stumbles and then starts. I will do a search but if any one has and idea please let me know. Thanks for everyones help.