.....anything more irritating?

[lloyd3]

....than loose belts on a Chrysler product?  On start-up both the power steering pump and the alternator have been squealing on my car.  It's a relatively simple fix (which I just performed), but it's funny how often I hear it when an older Mopar gets started within my range of hearing. I've always associated it with poorly maintained and untuned vehicles (i.e. POS cars!), so you can guess how much it really bugs me. How mine got to be loose is a bit of a mystery. I suppose it's one of those things that happens over time and use (sort-of like loose and missing shifter mounting bolts?), but it's surprisingly common in my experience.  In my own car's case, I'd have to guess that it is yet another one of the many downsides of having a fellow restore the car that was in badly-failing health.  Now that my own health has been threatened/challenged by time and miles (and pathogens), I'm a bit more understanding about all of that, but it still really grates on me when I hear it.

[A383Wing]

belts will stretch over time

[John_Kunkel]

Not only do belts stretch over time but the gripping surface will glaze. Mismatched-length dual belts lack the grip of properly matched belts and can cause squeal.

Also, a weak battery can cause belt squeal on startup; the starter motor draws a lot of current and a weak battery will cause the voltage to drop to the point where the alternator goes to near full output to recharge the battery...the added load of high-output causes the belt to slip.

[ws23rt]

This topic makes me smile cause I was given/free a complete solid running 57 Imperal (in the early eighties) because it would not hold a charge and killed a couple of batteries.

All I did was adjust the belts so the generator could do it's job.

[green69rt]

I've given up on having a shop replace belts.  I used to do it myself but started letting a shop do it and almost always had to go back and readjust it myself.  Either too loose or too tight.  One shop put a belt on so tight (must have used a crowbar to tighten it) that it wore out the bearings on a idler pulley in about 3 days.  Caused the pulley to fall off and scared the hell out of me!

[Mike DC]

      
I have to admit that modern serpentine setups do seem better.  

Yeah, you can't limp a vehicle home with a broken belt, but serp belts practically never break.  The tensioners die more often than that.  


Don't get me started on plastic tensioner pulleys on the 1990s Magnum engines, though.  That one is right up there with using plastic for radiator tanks or intake manifolds or diff covers.  Some things are just shitty moves.  No amount of excuses about weight savings, costs, service windows, durability testing, etc, will cover it.

[FJMG]

Ooooooohhhhhhh you had to mention that damn pulley!

When the bearing went on that pulley in my 97 Ram I almost fell over when they told me the repair was a multi-hundred dollar tensioner assy..................
FOR A THREE DOLLAR BEARING!!!
I took a carpenters chisel and removed the lip cast over the bearing to retain it, then, while supporting the pulley with a proper size pipe, I whacked that POS bearing outa there. Cleaned the bore and popped in a new three dollar bearing. The washer that is on that bolt is actually larger than the OD of the bearing and provides a perfect retention from that side. From that day forward, I replace the bearing when it fails. Still in service today with several hundred thousand km's

[shorty442]

good resolution FJMG!  that one should go into a TIPS file!

[Mike DC]

I have lost several tensioners to the actual pulley wheel itself (plastic) collapsing.  As in, just from the chronic tension of normal operation. 

No bearing swap will fix that.  Pulley wheels shouldn't be made of plastic. 

[Kern Dog]

Anything more irritating? Sure...

People that drive slow.
People that weave side to side.
People that slow down waaaaaay too much before making a right turn when you are following them.
People.

Cars that seem to fight you at every turn during repairs.
Cars with parts that nobody stocks, special orders take 2 weeks.

[71 SE3834V]

Anything more irritating? Sure...

People that drive slow.
People that weave side to side.
People that slow down waaaaaay too much before making a right turn when you are following them.
People.

Cars that seem to fight you at every turn during repairs.
Cars with parts that nobody stocks, special orders take 2 weeks.

People in general. Yeah that!

[lloyd3]

One needs to find more roads like this......

[FJMG]

good resolution FJMG!  that one should go into a TIPS file!

Thank you.

I have done many friends magnum pulleys after that, my father is a cabinet maker from Europe so my ability with a carpenters chisel makes this a few minute job.
If anyone is still dealing with one of these, find a retired cabinet maker and have them do the chiseling, ( they have sharp chisels!) might save a finger! Most important is proper support of pulley during removal of original otherwise pulley can crack. The original pulley has circumferential grooves to help bond to the plastic, so you need to make sure to remove nice and square, either in press or a good whack and it is out.  But there are many in the junkyard now so plenty of practice available!

Kern dog you are sooooooooooo right!
Up here some people ATUALLY STOP ON AN ENTRANCE LANE TO A HIGHWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How the ?!""$)&@@)(; do they expect to merge into high speed traffic by stopping!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing more of these idioits don't die!

Pure heaven Lloyd3 !!!!!

[Dino]

One needs to find more roads like this......

Lots of those here but with more potholes.   

[spoon]

I bought one of these. resq302 on FBBO sells them.

Problem solved.

[67Charger440]

One needs to find more roads like this......

My daily commute in the '71 Challenger...  26 miles of 2 lane desert.

[green69rt]

Being in rush hour traffic and creeping along and the lane next to you is whizzing by, then you get in that lane and it comes to a standstill and the lane you got out of starts moving.

[green69rt]

Hitting your head on the hood safety latch ONE MORE TIME!!

[71 SE3834V]

One needs to find more roads like this......

Hammer down time!

Up here some people ATUALLY STOP ON AN ENTRANCE LANE TO A HIGHWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How the ?!""$)&@@)(; do they expect to merge into high speed traffic by stopping!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing more of these idioits don't die!

Pure heaven Lloyd3 !!!!!

Ok, so I just get back from Carlisle. In Pa. every entrance ramp has a red yield sign at the end of the ramp. I'm like wtf, I'm supposed to stop and try to accelerate up to 70mph and merge? Apparently no one in Pa pays attention to them.
Red yields are only used on Mi highway ramps in construction zones where highway traffic may be heavy due to one lane traffic.

[VegasCharger]

Rt 8 in Akron, Ohio was infamous for the idiots stopping at the end of the ramp. Especially before they improved the on/off ramps as they had short runways. I used to stop at the top of the on ramp(if no one was behind me) and wait until the idiots would merge into their lanes. That way I would have a full on ramp to gain speed to merge correctly and safely.