heres the drill ..... every run I chuck the belt on the one wire altinator. Its turning the pully that was chrome blue. I had the thing looked at and it pulls only 14.7 -14.8 volts and so I was told its in working order. After I install a belt the belt seems to try to arch up from the crank and it looks like the belt is out running the alt pulley. o No: After 2 city blocks the belt catches on fire and blows off under 3000 rpm as I drove to town sat night........ After haveing the alt checked out at the local guy He thinks its fine, suggesting my new battery is bad or I have a wiring issue...................... Sooooo I will be getting the alt back and it will be in normal working order. I had the same belt on the car almost all last year. I havent been able to keep a belt on even for half a run this year!!??!!! Anyone have any ideas????? my brain is hurting thinking about it now.....................................
Is this a new alternator? Maybe the bearing is binding under load, is the pulley shaft turning blue also? Adam.
my money would be on a bad bearing. if youcan, swap an alt off of another car and see if the problem goes away. or try this. make a pass with the alt wiring safely unhooked. your alt light and stuff will be lit, but that would remove the duties of the alt. if the problem goes away .... it may be a wiring problem .... but i still bet it is more of a "spinning" issue and it will still puke the belt.
I just got back from the wiring shop they said the front bearing was dry feeling so he changed it but as far as free spinning you could spin it freely by hand and it would continue turning after you let go but who knows. The altinator was bought last year early and has been raced without throwing a belt all last year. This year it wont hold a belt. SO at KRP this year I just left the belt off every run after the 4th one threw off!!! Btw this is a aftermarket 250 amp racing altinator and is a one wire unit. thanks for the advice
My first thought was that your pulleys weren't lining up right. Is it possible you bent a bracket or something? - Freed
I used to throw belts all the time. Then I specified a Gates belt (had to special order through my parts shop, usually they only carry Pro-One or Dayco or something) and I have not had a problem since. Try using a Gates belt. -Bob Cunningham
if you are running a 4.10 or lower gear in the rear end, you might want to consider using a larger pulley on your alt. GM cars that came with 4 series gears and no overdrive often had larger pulleys. you could be over working the bearings at long term highway speeds and short term racing speed rpms. besides lowering the alt rpm, you will also get more belt contact with the pulley.
huh?? What could you possibly need a 250 amp alternator for?? you plan on lighting up an apartment building? J
Well yes 410 gears but even keeping the rpms at 2500 -3000 just driving a block then urning and driving a block it ate the thing up in 2.5 blocks :shock: I have had a big altinator for years on this car it shouldnt be a problem. The pulley size is std size I could get the bigger GM one easy enough. I had no trouble last year tho.......
ignition systems theirselves dont pull a tremendous amount of current. it seems to me a "racing" alt is a strange notion. the main thing you want when actually racing would be good high maintained voltage. all the extra amperage beyond maintaining that voltage is kinda a moot point. i think money (performance wise) would be better invested in a jacobs accuvolt or similar product since it can step up voltage as alow as about 8.5 volts to rock solid 16 for ignition systems. these things are great for cheating in autosound competitions with amplifiers morevoltsin/morevoltsout (for amplifiers with unregulated power supplies).... why not use it to cheat at the track? if you have never seen or heard of them. check'em out. www.jacobselectronics.com
I bought it for the use on the street to keep the battery charged while using lights and all the other accessories. I will say it again if anyone will read this I had no problems till this year!!!!! What can I do to get it fixed !!! :af: Battery in the trunk with 00 welding cable to the back (not cheap battery cable)
Hey Mike, Are you belt driving the water pump on this car? Could it possibly be that? Did you try another alternator? Just pondering while eating dinner at work..... MMMMM Coke and smarties.:gt: Adam.
i understand that you havent had problems until this year, but that doesnt mean you havent been abusing the bearing (possible slightly defective in the first place)over that time. an alt spins about twice as fast as the crankshaft does. when equipped with standard sized pulleys. if a motor goes over 3 grand frequently, the alt bearing continues to get hotter and hotter and has little opportunity to dissapate its heat. the heat probably got so bad that over time it cooked all the grease out of the bearing and then..... its was just a matter of time. the heat we have had around here the past few weeks will help problems like this surface mighty fast. you probably need the alt totally rebearinged. or replace the alt. look into a larger pulley. the alt needs to stay if a specific operating range for longevity. i guess you could mount a AC clutch on the alt and turn it off for the racin ....LOL
I have an electric water pump and fans. so the alt only is run from the crank pulley. I am considering just putting an electric motor from an old Waterpump kit to it so it runs all the time The larger pulley is in the works now also
are you talkng about putting an electric motor on the ALT? ..... you would be better off to incorperate it into a wildmill.... or waterfall .......aaaah that would be so soothing in traffic.... i guess you could mount a B&S 5hp under the hood to handle all the electricity production. :shock:
I'm a little confused, did the problem start with the 250A alt installation? Did you mean the pulley turned blue after running, or you had it finsihed in a "chrome blue?" producing 250A from a single belt seems like alot to ask of that little belt. Maybe dual belts are needed? (or a larger alt pulley as suggested, it will give more belt contact area and less alternator speed.) On a STREET CAR it might not make enough juice if you idle around town alot although I think a 10SI energizes at about 750-1100 RPM. Try disconnnecting the alternator wire and see if it still dumps the belt when the alternator isn't charging.
Not trying to hi-jack the thread or anything but... Alan, I saw the pic of your Buick and that you're in NC and immediatly recognized it. And then remembered your plates on the car being similar to the 'Dinosaur Gang' in your sig. I grew up in Wilson and remember you lived over by Toy-Snot middle school right? Pretty cool to recognize a car on here that I used to see around town. Anyways.... nice ride. :TU: Kurt ex-tarheel turned mountaineer
