hoosier58

Kind of frustrated here --- bought a 94 SC3 a week before Christmas because we NEEDED a third car in the household. Started having belt/charging issues almost right away --- sometimes the belt wouldn't run true, would squeal like heck, and power steering and charge would suffer. Discovered alternator had been wired into the harness by stripping some wire and cramming it into the plug, so added blade connectors ---- squealing belt stopped, but still didn't seem to charge, so ordered a replacement alternator. While waiting for it, was doing some other work, so put jumper cables on the SC to run windows/antena/etc..Had them on for a couple of hours at idle, then happened to turn key, and she started --- then ran for days getting a good charge, and with only occaisonal belt noise. I then got a call that my new alt was back-ordered, and canceled the order. Started working on other, less critical things --- door panels, window regs, etc. ---- then yesterday the power steering was stiff at start up, and the belt noise was worse again. I examined the belt, and decided to replace it. I put on a Gates belt, which I thought was highly rated ---- 3 year warranty, etc.. It sounded good at first, then really started squealing! It was also running out of true again. I wasn't even comfortable driving the car, so put the old belt back on, and it was purring again!
The Gates belt is thicker than the one I took off, and also simply has long paralell ribs on the grooved side. The old one is thinner, and also has breaks, slots, whatever, in the other direction. Was the Gates belt a bad choice, or should I be looking elsewhere for problems?

horent135

iTrader: (10)

I duno if the belt is the problem or not, i recently replaced with a gates belt on my 300 and works great

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

Me too, keep having to move threads to the engine forum. Please use the engine forum.

Also FYI, there are TWO lengths to SC belts for the 400, maybe the same for the 300. I think they are 2 inches difference, which the tensioner tries to take up for, but can't.

hoosier58

Sorry.
Where did I post this first?
What should I do ---- go into the engine/performance/etc. --- then click 'new thread'?

hoosier58

Thanks horent135, at least that suggests I need to look elsewhere. Can I ask you something else?
The belt tensioner has an arrow in the top center. Does yours point to anything? Mine doesn't, but a little bit to the right of it are like three or four tick marks (or a little divided box). I'm wondering if maybe my tensioner is too weak, and the new, stiffer belt really needed more tension.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

I think the 300's all use the same belt.
I would guess maybe a bad bearing or pulley on one of the accessories since your older more worn belt works better than a brand new belt, which should have more tension on the pulleys.

The arrow on the tensioner tells you if its in the proper range of tension. It Is also entirely possible you have a bad tensioner, they do go bad from time to time. how you tell is the arrow should be inbetween a set of lines, can't remember if they are on the block or the tensioner itself, but it was easily visible. If it is way out of the lines, then there is something wrong, either with the tensioner itself or the belt or your routing of the belt.

Luv2xl

iTrader: (5)

lol.. why are you fustrated? this is part of your job here. if things like this wouldnt happen who and why would we need a moderator.. lol

jk.. don't take it offensive, just busting chops.


to the OP: The gates belt are excellent replacements. They last twice as long as a standard OEM belt and i Believe they do not stretch. As ALI stated, one of your pullies where the belts makes contact, is bad.. definitely check your tensioner.

MooJohn

My car is a 400 but I had a similar problem. My belt squealed so I put on a new belt and it really squealed then. I found out that the idler pulleys had surface rust on them and that didn't let the belt slide like it needed to to run "true" to the crank pulley.

I fixed this by (gasp!) using a little armor all on the flat (non-grooved) side of the belt. That side isn't for traction anyway, and it gave it enough slip to let the belt line up properly. You don't want to lube the grooved side!

The Gates belt I got was far better than the generic I tried at first.

hoosier58

I suspect that the alternator on the car is an incorrect one ----- which would explain cut wires instead of the correct plug. That can sometimes work --- my van is running a high output alt from a Ford 6 liter diesel on a gas 5.8. An ambulance mechanic friend installed it for me by cutting off the plug and adding blade connectors. Apparently the diesel system is very sensitive to an alt that puts out even slightly weak charge, so he had a few around that wouldn't keep an ambulance charging well, but that is great for my 351.
I've never noticed though; do different alts have different sized pulleys? Perhaps mine should have a larger one, which would put more tension on the belt. I'll have to go out and look to see if that would bring the arrow on the tensioner into the marks.
I just spent a bunch of money at a U Pull for door panels, window reg, power antenna, floor mats and odds and ends, which wiped out the alternator funds. I might have to hope she keeps running as is for a week or two.

I talked to my ambulance buddy today, running the tensioner arrow vs. tick mark issue past him --- and my idea that the alternator pulley is smaller than an actual SC3 alt's would be. He thought I might be onto something. I hate to get rid of a working alternator, so asked him about trying a slightly shorter belt --- he said if I tried NAPA or another less 'retail' oriented supplier, where someone over 22 might work, that I could probably buy one with the same width and ribs, but centimeters shorter. He wanted to hear how it works, but also suggested that I check my AC clutch. The LED on the temp control is out, and the car does seem to turn the AC compressor on if you push the control button, even if its cold out. It is remotely possible that the compressor clutch was engaging when the belt really started running bad, but that I didn't notice the light in the AC button. It seems to me though, that the tensioner marks are still an issue, and that trying a shorter belt is called for. I'm going to try it --- maybe springing for a 1 year belt for $16 until this alternator goes.

I didn't ask him about another connected issue though. If the alternator on the car is running a smaller pulley than stock, then the ratio is bigger and the alt is spinning faster. Should I expect any detrimental effects from that? I'm a carpenter, not an electrician or technician. I assume there are resistors to prevent overcharge, but don't really comprehend how that side of things work.

FYI: I stopped at a parts store yesterday with my Gates belt, and between the counter man pulling numbers and me stretching belts inside the Gates one, I picked out a shorter belt (after guesstimating how much shorter). It was exactly what I needed! The arrow on the tensioner is now dead center of the tick marks, doesn't squeal, and everything runs great. This seems to mean, in a pinch, you can use a different alternator as long as the pulley lines up with your other drive pulleys, then just play with belt lengths to get the tension right. Now, if I could just find the darn receipt to return the $27 Gates belt!