Serpentine Belt Question

[PlayingWithTBI]

That is a strange one and my guess is just that, a guess. Have never seen a belt jump a groove unless there was an alignment problem with one or more pulleys.

It is since, I ran a belt for years with A/C, A.I.R. PS, Alt, then another one same configuration. Now I'm running one w/o A.I.R. the size their book called for. It was the shorter one that lined up the marks perfectly but, like I said, that one jumped a groove each time I started it. Oh well.

 

[454cid]

I took this video, of my tensioner, today while idling my truck after the Evap solenoid change.

In real life it moves around a little more than it looks in the video. At first I had my hand on the core support, and I think the vibration was canceling out the movement of the tensioner.

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No idea why it uploaded as a "short".

 

[movietvet]

It is since, I ran a belt for years with A/C, A.I.R. PS, Alt, then another one same configuration. Now I'm running one w/o A.I.R. the size their book called for. It was the shorter one that lined up the marks perfectly but, like I said, that one jumped a groove each time I started it. Oh well.

The problem could have been the belt itself.

 

[someotherguy]

So, the whole belt would move over one groove? The shorter belt likely caused a snap to the tensioner, that caused it to be out of acceptable operating range and loosened the belt enough to jump. That is a strange one and my guess is just that, a guess. Have never seen a belt jump a groove unless there was an alignment problem with one or more pulleys.

I've seen a few tensioners with wear lean over at an angle when loaded. I wonder if his has just enough slop in it that the too-short belt put just enough load that it angled over and would let one of the ribs ride off the pulleys.

Richard

 

[AuroraGirl]

yeah, I bought a shorter Gates belt to get the indicator aligned but, it kept jumping a groove when I started it up. I went back to the original one and had no issues.

if you have an is sue with tensioner and belt length, if the pulley isnt brand new i recommnend a pulley change out first. the tensioner pulleys you can find in so many sizes because fairly standaridzed how that all works. try a different size, sometimes cheaper than a serpentine belt but it also means you keep your stock "size" belt working on your truck, because in a pinch youd rather tell a store the year make model for a belt and not "let me go measure it quick" idk lol. just my thought

 

[AuroraGirl]

I've seen a few tensioners with wear lean over at an angle when loaded. I wonder if his has just enough slop in it that the too-short belt put just enough load that it angled over and would let one of the ribs ride off the pulleys.

Richard

on my 96 f150 I have actually had this very thing. I Was trying to fix belt squeal and the pulley on the tensioner even was wearing down on half of it (plastic pulley) even metal ones would be worn that side tho!! And its the original tensioner, the bracket was fine but you could see the arm bend lol

 

[DerekTheGreat]

...Yeah; we definitely have different opinions on what constitutes ragged! Down here we really don't tolerate much in the way of rust. But, that car had been rode hard (as most former cop cars are) and had lots of broken pieces in the interior, and was banged up all around the body. The Caprices seemed particularly bad about stuff flying around in the trunk banging dents into the sides of the quarters; I swear every 9C1 I had was dented up from the inside. And of course the plastic bumper covers are always chewed up to some degree. Still, it was cheap, reasonably solid, and would light 'em up at will.

Richard

Indeed! That thing looks beautiful to me, as does anything which is 10+ years old and rust free around here. I'll take busted plastic and dents any day over questionable floor pans, rockers, metal lines, corroded electrical connectors, ect. Whenever I travel some place where salt doesn't fly, I almost cry when I peer into junkyards. Nothing but solid cars that don't belong in there to my eyes...