THREW ANOTHER ALTERNATOR BELT :(

Vee belts break for only two (2.0) reasons. First is misalignment between pullies. Second is inadequate tension causing slipping. A 75 watt alternator pulls over 1 horsepower from the engine when it's charging or some electrical gadget such as headlights or A/C is turned on.

Based on your description, I think your alt is misaligned. Try laying a yardstick across the face of the alt pully and the sheave of the crank or water pump pully. If this is the conversion that drives the alt off the second sheave in the AC pulley, check down to that for straightness. The line must be straight within a few thousandths or exactly what you describe will happen. I suspect the new flat-firewall mount bracket which cantilevers the alt up and back from its normal spot, is off somehow. Does it pick up both stock dowels from the front cover? Did all the attach bolts screw in by hand before wrenching on them?
Hang in there- we'll get it fixed!

quote:

A 75 watt alternator pulls over 1 horsepower

Jack,

You forgot the zero. 750 watts = 1 HP.

John

No, I was going on the numbers published by the alt and vee belt manufacturers. The math conversion assumes perfect coupling to a drive source and perfect efficiency. Neither happens.

Yes, I'm aware that 750w = 1HP is pure (no loss), but I was unaware that the loss was that large. Thanks for the info.

John

quote:

Originally posted by fordgt:
I have a 74 with the Kirk Evans Flat Firewall kit and I keep burning up belts. First the belt starts squeeling with engine revs, then smoking (including filling up the engine compartment and passenger compartment)That was REAL exciting!! After the belt was gone the smoke and noise cleared, obviously, and I drove 1/4 mile home. any ideas why I keep losing belts and what the correct belt number is on the Kirk Evans modification?

thanks

GTF #069874

Kirk here---First---Which belt is it? Did you do the install and were there any issues with the bolt-up? I have had 2 issues with the factory bracket because the bolt holes in it are so large. You can pivot my bracket on the factory bracket quite a bit which will cause a belt alignment issue with the Ac and crank pulley. If your losing the AC to alternator there is problem with the alternator. The bracket has been built using the same fixture since 1985 and has been successfully used since that time.

Can you take some pictures from the bottom of the car? Please call if you can not get the problem cured. 419-344-8148 No worries---we'll get it figured out and solved.

quote:

Based on your description, I think your alt is misaligned. Try laying a yardstick across the face of the alt pully and the sheave of the crank or water pump pully. If this is the conversion that drives the alt off the second sheave in the AC pulley, check down to that for straightness. The line must be straight within a few thousandths or exactly what you describe will happen. I suspect the new flat-firewall mount bracket which cantilevers the alt up and back from its normal spot, is off somehow. Does it pick up both stock dowels from the front cover? Did all the attach bolts screw in by hand before wrenching on them?
Hang in there- we'll get it fixed!

Jack,

The bracket can not have been welded incorrectly--there is no way to weld on the parts without the assembly fixture being totally bolted together---it was designed that way to prevent such an issue. He did not mention which belt was the problem

sorry should have mentioned it is the a/c to alternator belt. I did the install and don't recall any issues/problems with doing it but it has been several years ( I saw that I posted about this in Nov. 2007) I have been through 2 or 3 belts since then with less than 1000 miles

What would the alternator problem be? It spins freely with no belt on it, does not make any grinding noises. It is a different alternator and I have had the belt problems with the old alt. and the new one.

I will try to get some pics in a little bit, I don't have access to a lift, so I'll see what I can get.

By the way, Kirk, I have no worries it will get figured out, I only id'd it as being yours so that people would know which system I have, your customer service (and products) have always been top notch.

Here are some pics, best I can do w/o a lift

another one

one more

What alternator are you running? Is it a late model Ford? Looking from the underside, do the 2 pulleys appear to align properly? Was the charging system working? Did you change the pulley to a V-belt?

The picture below shows a GM alternator mounted. The 2 brackets will fit early Ford or early GM. I'll post some additional detail pictures.

Kirk

Top view

Front view mounted on original engine bracket

Freshly mounted system.

I took another look and it appears the pulley is behind the AC pulley. Was the mounting hole in the new alternator the correct size or larger and did you have to change the mount casting on the alternator?

quote:

Originally posted by Kirk Evans:
What alternator are you running? Is it a late model Ford? YES


Looking from the underside, do the 2 pulleys appear to align properly? WILL HAVE TO CHECK AGAIN TOMORROW

Was the charging system working?YES

Did you change the pulley to a V-belt?IT WAS A V BELT

The picture below shows a GM alternator mounted. The 2 brackets will fit early Ford or early GM. I'll post some additional detail pictures.

Kirk

Any up-dates??

Put a new belt on today and it seems to be working, will drive it a bunch this weekend and re-tension the belt. I may have forgotten to re-tension after the last belt?