Alternator Chewing Up Belt

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Sun Dec 02, 2018 4:31 pm

After initially thinking that a squealing from under the hood was being caused by the electric fans going out, I'm now thinking that it may in fact be caused by the alternator belt getting torn up somehow.

I'm guessing it might be caused by an unaligned pulley? Anybody else had this issue before?

Post by **Stuka** » Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:55 pm

Its possible your alternator has a different pulley depth than factory. How does the belt look? Normally a squeal is caused by a loose belt.

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Sun Dec 02, 2018 6:34 pm

Belt is throwing a TON of rubber dust onto stuff as well

Alternator and belt are brand new.

kansasboy001 · Post by **kansasboy001** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:20 am

What brand of belt is it? I've had this problem when I didn't use gates or dayco belts

REDONE · Post by **REDONE** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:48 am

I think it's the pulley. If it was the belt, it'd be making a mess at all the accessories with variable resistance (like the power steering pump). Even if the alternator was frozen, the belt should slip, sqeal, and smoke rather than shred. Is that pulley nice a shiny where the belt touches it, or has it been roughed up by a sand blaster or wire wheel or something?

will e · Post by **will e** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 8:08 am

What engine are you running? All of my V8 AMC's have used dual belts for the alternator.

1979bettywhite · Post by **1979bettywhite** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 8:59 am

will e wrote:What engine are you running? All of my V8 AMC's have used dual belts for the alternator.

Yep, should be dual pulley and my belt runs on the outer pulley. Did you recently replace the alternator (looks fairly new)? If you did, you should have spun the old pulley off your old one with an impact wrench and swapped it to the new one. New one I got was fitted with a single pulley. Had to swap my old pulley over. After you do that, if you still have the alternator, you of course need to get a new belt.

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:09 am

AFAIK it's a 360...just bought the vehicle a couple months ago.

Prior to replacing the alternator and belt there was the same type of belt dust being thrown around, makes me think the alignment is out of whack. I'll throw some shims in and see if I can get it straightened out.

Let me look and see if I can find out what brand belt it is, I just snagged one from Autozone when replacing.

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:10 am

The old one must have been a replacement as well, it only had a single pulley on it. Anywhere I can source the dual pulley or will I need to scrounge around for a used one?

REDONE · Post by **REDONE** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:41 am

All my J-10s have single pulley alternators.

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 10:23 am

Tightened the belt up and the squealing went away, we'll see how long that lasts and if it keeps throwing rubber.

Took some pics of the pulley system to see if it's properly set up...hoping someone in the know can verify.

REDONE · Post by **REDONE** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 10:30 am

I think you might have a misfire on cylinder #2...

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 12:38 pm

Not unlikely

will e · Post by **will e** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:37 pm

Your power steering pump should be on the outer most pulley grooves.
Your alternator is not in the position it would be in if the car had AC. I don't know if they placed it in a different position without AC.
Did you Jeep originally have AC?

On my jeeps the adjuster bracket is on the bottom of the alternator, not the top.

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:08 pm

I don't think it came with AC originally, but I'm not 100% sure on that. There doesn't seem to be any controls in the cab for AC, just the heater and vent.

Is the power steering pump supposed to be running 2 pulleys as well? I'm guessing that middle groove is for the second alternator pulley then?

will e · Post by **will e** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:14 pm

The power steering pump has a second pulley that drives the AIR system, when equipped.

Post by **Stuka** » Mon Dec 03, 2018 9:15 pm

will e wrote:What engine are you running? All of my V8 AMC's have used dual belts for the alternator.

I believe the dual pulley was only for the higher output alternator, which was typically also used with A/C.

My '75 which had no A/C and the lower 50A alternator had a single pulley.

will e · Post by **will e** » Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:35 am

Stuka wrote:
will e wrote:What engine are you running? All of my V8 AMC's have used dual belts for the alternator.
I believe the dual pulley was only for the higher output alternator, which was typically also used with A/C.

My '75 which had no A/C and the lower 50A alternator had a single pulley.

I was not aware of that! Was the crank pulley a 3 groove or 2 groove?

OP, what year and type is your rig?

Post by **fulsizjeep** » Tue Dec 04, 2018 7:26 am

Looks like battery ground is on the alternator tension bolt? If so, not a very good engine ground source. I would move it to the engine block or head.

RPO · Post by **RPO** » Tue Dec 04, 2018 8:22 am

will e wrote:
OP, what year and type is your rig?

1979 Cherokee 360/TH400QT, don't think it had factory AC.

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Alternator Chewing Up Belt

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