Yay... I broke the alternator belt. :(

[SimonTuffGuy]

On my way to town today, the charge engine light came on and I realized the alternator belt must've broke. Got the engine a little hot getting her home... but I don't think any serious damage was done.

Now it's finding the right size belt for my engine and underdrive pulley.... :\

[25Horseplay]

Just wrap a rope around the pulleys and measure it to get an estimate in the length.

[SimonTuffGuy]

Ahhh... That's a good idea.

[KingFish]

You can get a part number to give the counterman by taking the Length in decimals i.e 15'' and 1/2'' would be 155 and the with (the festiva uses 15) and put them together. Like this 15155. That is a 15 and one half in belt by 1/2 in wide. This may not be the numbers combination your store uses but they will be able to cross the number to there system. Most places use some form of this parts number system.

[FB71]

your belt has probably been slipping, which would cause to eventually break, AND would explain why your battery was low and blowing the main fuse...

[scitzz]

Just wrap a rope around the pulleys and measure it to get an estimate in the length.

works every time for me!

[Damkid]

your belt has probably been slipping, which would cause to eventually break, AND would explain why your battery was low and blowing the main fuse...

if i remember right at the fall meet, i was hearing your (Simon) belt squeeling from being a little loose?

[SimonTuffGuy]

It wasn't loose. But yea, it was squeeling quite a bit since I got the car.

[phantorn]

What did you make your under pulley drive from?I used a Moroso unit and machined the back side for clearance.

[SimonTuffGuy]

Not sure. It was on the engine when I bought it.

Question for anyone looking... Should I be able to spin the bottom pulley on the engine by hand? I can spin the one on the alternator and the one up top freely... The one at the bottom of the engine doesn't want to spin freely. Maybe that is part of the problem with squeeling.

[elcamino1]

No the bottom pulley is attached to the crankshaft,should not turn freely.

[SimonTuffGuy]

Perfect, thanks.

I measured for a new belt. Hopefully it'll fit on without too many problems.

[SimonTuffGuy]

Well... I measured incorrectly for my belt. Haha. It's a little bit too small (at 33 1/4"), so when NAPA opens tomorrow, I'm going to exhange for another inch or inch and a half up and get this car running again.

[SimonTuffGuy]

Swapped the belt this morning for one that was 35" long. Brought it home and it fits! Put on it, got the alternator back into position and tightened all the bolts and it runs!

I still get a bit of a squeel if the volts are under 14 when the car is running... Leads me to think maybe something with the alternator itself is messed up verus a belt. The new belt is tight, as tight as I could get it using a cheater bar to hold the alternator back while using a wrench to tighten to bolt up.

We'll see how it hold up until I get source a new alternator.

[elcamino1]

Don't over tighten the belt you'll wearout the bearings in the alt.