Drive Belt misaligned?

[rayjaymor]

Hi Guys,

So, the other day without a lot of warning I heard an awful squealing noise from the engine bay. Ignored it the first day, but checked it the second day and sure enough, I saw chunks of drive belt scattered all over the engine bay with the drive belt well and truly scuffed along the edge.

I initially replaced the belt, but the new belt started scuffing and slipped off the threads. Looked at the spring tensioner and noticed that it was shot (the circular piece that keeps it all together was angled out slightly).

Grabbed another tensioner from Pick N Payless and swapped it in. The good news is, the belt is no longer noisy. The bad news is, on this new tensioner with different pulleys it still looks like the belt isn't on the bottom pulley properly (looks like it's 4-5mm too far towards the front of the car). Pushing the belt backwards makes it looks angled against the crankshaft and aircon compressor.

The belt doesn't appear to be scraping against the tensioner arm, but it looks *really* close to it. (I could possibly get a 1mm feeler gauge through the gap, that's it though)

Is this normal and I'm being paranoid - or did I just get really unlucky and get a tensioner that has a dodgy pulley? (to be fair, I only paid $30 for it - and the old tensioner was stuffed, there is no doubt there).

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx...VFkYVlyNVV4QTQ

[russellw]

It is very close - it looks as if the pulley is actually too short or for the wrong belt.

Cheers
Russ

[rayjaymor]

I thought as much... I don't think it's a wrong pulley as I pulled it out of another AU (and it was identical to the one that I replaced)

Must have something else out of alignment which is throwing everything else out of whack...

I might have to concede this one is beyond me and take it to a mechanic when they open on Monday.

Cheers

[rmack]

Have a look at your harmonic balancer (Big pulley attached to the crank).

I have had one fail. Squealing and belt everywhere.

[jpblue1000]

I had a brand new serpentine split the front rib off and part of I acted like a whipper snipper and cut through the air conditioning hose on my AU. All the pulleys available were new and aligned properly, became an expensive failure as regas, new receiver and orifice tube, and of course new hose which has the manifold that bolts to the compressor and a new belt! Moral of the story, get it right as it can go bad easily.
Check the harmonic balancer for wobble while running. Can be a problem sometimes

JP

[rayjaymor]

Hey Guys,

Just an update: it was in fact the harmonic balancer!

Mechanic swapped it out, belt looks perfect now