Mitsubishi: Screaming alternator belt - 95 GSX

The greater the load you place on the alternator, the harder it will be to
turn the pulley attached to the alternator. That's why with the belt off
(and the engine not running) the alternator pulley spins freely, no load, no
pulley resistance. As the load increases, the belt has to work harder to
maintain non slippage with the alternator pulley, any slippage and the belt
squeals. In one way this is a good sign that the alternator is still
working correctly. After you replace the water pump, try roughing up the
pulleys with 120 grit sand paper, you've probably polished then quite nicely
by now. On the other hand, drawing excessive current from the alternator
will cause it to also offer more resistance.

"JS" <now> wrote in message news:ktPyd.11433$.. 
had 
and 
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the 
cause 

From the way you desrcibe things, you have cooked the new set of belts buy
having them too loose .
Not to be a jerk but if you have to post a question regarding alternator
belts, don't think about trying the waterpump.
Go here to reserch: www.vfaq.com




"JS" <now> wrote in message news:ktPyd.11433$.. 

"simpleton" <com> wrote in message
news:com... 

If they are not cooked, tighten them again and put a few drops of brake
fluid on the inside of the belt. it won't slip, and stops the squeal.

Also check that your crank pulley is not separating into two parts. It's a
not uncommon problem, and also causes squeal.

Stewart DIBBS

Thanks to all for the assistance and suggestions.

I'm confident that I can do the water pump and timing belt swap. I've not
had really any experience working with imports... most of my experience is
teardowns and rebuilds on American iron (Mustangs, Camaros, etc). Not ever
having to do a car that didn't have a spring loaded belt tensioner and a
serpentine belt system, I erred on the side of caution with the belts,
thinking that it would be better to have them loose, slip a little, and
tighten them down to have them too tight and kill the bearings ni the water
pump. Doing the swap wasn't much of an issue, determining the correct
tension was. As it turns out, I guess it didn't matter anyway as it was the
water pump giving me problems to begin with. The old belts looked fine -
tensioned correctly, not excessively worn. This should have been a flag,
but I figured maybe they could use changing anyway.

I'll replace that drive belt, check for crank pulley separation, and clean
up the rest of the pulleys with some sandpaper to help grab the belt after
doing the water pump.

Thanks again for you help...

JS

"JS" <now> wrote in message news:ktPyd.11433$.. 
......

simpleton <com> wrote: 

Mitsu engines are very tight and complex. A f*cking belt problem can
really screw over your car -- I learned, from experience. There is a belt
(I know not which one) that squeals a bit when I start her up in the
morning.

I have been having a good time driving the Jeep/Eagle version of the 1990
Eclipse (TSi, AWD, stick shift) in the bad weather we've been having the
past couple of days here in Indy. [Yes, kids, one can do doughnuts on
ice/snow in an AWD car...it takes some doing...]

I have determined that Pep Boys' shop a block or two away is not good
for more than minor repairs on my 15 year old car. I'm taking her to the
Mitsu dealer I trust...lawsuits may follow.

Best regards,
Mark "still likes most of the techs he has met at Pep Boys" Gibson


--
"Most Americans think their leaders should be held to a higher standard,
at least the penitentiary level."

Your best bet for service on your aging DSM is a box of metric wrenches and
www.vfaq.com

You guys should consider shelling out for the manual on cd. It has the VFAQ
pages, the archives from Todd Day's Talon Digest and the entire service
manual for 1.8, 2.0 and 2.0 turbo 1990 through 1999.
It will save you money and anguish. Get yours here:
http://linux.forcedperformance.net/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FP&Product_Code =CD&Category_Code=UNIV-Misc



"Mark Gibson" <prairienet.org> wrote in message
news:cqiena$bft$prairienet.org... 

For anyone interested....

I picked up my parts this morning and was going to attempt the water pump
and timing belt adventure. Remembering Stewart DIBBS' advice, I went for
the crank pulley first. I pulled it off, and while inspecting it, noticed
that the center of it was moving. It pulled completely out after pushing on
it a little.

Time to go to the dealer and get another one.

I'm convinced that this is my problem. After closer inspection, the water
pump grinding noise was just the belt laying next to it that I'd thought had
fallen. After removing the belts completely, it was quiet. This could also
explain the tensioning problem. The belt still looks ok, and the rubberish
looking material was probably the center of the crank pulley separating.

I'll do a quick visual check of the timing belt before putting it back
together... if it's ok, I'll be putting the belt on when it's warm enough to
not have to wear three layers of clothing and stand in front of a turbo
heater.

Thanks to everyone for their help, especially Stewart for the heads-up about
the pulley separation.

JS

"JS" <now> wrote in message news:66Xyd.19444$..