[smokin6]

started te car today and suddenly i hear chirping around the alternator. I'm suspecting alternator or need a new belt? This noise does not happen with every startup. Only sometimes.

------------------
87 GN Hardtop~ stock motor, stock intercooler, TE 51 w/.63 exhaust housing,big mouth cold air induction, hotwired walboro 340, MSD 50's, cold air induction, stock TB and plenum, THDP, 3" ATR dual exhaust, 10 mm Magnecor wries, B&M tranny cooler, performance transmissions deep aluminum pan, Dynotech shift kit, VDO gauges, Autometer boost gauge, SMC alchy injection, PTE remote oil system, ATR 3" maf pipe, scanmaster 2

 

[fast86]

Maybe both!

 

[Steve Wood]

alternators are bad about but check the idler pulley as well

 

[ES]

Rub the inside of belt down with bar soap.
Last week I fixed Salvage's gas tank with soap. This week a belt...tomorrow the world!
On second thought, maybe I can clean my oil soaked exhaust system. Maybe replace the smoke with bubbles.

 

[smokin6]

is the idler pulley the belt tensioner? Is it the bolt on the left side of alternator when looking from the front of car?

 

[salvageV6]

Hey I fixed my own gas tank, drove and idled the car down below the leak line....

If you use soap, use a good one, I like soup on a rope for this application.

Okay just replace the belt, or if the car has sat for a long time, charge the battery and drive it.

Check the alternator with a voltmeter for proper charging voltages. Do a load test on the battery as well if possible.

Finally take the belt off and spin the tensioner pulley, and alternator to see which bearing is bad/sticking if any.

Most of this is less than half an hour's worth of testing, that is good.

 

[Steve Wood]

yep, it's the tensioner...the pulley that drives nothing (hence idler) but serves only to maintain tension.

 

[smokin6]

I'm gonna go check the tensioner first. I did the bar soap and no luck. DOes the tensioner adjust itself or I have to tighten the bolt?

Another thing happened today as i was driving. The noise all of a sudden just went away but later on came back

 

[Zap]

Take the engine out and rebuild it while you are at it.

 

[Steve Wood]

There is no adjustment..but it has a bearing in it that tends to go bad with the years...kinda like Zap

 

[smokin6]

I dont know anything about alternators or tensioner pullies. Where exactly is the bearing on the tensioner? where the tensioner is, i see a nut, then a bar that leads to the side of the intercooler, then another nut i think. Is that the tensioner? What tool do you use on the tensioner? open wrench? socket wrench? WHen you rotate the tensioner pulley is the alternator supposed to go down automatically so you can remove the belt? sorry for so many questions. Just trying to learn here.

If the alternator makes a chirping sound, is it from the inside of the alternator? Does the alternator have bearings inside it?

 

[smokin6]

never mind, i found the tensioner

 

[smokin6]

ok i'm gonna replace the belt first. if that doesn't work then i'll get a new alternator. If that doesn't work, then its gotta be the idler pulley. Am I on the right track?

 

[Steve Wood]

Why don't you buy, borrow, make, or improvise a stethoscope before you start spending chunks of money?

If it is the tensioner, it will probably wobble or feel rough when you turn it by hand with the belt off.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by Steve Wood:

... it will probably wobble or feel rough when you turn it by hand with the belt off.

Mine doesn't wobble, although it is kinda rough. Of course you are a lot older than I am.

 

[The Radius Kid]

That tensioner pulley bearing is about $6.Unscrew the pulley off the tensioner arm[18 mm bolt head,I think],and replace the bearing[pn #6203 or something like that].

------------------
Give em' hell!

 

[Steve Wood]

yeah, 60-58 is a lot older, you dusty ol' codger.

 

[Buick T]

Hey Smokin......One Picture worth 1000 words
http://www.gnttype.org/numbers/partsdiagram.html

 

[smokin6]

thanks Buick T

 

[smokin6]

ok I just took off the belt right now. Damn i had to jack up the car to get the belt out from the intercooler fan. I rotated the alternator fan and it squeaks a little as it turns. Bearing going south i guess? Also with the belt off the idler pulley is contacting the AC compressor bolt. Isn't that bad? When i lift up the pulley i can easily rotate the tensioner.