Belt keeps snapping on my 96. Need help!

Hello everyone, I'm new to this site. I searched for an answer with zero luck. I'm hoping that someone here can help me. My 96 3.4 is 'eating' alternator belts. I have now replaced it for the third time this year. The belts don't look worn, they just end up snapping (almost a clean cut). The pulleys all look fine as well. I did notice that the belt looked very twisted this time. Is it possible that the belt is being twisted on the pulley and just gets tighter and tighter until it snaps? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

Odds are one of the pulleys is out of alignment or you're just installing them too tightly. If they're not basically running straight and true your problem isn't going to go away and if you're running them too tight they'll fail sooner than they should.

I don't have a '96 to play with, but for the age I'm assuming they're manually adjusted for tension and not using the spring style tension pulley.

 

Take a ruler/straight edge/carpenters square and check to see if the alt pulley is square(in line) with the crank and fan pulley.

I have seen the alt top bracket bend.

 

Yeah you've got something goin on there to cause those belts to snap like that...like mentioned above give everything a good once over and check alignment between all pulleys. Something should be noticeable there...

 

Stand on the side, fender side and look at the alt pulley. Look strait down to the crank and see if it doesn't line up. It could be that the alt has been off and then installed incorrect. Maybe they put a spacer in wrong, like on the wrong side of a brace. See if all the other pulls line up like they should. It sounds like that it is not center with the crank pulley and you are over tightening it, like they said above.......

 

You are over tightening them. There is a page in the FSM about the acceptable levels of deflection you should get from each belt after proper installation.

 

Did you check the bearings? THe pulleys might *look fine* - but if they don't spin smoothly, they're putting excessive wear on the belts.

Grab all the pulleys and spin them by hand. If you feel any hesitation, gritty feeling, or if they spin way too easy (no grease inside), then you need to replace the bearings.

As for tightening them..... You should be able to put your fingers on the edges of the belt and twist it perpendicular of its self. No less, no more.