Has this happened to anyone besides me? v
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Has this happened to anyone besides me? v
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Vicki....
Yes it happened to me too. I got lucky and caught it before it go as bad as yours, but it did do a number on the alternator shaft.
Fortunately, I was able to repair the shaft.
The problem was caused by one of the adjusting shims wadding itself up in between the alternator shaft shoulder and the rear of the pulley. This alows you to "tighten" the pulley, only to have it come lose later.
Be very very picky about belt adjustments.
Hoping you only have to replace the pulley. Best of luck....
Leon C.
Yes it happened to me too. I got lucky and caught it before it go as bad as yours, but it did do a number on the alternator shaft.
Fortunately, I was able to repair the shaft.
The problem was caused by one of the adjusting shims wadding itself up in between the alternator shaft shoulder and the rear of the pulley. This alows you to "tighten" the pulley, only to have it come lose later.
Be very very picky about belt adjustments.
Hoping you only have to replace the pulley. Best of luck....
Leon C.
Yup. Mine disintegrated last summer. I orderd a replacement from CB and they sent one that appeared to be much higher quality than what they put on in the first place. Go figure...
Leon--is yours a Beck? v v
Vicki,
I had it happen 3 times in one year (different engines). We switched over to the "finned" Brazil OEM pulley and it hasn't happened since. I think Pat at CB is using this "finned" pulley as a standard now.
Here's a thread where I posted a picture of one of our pulleys, and someone else had the same thing too.
http://www.speedstershop.com/viewtopic.php?t=223&highlight=pulley
here's a link to the pulley
http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=1516
I had it happen 3 times in one year (different engines). We switched over to the "finned" Brazil OEM pulley and it hasn't happened since. I think Pat at CB is using this "finned" pulley as a standard now.
Here's a thread where I posted a picture of one of our pulleys, and someone else had the same thing too.
http://www.speedstershop.com/viewtopic.php?t=223&highlight=pulley
here's a link to the pulley
http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=1516
Vicki....
Yes. My Spyder is a 2002, chasis #748. This car was fabricated in Texas, during that period when the company went from Cal. to Tx. to Cal. again in rapid order.
The original pulley was replaced with a unit from CB Perf. Better piece.
No more problems to date.
Leon C.
Yes. My Spyder is a 2002, chasis #748. This car was fabricated in Texas, during that period when the company went from Cal. to Tx. to Cal. again in rapid order.
The original pulley was replaced with a unit from CB Perf. Better piece.
No more problems to date.
Leon C.
Wow, what a bizarre looking pulley. I'll send the picture on to my mechanic. Thanks for all the input. v
That pulley looks like an arm slicer.
Pulley has now been replaced with a better quality one. Battery died, which was a separate issue I guess. But now the belt makes noise and the engine light comes on when I stop (which it was doing prior to the pulley falling apart). However, the alternator output checks out as OK on my mechanic's machine. Car runs fine. Any thoughts? v
Vicki....
When you say "engine light", I assume you refer to the alternator
light. My light flickers when idling around 350-400 rpm. I normaly try to set the idle for 500-600rpm with a warm engine.
I assume you have to bring your engine up to 1000-1250rpm when first cranked to turn off the alternator light. This is normal.
Your pulley may be of a different diameter than the original. Ask C.B. perf. to verify any possible difference.
From Road Atlanta...
Leon C.
When you say "engine light", I assume you refer to the alternator
light. My light flickers when idling around 350-400 rpm. I normaly try to set the idle for 500-600rpm with a warm engine.
I assume you have to bring your engine up to 1000-1250rpm when first cranked to turn off the alternator light. This is normal.
Your pulley may be of a different diameter than the original. Ask C.B. perf. to verify any possible difference.
From Road Atlanta...
Leon C.
Second thought...
Your belt noise may be due to pulley alignment. C.B. perf. sells an alignment shim kit. Pulley alignment can be verified using a straight edge across the back side (alternator) side of the alternator and engine pullies.
You are probably aware that the fan on your new pulley may make some noise (whistling), but I don't think it would be too loud.
Once again...
Leon C.
Your belt noise may be due to pulley alignment. C.B. perf. sells an alignment shim kit. Pulley alignment can be verified using a straight edge across the back side (alternator) side of the alternator and engine pullies.
You are probably aware that the fan on your new pulley may make some noise (whistling), but I don't think it would be too loud.
Once again...
Leon C.
As it turns out, the alternator is fine. Seems that my engine light was coming on originally because my battery (going on 4 years old--the original one from 2003) was nearly shot and the alternator was having trouble charging it at idle. Hence, the light coming on. After that battery died, I replaced it with the battery out of my boyfriend's Austin Healey to get me home from work the night my original battery died, thinking that his battery was good. That battery turned out to be very weak as well, so the engine light kept coming on at idle. The alternator was checked again and found to be fine. I replaced the battery with a completely new one and all seems fine now. I drove Spydie all day today running errands and no problem with the light. The only problem now is that when my mechanic was getting into the car to move it, he knocked the turn signal rod and broke my right turn capability! No one over 5 feet tall should try to get into that car with the top on. v
The alternative is to be very proficient in yoga!
Well, I spoke too soon. The light is coming on again and the battery is getting low. Gotta be the alternator even though twice it was checked and was good. This is a mystery to me. v
Vicki --
This one shouldn't be a mystery, it's an easy one. Presuming your idle is set for at least 800-900, measure the voltage across the two battery terminals while the engine is at idle. The voltage should be at least 12 volts. Increasing the rpms a little to maybe 1200-1400 should increase the voltage you read at the battery to full alternator output of about 13.5 volts.
Anything over 12 volts tells you the alternator is charging. Also, anything under 12 volts will turn on the alternator light (dim at first, brighter as voltage drops further below 12 volts).
If your idle is below 800-900, you may not be spinning the alternator fast enough to generate 12+ volts -- thus the red light.
Or (highly suspect) if your fan belt is slipping, then that may cause the alternator not to spin fast enough. Since this is the "noisey" fan belt that is now wrapped around a "new" pulley (and belt tension is adjusted by that new pulley) one wonders if belt slipping might not be your problem.
Anyway, if you get the red light when the engine is running it is probably because:
RPM is too low to spin the alternator fast enough to generate 12+ volts.
The fan belt is slipping, which is causing the alterntator not to spin fast enough to generate 12+ volts.
The alternator doesn't generate 12+ volts because it is defective.
Makes sense?
Mark
This one shouldn't be a mystery, it's an easy one. Presuming your idle is set for at least 800-900, measure the voltage across the two battery terminals while the engine is at idle. The voltage should be at least 12 volts. Increasing the rpms a little to maybe 1200-1400 should increase the voltage you read at the battery to full alternator output of about 13.5 volts.
Anything over 12 volts tells you the alternator is charging. Also, anything under 12 volts will turn on the alternator light (dim at first, brighter as voltage drops further below 12 volts).
If your idle is below 800-900, you may not be spinning the alternator fast enough to generate 12+ volts -- thus the red light.
Or (highly suspect) if your fan belt is slipping, then that may cause the alternator not to spin fast enough. Since this is the "noisey" fan belt that is now wrapped around a "new" pulley (and belt tension is adjusted by that new pulley) one wonders if belt slipping might not be your problem.
Anyway, if you get the red light when the engine is running it is probably because:
RPM is too low to spin the alternator fast enough to generate 12+ volts.
The fan belt is slipping, which is causing the alterntator not to spin fast enough to generate 12+ volts.
The alternator doesn't generate 12+ volts because it is defective.
Makes sense?
Mark
Vicki....
Have your mechanic check the wiring connection on the starter.
The junction will have the battery cable, Main power to dash wire,
alternator charge lead, and possibly a lead to the fuse block.
I had a problem in this area on another car..
Leon C.
PS. Check battery grounding also.
Have your mechanic check the wiring connection on the starter.
The junction will have the battery cable, Main power to dash wire,
alternator charge lead, and possibly a lead to the fuse block.
I had a problem in this area on another car..
Leon C.
PS. Check battery grounding also.
Thanks for the advice. Mechanic put on a new alternator and so now I have new battery and alternator both. I know he checked the belt and made adjustments which didn't work; he also bumped up my rpm's, however, it was taking over 1500 to make the light go off. He tested the alternator/battery complex twice. Both times, the alternator tested ok, but after driving about 1 day, battery began to drain. I don't know other things he tested, but he's thorough and I trust him. v