Belt breaks too often, installed incorrectly? [Mitsubishi/Dodge Eclipse `94, 1.8 lt.]

I'd been trying to solve several broken alternator/water-pump belts for a while. I'm unsure how it broke at least two times in the past, usually when low on coolants. Someone once said it could be the low Prestone coolant which seize water pump, but the water-pump works normally when taken out to inspect. I am sharing this car with another individual who doesn't put in the correct or correct mix amount of coolant.

I'd been using the narrow aftermarket belt from AutoZone/Pepboys and must've install it too tight. I will review my procedure and use a scale. I will try to get the genuine brand which sells for four times more but I have to travel 100 miles to get it. I'd been looking around for a place I can order on the Internet and found nothing genuine. Does anyone have any suggestions why it broke or where I can get genuine alternator/water-pump belt?

Thanks

Reply to
Tibur Waltson
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1) Check the pulleys for damage such as nicks or cracks which might be tearing the belts up. Also make sure the pulleys aren't worn in the centre of the V so much that the belt bottoms out in the groove. It should contact the V on the sides only. 2) Check that all pulleys are perfectly in line. Use a straight edge such as a ruler across the front of the pulleys. Sometimes alternators are replaced wrongly with washers missing or the wrong pulley fitted. Any misalignment will cause the belt to rub against the edges of the pulleys. 3) Check for correct tension. A belt shouldn't be tight as a drum. It should be possible to deflect the belt about 1/4" in the centre of its run with finger pressure.

I doubt that a "genuine" brand of belt will make any difference. Any reputable belt should be fine. They aren't exactly hard things to make right and they've been around for 100 years so it's not like there are bugs left to iron out of the design. The problem will be in the pulleys or what they drive and not the belts.

Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines

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Reply to
Dave Baker

I agree with Dave Baker.

Is there anything near this belt that could interfere mechanically IF the engine moved suddenly?... For example, if someone nailed the accelerator or hit the brakes and the engine torqued forward, backward, or even sideways.

Reply to
HLS

Unless your traveling to the same area for other business, why not call up the supplier and pay for it with a CC and have them ship it to you. Shipping will be far cheaper than driving 200 miles round trip for a belt.

Try the following link to find the Gates dealer closest to you. Just plug in your zip code.

Tibur Walts> ...but I have to travel 100 miles to get it. I'd been looking around

Reply to
Mike Behnke

what does the broken belt look like?

- all chewed up on one side?

- split across on the inside?

- eaten away by chemicals?

- ???????

I have a book with photos of broken drive belts and explinations of what caused them to break. There must be 8-10 different photos.

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Reply to
William R. Watt

They split like splitting tendons. If you take two elephant and pull the belt, it'll snap revealing on each end what looks like branches of a weeping willow tree. I still don't what could do this.

As a few suggested, it's not the belt's fault, so I will carefully inspect and reinstall a new normal $15 belt and keep a spare belt and a tool set in the trunk.

Personal reminder: If any buddy of mine decides to continue driving 70-MILES after a broken belt, which he (a roommate) did secretly a month ago and blew the head gasket and wreck the motor, I'll have him GET out and change the belt this time around. >:- )

Tibur

Reply to
Tibur Waltson

Could be a funky harmonic balancer , when the rubber degrades ,it'll let the belt wobble and tear it up . Given the age ,I'd look at that or a bad idler pulley.

My 2c flacoman

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Reply to
flacoman90999

There are no harmonic balancer or idler pulley. Just plain-old water pump/alternator. To my surprise, my roommate had just bought the belt at the dealer, some $35. Timing belt - $80. Thermostat - $30 Coolant x 2 = $30. Way cheaper then a new head.

I have two pulleys. I put in what I think is the better of the two.

I will take your advice and measure amount of wobble and tighten it to get rid of the wobble. Now let's see if those good parts will solve the problem up to 5 years, if it can go that far. Tibur

Reply to
Tibur Waltson

I paid $35 for a timing belt and $8.25 for thermostat - but not at a dealership. :)

If you watch the pulley while the engine is idling you might see it wobble.

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Reply to
William R. Watt

I think I've found the reason my belt breaks too often. I'd been using cheap aftermarket belts. I compared a genuine belt and the aftermarket belt during my installation today. It was a huge difference. The aftermarket is tiny, flimsy, rubbery compared to the larger, rugged leather-like genuine belt.

I watch it with a spot light and it doesn't wobble. I inspect pulleys for alignment, cracks, warps, arbor runnout, spin and they're fine. I set the tension to 1/4" deflection with a thumb press and it squeal so I set it to about 1/6" deflection and it's fine now.

Thinking outloud: I bought head gaskets by Felpro ($25) and they don't even last a month. The genuine head gasket ($50) looks promising.

The aftermarket timing belt is ($25) Don't know why Mitsubishi dealer charge $80. A Honda genuine one sells for $39.

Tibur

Reply to
Tibur Waltson

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