Ok last year I bought a 200 amp high output alt for my neon, it came with a smaller pulley to get the amperage up at lower rpms. I got the right size belt (believe its 4" shorter), and drove with it for nearly a year. Last month I sent the alternator out to get a external voltage regulator setup on it, Got it back.. Installed everything and all was good for about 2-3 weeks. One morning last week on my way to work i knew the alt stopped charging as my headlights dimmed. Checked the car @ lunch and found a snapped belt, went to autozone and got a new belt. Put it on everything seemed fine, no sqeeling sounds or anything drove for about a mile and shredded the belt. Got another one, spent time making sure everything is lined up (as far as grooves go, making sure I didnt need a shim for some odd reason) and that belt shredded aswell after about 50 miles. I know my pulley is fine (I spun it with a socket on my drill and there is no variation in the grooves). Everything appears to be lined up properly and the belt was tight enough (any tighter and the car stalls out upon starting unless I hit the gas right away). Im really running out of ideas other than maybe not enough belt wrap on the alt pulley, But how could it have been fine for nearly a year without any issues and now constant problems?

 

Based on your alias, I think it explains why you did what you did. You are driving a 100 gabillion watt ear-destroying sound system eh? I bet they can hear you coming for 1/2 mile away and feel you coming for 2 miles.....

Well here are my guesses about several things to look at:

1) your new alternator may be seizing up and eating the belts. Better check it out before you waste more money on belts. The pulley spinning freely does not always eliminate the fact that under a load, the alternator begins to seize and the hotter it gets or the bigger the load, the more it will seize up. I really think this is your problem and why it took awhile to occur the first time, but happens quickly now.

2) OEM alternators (usually 65amp) don't need any shims or otherwise to properly align with the crank pulley, but if your alternator tests out fine, then you either have one of several problems: 1) you tightened the belt way too tight, 2) your alternator is misaligned with the crank pulley, 3) at some point, someone did not put the crank pulley back on correctly and it is not seated properly causing the misalignment. 4) you are buying really cheap belts and they cannot handle the strain of trying to drive such a huge alternator - I doubt it, but added it anyway.

3) The cars PCM has the voltage regulator built into it and it is quite possible that you have an issue between the one inside it and the external one you added. It is further possible that it took awhile, but the PCM voltage regulator may be burnt up (or the external one) and there is now an increasing level of feedback to the alternator which again may be causing it to overheat and seize. You may want to get out the ol' multimeter and make sure that you have the two items in sync. and both are functioning as they should.


Good luck and I hope your heaing holds up ... Tinnitus when you are an old fart like me is a real bitch.......