Hi all,

I have a '97 1500 that I recently did a LOT of updating to after it sat for about 6 years. One thing I did was put a new drive/serpentine belt on. No problem, everything going well for a couple of months. Then I heard a ticking sound and isolated to the tensioner pulley, so I put on a new one, problem solved.

A few days ago while driving home, a disturbing sound began. I thought I ran over a large stick in the road, but, when I pulled over and stopped to check, the noise did not stop == so it was engine related. I could the the drive belt had frayed and was flapping around. Turned off engine and could see that about a 1/3 of the thickness of the belt had let go. Only a mile from home, I stripped away the destroyed bands of the belt and safely got home. Ordered a new one, put it on, but am noticing that it seems out of line on where it goes around the water pump section (non-ribbed); see pics. I loosed the belt and moved it to the middle of the water pump section, and started it back up and it immediately repositioned "in" toward the engine by about a 1/2". On the drivers' side, it looks way to close to the engine - and I'm thinking this is how the other brand new (okay, 2 month old) belt likely failed: That as the engine ran and the belt spun, it rubbed against the engine, or the forward edge of the water pump, and wore it down to where it finally let go.

Anyone ever deal with similar? Don't know how I can adjust the travel of the belt... It's riding correctly in all the other pulleys...

Thanks for any help.

Jay

 

I'd check the shaft of the water pump to make sure it isn't coming apart.

 

Thank you!!! I was just about to go recheck that I properly tightened the new tensioner pulley, but, then to also check that fan/water pump to make sure the bearing wasn't loosening up. Will report back, thanks again.

 

Went back and checked and new tensioner pulley is tight, no slop/movement, and same with water pump. Hmmmmm. It's just so close to the housing of the water pump and, feels like about 1/8" to 1/16" away from inner edge of that water pump pulley, but, has almost a 1/2" of space at the front of the pulley...

 

The water pump pulley is obviously out of alignment..... You may not be able to feel anything wrong, but, if the shaft is coming out of the rest of it, it's only a matter of time before it lets go completely. I would be real tempted to measure how far the pulley is away from the pump body, and measure the same spot on a new pump, I bet the numbers don't match.

 

Wow, I never knew a water pump to fail like that, where the shaft pulls out/away from the housing of the pump... I'll check measurement(s) and report back. Thanks.

 

Quick note, as I looked at a video online about these water pumps and in the video, it shows the belt wear mark exactly where mine is... I still plan to measure and compare, but, thought this was interesting (see pic).

 

Hi Ol' Grouch. Do you mean, like "Hey You" suggests below, that the shaft of the water pump that bolts to the fan may be "walking" out/away from the water pump itself? I've never run into that, but, ...always learning. Thanks.

 

Is it just me, or does it look like the belt is off by one groove on the A/C compressor?

A worn water pump bushing (radial wear) would allow the shaft and pulley to cant at angle... the now sloping drive face of the pulley would cause the belt to ride off to one side... this would then put opposing side load on the shaft, giving lateral wear... all increasing the amount that the belt is off track.

 

Something doesn't look right in this pic...


Also noticed you have a new alternator. I would have a close look at that and see why the belt is at the back/top of the water pump pulley and towards the front at the bottom. Inspect the water pump with the belt off, Pull in out up down. If you have any movement it's time to replace it.