Hi guys, my alternator belt wears out prematurely. I have been using oem belts but they only last 2 months.The alternator and surrounding area gets covered with belt dust. The alternator has been checked out numerous times and is fine.I do have a slow drain somewhere but it can not be located.Any solutions? Thanx.

 

Which side of the alternator bracket is the shim on (should be toward the firewall)? It may be on the wrong side, and have your pulley out of alignment.

 

OEM means different things to different people, some say that the parts store like Lordco and Canadian Tire sell 'OEM' just as good as the original manufacturer's parts, and for some things that may be true, however for critical parts only the 'real thing' will do!

I bought my '91 N/A and the previous owner had the alternator belt replaced at Canadian Tire and because he never took the engine past 1/2 throttle it worked fine, but when I got started to drive the car the belt only lasted a couple of months it shreaded and flipped inside out, tearing the underhood insulation in the process!

It was the right size and all, but had teeth on the bottom, when I mentioned it to the Mazda parts guy he said never run that style of belt on the rotary as it can't take the RPM. He sold me a Mazda belt and it has been fine ever since (8 months).

 

It might be the alternator pulley is not in alignment - this would cause the belts to be eaten really quickly.&nbsp Also, you might want to check to see if the alternator pulley, water pump pulley, and main pulley (all connected with the same belt) are in good shape, especially at the mating surfaces where the belt contacts the pulley.

Pull the belt off and check the alternator pulley by spinning it by hand.&nbsp It is a little heavy, but it should spin smoothly.&nbsp If you feel abnormal resistance or scraping, the alternator needs to be replaced.




-Ted