Geo Prizm belt slipped track a bit

BRANTCOYLE

MEMBER
1995 GEO PRIZM
FWD
AUTOMATIC

My 95 geo prizm 1.6 alternator belt shredded. I put another one on and it slipped the track a little and got very loose. I am not sure what all the bolts on the alternator do. The top one is simple. What does the one on the front do. How about the bottom one on the side. I am guessing I loosen the bottom one on the side and use the front one to adjust it. Also the middle pulley; the lowest one looks wobbly. Do you think this could be the problem?

5 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,871 POSTS

The pulleys can't wobble at all. Doing so will cause the belt to walk off and get torn up. If that is the crankshaft pulley you see wobbling, the pulley might be loose if it is bolted to the vibration damper, or the large bolt in the middle of the vibration damper could be loose.

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Saturday, June 25th, 2011 AT 7:12 PM

BRANTCOYLE

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29 POSTS

Hm, you need to answer what the bolts on the alternator do as I don't know which one is the adjustment bolt. I assume its the one on the front.

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Sunday, June 26th, 2011 AT 4:59 PM

BRANTCOYLE

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29 POSTS

Ok, I just found out the problem. The crankshaft pulley is about an inch too far to the left. I just called a guy to come fix it since I don't feel too much like crawling under the thing.

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Sunday, June 26th, 2011 AT 5:51 PM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,871 POSTS

Dandy. Ask him how the belt is adjusted for tension. I tried to find a reference to a spring-loaded tensioner pulley but I'm not having any luck. That is more common than having to tug on the generator, especially if you have a serpentine belt.

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Sunday, June 26th, 2011 AT 8:40 PM

BRANTCOYLE

MEMBER
29 POSTS

Oh he is buying a used pulley. Says that the gasket material is all disintegrated. Sounds like it will be 150 bucks to have it fixed. Have to see if it works after this though.