hey gurus, i checked the archives and found little help on my alternator problem. The problem is it's making weird noises (grinding, squeaks). What makes this worse is that i just purchased this alt. a month ago! It's been raining here in northern cali. Would rain be one of the culprits? BTW, the voltage hasn't dropped, so i'd say it's running normal despite the gawdawful noise. Oh, and the car is an '86 lg4. any advice is appreciated.

 

Is the belt totally tight?

 

bad alternator bearings?

 

yes, the belt is tight. About the bearings... is that something i can fix myself? I mean, that weird noise happened to the previous alternator and it just got progressively worse and worse, i fear that i'm losing this one too.

 

what belt drive system are you running on that engine? 1 big serpentine? or a few individual v-belts?

Perhaps the squeal is due to the belts always being wet, if so should quiet down when belts dry off. If its a big serpentine, the tensioner could be failing on you.

If alternator itself is determined to be culprit and if rebuilt alternator came with a lifetime warranty, bring it back to the store and get another. don't be too frustrated, it's not uncommon to have a "rebuilt" alternator fail shortly after it is installed.

if alternator does not have a warranty, you can replace the front bearing so long as you have access to an impact wrench to get the front pulley off the alternator. Back bearing is pressed in and requires special tools for replacement, can try adding some wheel bearing grease to it while you're in there.

 

thanks for the help! i bought a new belt and i tightened up the pully. It runs fine now :lala: