This turned out to be an interesting morning.....

[69MyWay]

So, the weather report today is calling for picture perfect Florida spring time weather. In fact, the morning news crew said this is convertible top weather today.


So, I get out bright and early (I get up a 5:00 a.m., and start to work by 6:15 or so as I have an hour each way in traffic). I unbolted the targa top from the 90, loaded a fresh round of discs in the 10 disc changer, and headed out for work.

The sun was just coming up, the morning was fresh, the temperature perfect. As I head out of my neighborhood and hit a snarl of traffic, I hear


clank, clank...tink, clank, clunk clunk clank, tink gkug, ping, klink.


I think to myself, "man, somebody around me in traffic here must have one heck of a piece of junk that is about to fall apart". Seeing how yesterday I was behind an old Oldsmobile wagon that actually tossed a rod and all of its out right in front of me.

I am looking around for the bucket of bolts making all the noise, when to my surprise and dismay, I realize it is coming from me! Nowhere to pull over, so I limp through another section and U-turn pulling off and raising the hood. Can't detect the source, but it sounds like my engine is coming out of the car.

I shoot back on the main road, kill the engine, and coast most of the way down hill back to the house.

Back at the driveway, hood up, I realize there is something wrong with the accessories. Somehow the alternator pulley has come loose and is slinging around like a wild child.

Well, it is not even 8:00 yet, and no stores open. I yank the unit, and head for the shop. Low and behold I had a spare pulley off some other long forgotten project. Fire the air compressor, the impact, a little this and that, bang! Got the replacement pulley installed. The original one had worn a huge opening in the center and was fragmenting around the shaft. The new pulley is a tad larger around, but fit like a glove.

Back on the car, hands washed, and on the road.


Now I know why I don't throw anything away. That pulley saved my butt this morning. You better believe I am keeping the original one too. You never know what I might use that on in the future to save the day!

 

[Tom Bryant]

At last you were still close to home. And my wife wonders why I don't get rid of some of that junk I've kept for years.

Tom

 

[Eric]

...Low and behold I had a spare pulley off some other long forgotten project.... Back on the car, hands washed, and on the road.
Now I know why I don't throw anything away. That pulley saved my butt this morning. You better believe I am keeping the original one too. You never know what I might use that on in the future to save the day!

I don't know about anyone else but I'm not a bit suprised. Sounds like a possible disaster averted, way to go Chris!

 

[Stingray74CC]

nice

I can't wait until I'm able to have a stockhold of tools and parts to be able to do these kinds of things.

 

[89ZZ4]

Nice morning Chris. When my alternator died a week ago I was in the driveway. I did remove the pulley before I took it to Pep Boys to trade for the core charge so I have my spare waiting to go if this happens to me.

Phil (aka 89ZZ4)

 

[Bullitt]

Great save Chris! That piece of crap Caddy that I had did the same thing to me. Why the pulley pulled off is a complete mystery, but the shaft was twisted bad. It looked like a grenade went off under the hood. Unfortunately, I was around 10 miles from home and the power was gone. What made me even more angry was that this alternator was a replacement from Pep Boys. However, no one told me that they changed their hours and closed earlier. So I was out another $90 at a nearby O'Reilly that has the sense to stay open till 9 o'clock. Now when it comes to parts like an alternator, I'm only buying from Autozone that has two 24 hour places in Houston.

That still doesn't explain though, why I have a different Caddy grille in my garage. I mean, when the hell is that going to come in handy? :L

--Bullitt

 

[rrubel]

clank, clank...tink, clank, clunk clunk clank, tink gkug, ping, klink.

Couldn't have said it better myself .

I didn't take the pulley off my old alternator before putting it on eBay. Couldn't budge it (no impact wrench).

I do hear you on the box of junk... bought one box of misc 86 Vette parts off eBay recently (don't know what half of them are; will post pix for ID soon) and "liberated" a ton of stuff when my wife had to get two doors replaced on her car. Window glass, switches, motors, locks, the works... since we have two cars that use the same parts, it makes even more sense.
[RICHR]

 

[69MyWay]

Here is a close up of the back side of the original pulley. You can't tell from this picture, but the center hole in the pulley has worn out nearly 1/8" larger all the way around, the back outer edge is beat up where it was rotating and beating against the fan.

 

[69MyWay]

Here is the front side. You can see where the lock washer cut a groove in the center hole area.

BTW, I guess you could consider the replacment one a "high performance pulley" as it was a tad larger in diameter. That would under drive the accessory. So, maybe I picked up 1.8 hsp at 6,000 rpm!!!

 

[Trance_LT4]

I had a similar problem once, only for me it was the balancer that came loose.....and I wasn't close to home. I had just done my burnout at the drag strip, and I was trying to stage, when the car started shaking and running aweful. I managed to get the thing pulled off and into the pit area, pop the hood....found most of the nuts either missing or on the tip of the bolt, and a cracked balancer.

 

[rrubel]

BTW, I guess you could consider the replacment one a "high performance pulley" as it was a tad larger in diameter. That would under drive the accessory. So, maybe I picked up 1.8 hsp at 6,000 rpm!!!

I think you might have that backwards. If it's larger, it'll run the alternator harder, won't it? In order for a point on the outside of a larger circle to rotate the same speed as a smaller circle, it has to rotate faster on its axis because it has a longer distance to cover. An underdrive pulley on the crank is smaller, so the belt turns slower. Some kits give a larger alternator pulley to balance out the speed change so that you don't underdrive the alternator too much.

Then again, it's been about 18 years since physics, and I could be totally mixed up...
[RICHR]

 

[Drewser]

Pack rat?

It drives the wife crazy but I NEVER throw anything away that might at some time in the most remote future possibly be useful. Usually the only time I need it is after the wifey has tossed it in the trash. Good save Chris.
--Drew

 

[Chris N]

Way to go Chris!
It makes me feel great when I solve a problem with some quick thinking and whatever is around.
An under driven pulley is a bonus, may dim lights at idle though.
Keep thinking; Chris N :cool

 

[Tom Bryant]

Thought I'd chime in. The larger the pulley the slower the shaft speed. For example if you have a 6" diameter crankshaft pulley driving a 3" diameter alternator pulley the 3" pulley will have to go around twice for each revolution of the crank or a 2:1 ratio. If you put on a bigger 6" alt pulley then the alternator and crank will run at the same speed or a 1:1 ratio. So putting on a bigger diameter driven pulley slows the accessories shaft speed or underdrives it. The smaller the driven pulley (alt) in relation to the drive pulley (crank) the greater the overdrive ratio.

Tom

 

[69MyWay]

Well you know, this under driven pulley is worth at least the 1.8 hsp I am claiming, if not a full 2!

I have not noticed any voltage problems. I keep the scanner with me anymore, and it is easy to plug in and compare readings. I HATE the phantom numbers on the 90-96 gauges. In other words, you have to really guess what the gauges are trying to tell you. As long as the needle is not extreme left or extreme right, all is usually well.

I am getting down to 12.1 volts with the cooling fans, a/c, lights, amp, stereo, etc. The needle on the dash gauge is a sliver out of the red zone at that point making it look like I need to pull over.

 

[Chris N]

12.1v at highest load is fine in my book. (12.3 better)
You will not often drive under those conditions.
Having a fresh good quality battery helps out with high load situations.

Chris, are insurance associates allowed to drive over 100 mph?
I'm sure that you are not a bad risk thougt. :L

Hope to see ya around someday, Chris N