Whats the best and easiest way you guys have found to tighen the alternator - stopping the belt from squealing? Its said, people keep calling it a piece of **** , and its LOUD, i gotta get it to stop!

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1986 GT: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Aftermarket Power Steering, Rebuilt 2.8, Zr-1 Cowl Induction Hood, 1/4 Window scoops, removed spoiler, currently wearing primer awaiting silver paint...

There isn't an *easy* way, other than buying a belt tensioner. It's a threaded rod that pushes between the crank and alt pulleys and holds them in place while you tighten the bolts. Don't know where you can get them.

As for belt, I'd recommend a Gatorback belt. They work quite well and grip better than the regular belts. For stock pulleys, you use a 41" belt, I believe, and can go as short as a 40", but that's pushing it. That might help getting it a bit tighter if your current belt is nearing the end of the alt. adjustment slot.

The easiest way is to go to your local Pontiac dealer and tell them you want a new alternator belt installed. You will pay for it $35-60 (?) but it will be done correctly and if it starts squealing again take it back to have them fix it.

If it is squealing, probably the belt is worn and needs replacing. If it continually gets loose, then there are some bolts that aren't being tightened.

All depends on how much aggrivation you want and how much that aggrivation is worth in $$. You do it, or pay someone else to fix it.

Well, I don't know of an easy way really....

But when I needed to do it, I loosened the alternator slider nut. Got a 3-foot prybar, stuck up against the alternator somehow (Spent about 25 minutes trying to find a place where I could pry it, then I pulled on it as hard as I could. I mananged to move it enough and then I retightened the bolt.

This process I must say, is alot easier on an 88 v-6. Much easier to get a prybar in the proper place.

Good luck

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I finally went and bought a new belt - I bought (I believe) a 40" one, though, even though it seems that most sources call for a 41". (Don't quote me on that.)

The 41" belt had stretched to 42", and was all the way at the end of the adjustment arc. The 40" belt brings the alternator all the way back to the beginning of the adjustment arc, and I had to work to get it on the pulleys, but it was tight and most importantly, SILENT. It *still* hasn't made a single peep, and it's been over a month or more.

And as the belt stretches with use, I have the entire adjustment arc to use instead of just the very end.

Oh, the belt I bought was a Gates brand belt - I couldn't find the Gatorback and I got tired of looking. But Gates is supposedly one of the best names out there (so I have been told). And it was $11, if I recall correctly, so it's not that big a savings to get something cheaper, especially when dealing with a chronic problem part on the Fiero as the belt.

Good luck...

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Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com
1988 Red Fiero Formula
- 1st Place - Stock Coupe - FOCOSEVA 2000
- 3rd Place - Stock Formula - FOCOA Nat'l 2001
- Class Winner - 1982 to Present - Tarheel Tigers All-Pontiac Show 2001

My dealer is stupid, they couldn't even find a GM part number for an OE belt...

Anyone have an online source for the Gatorback belt? 88 car, Serpentine style (with ac.)

Best!
Ben.

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Ben Cannon
88 Formula, T-top, Metalic Red. "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives"
88 Formula, Northstar, Silver, In-Progreess. -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"

I did mine from underneath. Loosen the tensioner nut, use a prybar ( i used my tire iron), find a good place to get good leveage ( it took me a couple of minutes to find), then tighten. It took me about 10 minutes total. No more squeal!!!

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88GT Custom rear spoiler and Stereo

I used to do it from underneath. Last time from above and it even worked better! Use a nice strong bar and don't be afraid to pull! From above it can be difficult to find the adjustment bolt if you've never done an adjustment before. Be sure to keep tension on the bar while tightening the bolt!

Fiero V-belts often have this problem, most times because of the water coming from the vents causing the belt to slip and squeel. Heat can also cause the band to stretch and squeel (Just ask me how it is to start my Fiero on a campingsite in Southern France in midsummer at 40 degrees celsius!

Overtightening gives you the oppertunity to buy a new waterpump!

I used the supplied jack and prybar....as long as you don't over do it, it doesn't damage the trunk....do a search in here for alt belt and look for my name ifyou're interested.

Good Luck!
Ryan

Tightening the V6 alternator belt can be a royal pain. I have developed a method, however unorthodox, that gets the job done right the first time.

I use a three-foot fibreglass rod about .75" in diameter along with a rubber mallet. (Readers eyes grow very large!)

The procedure is something like:

1. Loosen upper alternator mounting bolt.
2. Jack car up; use jack stands.
3. Loosen lower alternator bolt.
4. Install new belt.
5. Tighten belt by hand and slightly tighten lower alternator mounting bolt so the belt doesn't move. That is, get it tight enough for step 6.
6. From in front of the rear passenger tire, place the fibreglass rod on the lower ear of the alternator. Hit the end of the fibreglass rod with the rubber mallet; don't hit too hard. If the lower bolt is too loose tighten a bit more. The idea is the alternator is tight enough to slip some so you can tension the belt, but loose enough to move.

Once the belt is tensioned torque both bolts - upper mounting and lower; be careful not to loose the tension. If you have a helper they can tighten the lower bolt as soon as you get the belt tight.

NOTE:
Using a fibreglass rod and rubber mallet significantly decreases the likely-hood of damaging the alternator.

Get 2 people yes 2

Have one with a car jack lift on the engine and the other tighten, that's how my dad always does it, hasn't harmed a thing on my engine.

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-KC

1988 Formula, 3.4
LoW Key's Red Bullet

quote Originally posted by artherd: My dealer is stupid, they couldn't even find a GM part number for an OE belt... Anyone have an online source for the Gatorback belt? 88 car, Serpentine style (with ac.) Best! Ben.

Online source? Nope. But I can get them locally. Couldn't cost much to ship. Want one? I'll go get pricing tomorrow. Should be about $20 for the belt, I believe.

Once I find the Gatorback P/N, you might be able to find one online. I've got one on my Formula and love it. I had one on my 99 Grand Am, till the water pump leaked and soaked the belt. Couldn't find one, so it's got a generic now.

How damn tight does this thing need to be?!? I replaced it with a 40 inch belt, instead of the 41 inch belt, and i tightened it. it didnt squeal for a while, then it started squealign when i took hard turns, then i left the car for like an hour and a half, and i started it and it squealed for at least 5 minuites! does belt dressing help at all? im gonna go have like 4 people pull on it tomorrow, and if that dosent stop it, im driving it into the river

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1986 GT: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Aftermarket Power Steering, Rebuilt 2.8, Zr-1 Cowl Induction Hood, 1/4 Window scoops, removed spoiler, currently wearing primer awaiting silver paint...

When installing a new belt it should be fairly tight. After the belt has been run and stretched there should be about a half-inch up/down play.

The only time I have belt-squeal is when the battery is low. When I started my 88GT last night, it squealed for about 3-5 seconds. Battery is low where I've had the doors open working on stuff and such. Plus the battery is at its rated life expectancy.

What kind of shape is your battery in? What kind of shape if your alternator in?

new alternator, new battery. Im thinking i just havent gotten it quite tight enough yet. And now that i think about it, i think i forgot to tighten the top bolt....

WAIT!! I Found an easy way on an 84' !!!!

for the 84, i used the blade end of the tire ironagainst the alt. The iron was put in by the slight opening behind and to the left of the strut tower (shock mount, whatever)the spot im talkinf about is about big enought to put a baseball into. If you look down that hole, you will see the alt, and the belt. from that hole, there is a spot on the top of the alt. that looks like a camels humps ( /\/\ ) put the iron between the 2 humps, and add pressure while you tightn the adjusting bolt. If your like me, and are a trunk monkey, (working in the trunk) you can just lean on the iron as you tighten the belt.

I hope I explained this well enough, because it was so easy to do, I took off and put on a belt in less than 5 min.

Myke

Would not tightening the top bolt cause the bottom one to come loose?

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1986 GT: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Aftermarket Power Steering, Rebuilt 2.8, Zr-1 Cowl Induction Hood, 1/4 Window scoops, removed spoiler, currently wearing primer awaiting silver paint...

It can, cause the alternator could shift a little. If you're getting the belt very tight, and you still have squealing, make sure you don't have any oil or coolant leaking onto the belt. My water pump has started leaking, and it drips onto the belt while the car is sitting, so when I start it back up, it squeals for a few seconds.

Going out to put the new pump on right now. Good luck!

Well i think i got 'er that time, i torqued that baby damn near as much as i possibly could by hand.

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1986 GT: UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Aftermarket Power Steering, Rebuilt 2.8, Zr-1 Cowl Induction Hood, 1/4 Window scoops, removed spoiler, currently wearing primer awaiting silver paint...