Belt Busted!

Well Guys, I should have researched the belt discussions a little better, and gone with my first opinion. When I was getting this '93 project going, I installed Gatorbacks all the way around. After I got it fired up, and had some time to do some tweaking and running, I noticed that the indicators on the idler/tensioners were showing a little more belt stretch than I had anticipated. After I got some miles on the rebuild, I took it on it's "Maiden Voyage" to Laramie, about 80 Miles over the hill. On the way back the main accessory belt broke with no previous indications of a problem other than a little more stretch than I'd like. No fraying, missing pieces or anything. A clean seperation pretty much perpindicular to the length of the belt. On it's way out, it took the top reservoir off the radiator it took me 2 tries and 2 months to get off the forum! Needless to say, I'm somewhat upset with Gatorbacks right now.
I'm going to replace all belts with Motorcrafts now, if I can get the local parts-counter dude to understand what I need...
Look for my radiator search on the "parts needed" forum.

Warm in Wyoming

I ran gatorbacks for a few years with not problems. If anything they were tighter than I thought they should be. You sure you dont have a pulley issue? With the cogs on the gatorbacks they would probably be pickey about a mis-aligned pulley.

Well, with just getting it all back together, I paid pretty good attention to mounts and alignments. All the pulleys showed good belt alignment, and the indicators on the tensioners were right on. The belts showed no sign of problems, up until the big one destroyed the radiator and insulation under the hood on the way out. The 2 on the SC drive are still okay. I'll have to try another manufacturer for the main belt, after I find another radiator.

Belts

I just installed all new Motorcraft belts on my '93 SC. Previously, I had Gates belts which held up EXCELLENT long after they were way past their prime. The main serp. belt was frayed because my pop put the water pump pulley spacer in the wrong spot when he put the front of the motor back together after doing the crank sensor. I abused them when they were all dry rotted, cracked, and frayed but they never gave way. So far so good with the Motorcraft stuff. It was about $55 for all three Motorcraft belts. And I had to disconnect the lower radiator hose to install the main serpentine belt!!!

I noticed that the main serp belt has worn in faster than the SC or jackshaft pulley - as the reading on the tensioners were all past "tight" when I installed the belts, and is now in the "normal" zone slightly to the left of the "tight" reading for the main serp belt. The SC and Jackshaft readings are still "tight".


Note, A/C Delco belts are Gates belts with the Delco name on them.

Ted

That's strange, because the main sepentine belt usually lasts the longest of all 3. I'd double check your tensioner pulley alignment and make sure the pulley bearings aren't worn. Also check to see if the balancer pulleys are tracking smooth, because maybe you have the beginnings of a bad balancer?