I have a 1996 SR5, I went out to start it the other day and when I put it in reverse and started to turn the wheel, I noticed the steering was very hard, and then the battery light started coming on, intermittently at first and then when I pulled back in so I could make sure nothing was seriously wrong(I thought maybe I was out of power steering fluid). When I popped the hood the alternator belt had popped off and the crankshaft pulley looked crooked. It looks as though their was too much tension from the belts because the front of the pulley is pulled towards the power steering pump as though the belt on the front of the pulley was pulling too much and the back of it was pulled towards the alternator, as if the alternator belt had been too tight and pulling. I don't know what could have caused it to come clean off like that but I couldn't get it back on, but I didn't try too hard. Has this happened too anybody else? And is this a major problem or just as simple as putting the belt back on?
Alternator belt popped off on its own.
- Thread starter jeblin71
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Stick Figure
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No this is not common, and no the belt should be able to slip on and off. If the Crank pulley looks crooked, then there is a chance that the rubber dampening material inside the crank pulley has let go. That is of course the best case, worst case is that the pulley itself has come loose which could damage both the pulley and crankshaft. You need to investigate a little more and see what is actually crooked and why.
Ok so, assuming it is the rubber dampening material inside the crank pulley, how much money am I looking at spending on a new one? I haven't had it running since I noticed the belt was off and even then it didn't run for more than 1 minute tops, so if the pulley did come loose would it just be as simple as tightening it and putting the belt back on?
