Alternator Belt Shredding

[tystaco]

So the other night driving my Tacoma I heard a faint slapping noise that went away...didn't drive the truck for 5 more days until today when I went to wash it to get ready to sell it, started it up, and heard it again.

Popped the hood, couldn't see anything while running. Shut it down, looked in and spotted the shredding alternator belt right away. I put these belts on in July, just from Autozone not OEM, but was still blown away to see it happening. Swung into AutoZone and they warrantied the belt, luckily for me they did not have it in stock, should be in tomorrow.

Now, yes, I said luckily for me it was not in stock because had it been I would have went to replacing it and found the cause too far in to be happy. It appears as they my main pulley has been bent...wasn't bent when I installed the new belts...only work that has been done on the truck was the timing belt done by the local Toyota dealer in November...have only put 2000 miles on the truck since then. It looks like the pulley was stuck and someone pried on it...that created a spot where the belt rubs and blamm-o, shredding.

What would you guys do? Do I have a leg to stand on going back at them? It has been 3 months since they did the work, but only 2k on miles and no big trips, just 10 miles here and there. Even if they claim they didn't do it, surely they should have said something to me when they reinstalled it? I am so fed up with these guys it is unreal, I only took it to them knowing I was going to sell it and that having the Toyota paperwork would go a long way in the sale.

 

[tystaco]

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[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

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More amateur hour. I honestly don't understand how it was stuck let alone stuck enough to bend the pulley like that. Mine were instantly loose on the TB jobs I've done. I think something else happened but it doesn't really matter as the end result is still the same. Here's a link to the new part. Not too bad in price.

https://parts.camelbacktoyota.com/p...mber=1637265010&vehicleid=84044&siteid=214329

 

[tystaco]

Just peeved...it really is just a time thing...I don't want to spend it correcting something I paid $600 bucks or whatever to have done. Wanted to have the truck posted for sale today, now I have to fix this before listing it, annoyed.

 

[tystaco]

Am I crazy? Is there any other way this could have happened that I wouldn't know about? If something inside the engine bay was able to hit that pulley hard enough to do that, wouldn't I see other damage/be missing some other part?

I am really trying to run down every scenario, but I can't come up with any logical possibility other than when they did the timing belt.

 

[mtbtim]

Maybe there's a chance they left a socket or something like that on top of the engine and while driving it fell down between the pulley and engine and bent the pulley as it rotated. But, if this happened, I would think you would have heard it. It would have been a very loud metal clank that you would probably hear even if you were playing the stereo loud.

I don't think there's any chance something came up from the roadway and caused this. I'd take it back to the dealership and have them fix it for you. I think your 1st intuition is correct. For some reason the pulley was stuck and the mechanic forced it off with something. The fact he put it back together like that is pretty screwed up.

Just another example of how certified mechanics, and a Toyota Dealership Mechanic at that, screw things up. Reaffirms for me that I'm glad I'm trying to do all my own repairs.

 

[4Reak Show]

Damn. I'd totally argue it's their fault. 2K miles? Yeah go back.

 

[tystaco]

They are apparently fixing it today...I still don't hold my breath that they won't try and charge me something.