So yesterday on the way back from All Types .... I was on the motorway doing about 60 and there was a sudden squeak (like a fan belt slip).   Slowed down and nothing re-occured.   So continued on my way..... then about half way home I thought I could hear a rattle.   It sort of came and went.   Under power it definatley went and if I lifted off it came back.

I had a very clear run.  Kept going.  No sitting in traffic other than the last few mins but when in traffic I could clearly hear it.

As I pulled into the drive it really did rattle.  So jumped out and inspected.... seems to be coming from the top pulley.  Everything was very warm (including me) as I had been driving for over an hour.  So put it in the garage and went for a beer 

This morning I thought about it and went to had a quick look.  The top pulley looks distorted.  So got a socket on it to turn it around and noticed the pulley nut is not tight!!!   Sadly I dont have time to pull it apart and I am away this week... So will be back end of the week before I can do anything.   

Any ideas what could have caused this ?   And any likely problems this may have caused.   Luckily I dont think the engine over heated as I kept a steady movement / airflow and the fan belt was definatly turning (and not slipping constantly).

Exactly the problem I had, never found a root cause, just tightened it up really well.
I had exactly those symptoms on the way to the SDBC northern meet once, kept tightening it at the roadside but didnt cure it until I got it home and could get a full toolset to tighten properly.

Only a guess but I had tightened the belt as it had stretched from new and I think when I retightened the nut after removing the washers I either had the belt not fully seated (I always turn it after tightening then check the bolt again, maybe i forgot) or didnt get a large enough screwdriver to hold the pulley still.  Also a possibility that I didnt have the screwdriver seated in the alternator holes but just in the pulley slot so I thought I was tightening but didnt get it all the way.  Probably get away with it on an original steel pulley but not on an ali one

Tighten it properly and it should be OK

Dave

Cheers Dave........  The mad thing is I have not tightened the belt for ages.   Did Stoneleigh and back with no issues and the AllTypes is over an hours drive for me..... I had checked the tension just before Stoneleigh as I had the exhaust off and remember checking it then.

I wish I had time to investigate but that will bug me now until the weekend .

Had the same problem tony, as I pulled into jons drive it sounded awful. The issues was a crap copy chrome top pulley, took it off and replaced it with a genuine one, been fine ever since. I'm not just saying this as I know your a lover of all things chrome
Mine literally fell apart, the centre had snapped away from the outer!

Worth checking

Cheers Davydoff

I have my old VW one some where and think it will be going on .....

May be a challange getting to Jons event on Saturday as I am out of the country again this week so no time to repair it 

Just thinking about what you said..... may be the squeal was it breaking..... mmmmm  this is going to bug me now as I need to look and pull it apart... grrrr

Had a cheap chrome one break on me too. Centre spindle just cracked away from the outer. The rattle was really bad.

Its not the fan shroud loose is it ? catching the fan

No it was definatley the pulley.

My shiney one hasnt broken (yet) but I did rough up the surface that grips the belt,that stopped it squealing

Quote from: Krug on May 19, 2014, 12:33:09 PM
Cheers Davydoff

I have my old VW one some where and think it will be going on .....

May be a challange getting to Jons event on Saturday as I am out of the country again this week so no time to repair it 

Just thinking about what you said..... may be the squeal was it breaking..... mmmmm  this is going to bug me now as I need to look and pull it apart... grrrr

Oh no, hope you can make it, we're there all day...

only take you 10 mins to change it over 

Sadly nothing takes 10 mins on my buggy....... firstly I have to get the fan belt cover thing off ..... with this exhaust that can be a challange .... been saying I will modify it for a year or two ... this may end up the time I have to do it 

Just hoping I dont find any other issues.   If it is just the pulley I hope that I can still make it .... but could be a bit touch and go!

Quote from: Krug on May 19, 2014, 04:19:27 PM
Sadly nothing takes 10 mins on my buggy....... firstly I have to get the fan belt cover thing off ..... with this exhaust that can be a challange .... been saying I will modify it for a year or two ... this may end up the time I have to do it 

Just hoping I dont find any other issues.   If it is just the pulley I hope that I can still make it .... but could be a bit touch and go!

Yeah, i never put my fan belt cover thing back on, seemed a bit pointless with my exhaust


Hope you can make it mate

Quote from: davydoff on May 19, 2014, 04:21:48 PM

Quote from: Krug on May 19, 2014, 04:19:27 PM
Sadly nothing takes 10 mins on my buggy....... firstly I have to get the fan belt cover thing off ..... with this exhaust that can be a challange .... been saying I will modify it for a year or two ... this may end up the time I have to do it 

Just hoping I dont find any other issues.   If it is just the pulley I hope that I can still make it .... but could be a bit touch and go!

Yeah, i never put my fan belt cover thing back on, seemed a bit pointless with my exhaust


Hope you can make it mate

Which is for that reason, I decided to cut my fan belt cover up this winter....
Not the best photo I know - a bit dark, but got the grinder and bolt croppers on the mesh cover to cut it along just above the top exhaust pipe to allow it to come off without touching the exhaust.

So home today and though may be a quick job...... dont think it will be....   

Firstly the pulley was a bugger to get off..... dont think this helped



Not sure what would cause it to chew up like this.... then started to look closer...

Hard to see in this pic but that is a strip of metal hanging off



You can see its been loose and has worn away the screw in the Dyno



And this is where I need help..... I am guessing that this has worn through the body of the generator .... the lip is really sharp and the round thing on the shaft wont come off..... lots of loose looking bits...   

Any advice..... I do have a alternator on my new motor that I could swap over I guess but wasnt planning to do that yet.

looks knackered to me , quick swap to alternator then