Car keeps eating ac/waterpump belts. Please help.

[anarchyx34]

I've been having this problem for months, but I havent posted about it since I thought I'd be able to figure it out. Well that wasnt the case,

The problem is as follows.

The car keeps eating the water pump/ac belt. I'll put a brand new belt on, and a week or sometimes just days later, it's loose and flopping all over the place. So I tighten it, and it's good for another couple of days before it happens again. At this point I've run out of adjustment and the belt has to be replaced. Big thing I've noticed as that the belts last a lot longer if the a/c is not used. I've had one belt last 2 weeks no problem because I didnt use the a/c at all. Then I used the a/c for 2 days and the belt was shot. I've tried may different brand belts, some last longer than others, some (gates brand for instance) only last 3 or 4 days without a/c use.

The pulleys are not wobbling and everything is perfectly in line. I dont get it. I have an actual stack of used belts in my trunk. This is getting rediculous and any fuel savings I get from this car is negated by having to replace belts constantly.

I'm not sure what to do about this anymore. SHould I just go and replace all the pulleys including the a/c compressor and hope for the best? I'd rather not do that as it would cost many hundreds of $$$, and might not even fix it. What do you do in a situation like this??

[burn_your_money]

I'd throw that heavy, HP robbing A/C setup in the trash. But I doubt that's what you want to do

[anarchyx34]

We had 3 weeks here in NY this summer where it was 100F and 85% humidity every single day and 90F at night. And even still in late september we're getting 85 degree days. The A/C isnt going anywhere

[jtanguay]

you could get the serpentine belt conversion kit.  IMO if you have the money for it, it would more than benefit you.

its about midway down on this page:
http://www.zsimports.com/Mechanical/index.htm

and will run you $425.00

[bryanbryan89x]

Im with burn your money on throwing that thing in the trash.  I have one of those after market a/c kits on my 1981 vw.  It has definitly been much more of a hassel than what its worth IMO.  I actually just bought a rotted out rabbit for the brackets so I can put it back to stock.

[anarchyx34]

you could get the serpentine belt conversion kit.  IMO if you have the money for it, it would more than benefit you.

its about midway down on this page:
http://www.zsimports.com/Mechanical/index.htm

and will run you $425.00

Hrmmm. That actually isnt a terrible idea. Of course I'd still need to get a new compressor and p/s pump but if that's all that will fix it then what could I do? I still cant believe that it cant be fixed though. No way these motors would do this when brand new.

Oh and more on getting rid of the a/c. I'd like to see you stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for over 45 minutes on the cross-bronx expressway on a sunny july afternoon, with no a/c, sitting in a pool of your own nut-sweat. And just when you thought it couldn't get worse, it starts to pour, like hell, forcing you to close all your windows and sufficate inside a foggy sauna, unable to see where the hell you're going. A/C is a wonderful thing. I had a hard enough time giving up heated power seats with driver memory and dual-zone electronic climate control when i sold my Volvo 850 turbo for this POS

[LeeG]

Does your car have the slip pulley on the waterpump that allows the AC/Alternator and Waterpump/PowerSteering belts to travel at different speeds?  Evidently standard on all AC cars.  Also came on my non-ac but with PS car for some reason.  

Clues that you need one:  Different size pulleys on crank and on waterpump.

If you do have one, does it still spin?  They fail by getting loose and rattly, then welding themselves back together.  Once they are fused solid, the belts are forced to skid on one pulley.  

Dealer only part up here and it cost me just under $400  :cry:  I actually drove for a year or so with it rattling away once I found out how much it was going to be, but eventually it locked up and there was no way I could keep the belts from wearing.

[bryanbryan89x]

Hah pick your posion man.  you could enjoy the luxury of a heat pump on a 100 degree day in a traffic jam. But when the dead of winter comes around and your out there in -20 degree (with the windchill)  adjusting that belt in a foot of snow, and then your wrench slips and since its so cold blood comes pouring out and you finally get it, and go to start your car, but wait the battery is now dead,  because the belt wasnt tight enough to charge it.

[anarchyx34]

Well here's the a/c compressor setup as EKTA shows it.


I also checked the part #'s for the crank pulley and water pump pulley. There's only one part # and the water pump pulley is only different with p/s or without. So I know I have the correct pulleys. Everything in the picture looks basically the same as what I have except I used some non-factory bolts in some locations, basically some bolts I got from Home Depot. Not sure if that makes much of a difference.

[jtanguay]

what I'm going to do is get a nice big marine battery, and a nice 3000 watt inverter.  Power a microwave + powertools.  I will use the inverter to run a zerostart coolant heater (5-10 minutes of heating should bring the motor temps up to around 20C from -20).   Easy starts!  and heat!  and if my main battery dies, I can boost the main with the marine battery!!!

(my brother can get marine batteries, nearly any size... for around $20.. reconditioned though)

[jtanguay]

hmmm as long as the bolts are identical you shouldn't have a problem.  Even if its off half a millimeter, it will eventually wear your belt improperly.

I'm sort of thinking that your belt is slipping...  I've had that problem, and had to use belt dressing (a/c belt kept slipping and making chirping noises on the pulley)

works fine now!  (i've heard that soap can help too... just wash the pulley off)

I am personally in favour of using a thermoelectric a/c system.  Replace the compressor with a dedicated alternator for it too.  Only moving parts would be the motor to circulate cooling liquid for the peltier units.

I'm still looking for a nice big waterblock to cool the hot side of my 350 watt peltier units though...  Argh I'm gonna have to make my own.  Need lathe!

[Bludodger]

anarchyx34--

On that EKTA diagram, is that for a 1991 NA w/ AC and PS? if so, what is the part number for the two allen (8mm) bolts which keep the AC Comp. in place when tightened and allow the unit to pivot when loosened? Hard to tell exactly from this drawing.

Anyone?

[91 ECO]

Looks like item #43 on your diagram is a tensioner pulley.  My car kept eating alternator belts and it was the bearing in my tensioner.  Went down to the local bearing store and picked up a new one for cheap.  No problems since.  Hope this helps.

[LeeG]

There's only one part # and the water pump pulley is only different with p/s or without.  

VW had a lot of trouble getting me the right part, it wasnt a part listed as for the car, but I am pretty sure it came out of the factory with it.  So I wouldn't trusk EKTA here.

Are the 2 pulleys on crank the same size and the 2 pulleys on the waterpump the same size?  On my car, it appears to have larger inner pulley on the crank to spin the waterpump faster.  The 2 pulleys on waterpump are same size but the outer one freewheels to allow the different belt speeds.

[anarchyx34]

anarchyx34--

On that EKTA diagram, is that for a 1991 NA w/ AC and PS? if so, what is the part number for the two allen (8mm) bolts which keep the AC Comp. in place when tightened and allow the unit to pivot when loosened? Hard to tell exactly from this drawing.

Anyone?

I've got N0147236. It's reference # 33 on the diagram.