alternator and belt question

[jcook1994]

So my alternator went bad and just put a new one on and wondering which guide does the belt ride on on the alternator pulley, had the belt tight started it up and ran fine and i took a meter and was getting 14.6 volts on the battery cables which is right but the belt keep sliding back and forth a little on the alternator pulley?

 

[adsm08]

How many guides do you have? Mine only has the one groove.

 

[RonD]

Did you get a used alternator with a serpentine belt pulley?
'87 Ranger showed "V" belt when I looked up the alternator

There are "V" belts that use narrow deep "V" grooved pulleys
And there are serpentine belts that use wide shallow multi-grooved pulleys

The wrong pulley will "eat the belt" over time

 

[jcook1994]

i didn't get it from amazon but its the exact one i believe
http://www.amazon.com/ALTERNATOR-RA...N-E7TF-10300-SA/dp/B007COSMMK?tag=959media-20

 

[adsm08]

That is pulley is for a 4-ribbed serpentine belt.

Your pulley should look more like this

 

[Frank The Tank]

Totally a serpentine pully. Not gonna lie, that's different to see.

It won't last 20 miles without coming off. Do you still have your old alternator? You may be able to swap pulleys or return new one for correct alternator.

 

[wildbill23c]

Parts place gave you the wrong alternator, these parts places you have to really be careful with, they love to give you wrong parts, I always come in with the exact part number I need, and sometimes they still can't get it right.

The 87 engines still have V-belts, I think that was up until they got the 3.0L engines in the rangers that they came out with the serpentine belt systems in them. I remember seeing many 2.9L engines with 2-3 belts, I know my 84 Ranger's 2.8L had 4 belts, and when one came off or broke all of them came off LOL.

 

[jcook1994]

ok thanks for the advice gonna go back and get that fixed today

 

[jcook1994]

got it on the next day...it was the right alternator just wrong pulley so i changed out the pulleys and it is running great..getting 14.6 volts at the battery cables