Toyota Drivebelt Problem - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

zizdog69 · 02-21-2007, 10:40 AM

Hey guys, I've tried figuring this out on my own but have not been able to solve this problem.

First the car:
1993 Toyota Celica GTS liftback
MT
2.2L 5fse 4 cyl.
Completely stock, bought used 8 months ago

I bought this car for the fuel economy and for the reason that my first car was a 1986 Celica GTS and I loved the little sportiness of it.

A few weeks ago, I'm driving along to work and I notice that the battery light is on. I pull of the highway and look under the hood. The driveline belt for the A/C and Alternator is floppy around on the pullys. I decided that the belt was old and probably stretched due to wear. That day, I go to Napa and get the specified belt for that year, engine, model, everything checks out. I put the belt on and it is still loose. I start driving on the loose belt and hear loud shreaking sounds. At this point I thought it was the A/C about to freeze so I have the car towed to my house.

I don't have the cash to buy a new a/c unit so I thought I could just buy the belt that drives the Alternator. I get the belt, put it on (mind you it is still loose) and start the car. The shreaking is still present and decide that the good news is it is not the A/C. The bad news is that the belt is still loose and the alternator has a worn bearing. I buy a new alternator thinking maybe, just maybe, the belt problem would be fixed. Nope. After looking at the belt path I notice that the driveline pully (the pully on the crank shaft) doesn't line up correctly. The pully is about half an inch off. WHAT THE HECK!!! I'm am livid at this point since I have gone through two belts and find out that something huge could be wrong.

I'm am just confused. The car ran fine up until that point. How did the pully move? What can be done?

A side note, the engine vibrates like crazy. I thought it was the tranny but after looking at the driveline pully, it looks as though that might be causing the vibration. It doesn't look loose but I haven't tried handling it yet.

Another bit of info: There are three pullys on this belt that I know of; the alternator, the A/C, and the main driveline pully. According to the book, the alternator is used as the tensioner.

Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks.

tinfoil · 02-21-2007, 12:56 PM

Now, I'm a geek and about as far from being a mechanic as anyone here. However, I've had to replace these in a couple of cars and each time I had to replace the pully as well. Soemthing about tension, blah blah blah...

For what it's worth.

JStrider · 02-21-2007, 06:37 PM

did the new alternator come with a new tensioner? my guess is there is something wrong with it... the belt should not be loose

KirStang · 02-21-2007, 07:37 PM

Yea, check the tensioner, the drive-shaft synchro, and the water pump.

My engine belt was on too loose, caused my water pump to go bad, which caused massive squealing, and it also caused my drive-shaft synchro to go bad too.

OR just take it to a mechanic you really trust.

*To clarify, it's the crank position synchro or something that went bad.**

shakran · 02-21-2007, 08:16 PM

Pictures. We need pictures. Your alternator should be mounted with either 2 or three bolts. If you loosen all of them a bit, you'll be able to rotate the alternator around. Rotate it so that it pulls outward, tightening the belt. You may need a helper (i.e. crowbar) for this to get it tight enough. You'll know you have the right tension when you can twist the belt 90 degrees, but no farther.

The shrieking might have been the bearing (smell anything funny?) or it could have been the belt screeching against the pulley.

When you say the crankshaft pulley is half an inch out of alignment, what do you mean by that? Describe it better.

As for the engine vibration, check all of your engine mounts carefully. You could have a broken one, and if you let it go you'll end up with all sorts of engine problems.

The vibration could also be caused by the crankshaft being screwed up - - -start praying that that isn't the case, because if it is, you may as well replace the engine. It'd be cheaper than fixing it, especially since you have the 5SFE. Find someone with a naturally aspirated MR2 that wants a turbo motor - -they'll generally sellt heir 5SFE very cheap.

reconmike · 02-22-2007, 12:32 PM

check to see if the balancer bolt on the crankshaft came loose, it sounds as if this is the reason the balancer walked out.
could be someone did a timimg belt job and didnt tighten the bolt completely.
If that is the case you should remove the pulley and check the crankshaft end and the inside of the balancer for damage, this being loose will give you a terrible vibration also.

zizdog69 · 03-01-2007, 07:27 AM

Hi guys. Thanks for all the suggestions. Sorry I was a little late to update you but I thought I would post just in case anyone else has a problem.

After looking around under the hood, I noticed that the drive shaft pulley’s outside track for the ac/alt belt was movable. I took a hammer to it and lightly tapped it back into place. Apparently, the pulley is made of multiple pieces connected by rubber. After time, these pieces start to deteriorate and break apart.

After tapping it back into alignment, I went for a drive. I checked to make sure everything was ok and noticed that it had backed off again. I have a replacement coming in today. This might also explain the vibration in the motor. I will post when I get it put together this weekend.

Now, on to my next problem: A 1997 Mustang GT Auto that won’t shift out of park. I will post if I have problems with that one!

Thanks again guys!

02-21-2007, 10:40 AM	#1 (permalink)
zizdog69 Crazy Location: Arizona	Toyota Drivebelt Problem Hey guys, I've tried figuring this out on my own but have not been able to solve this problem. First the car: 1993 Toyota Celica GTS liftback MT 2.2L 5fse 4 cyl. Completely stock, bought used 8 months ago I bought this car for the fuel economy and for the reason that my first car was a 1986 Celica GTS and I loved the little sportiness of it. A few weeks ago, I'm driving along to work and I notice that the battery light is on. I pull of the highway and look under the hood. The driveline belt for the A/C and Alternator is floppy around on the pullys. I decided that the belt was old and probably stretched due to wear. That day, I go to Napa and get the specified belt for that year, engine, model, everything checks out. I put the belt on and it is still loose. I start driving on the loose belt and hear loud shreaking sounds. At this point I thought it was the A/C about to freeze so I have the car towed to my house. I don't have the cash to buy a new a/c unit so I thought I could just buy the belt that drives the Alternator. I get the belt, put it on (mind you it is still loose) and start the car. The shreaking is still present and decide that the good news is it is not the A/C. The bad news is that the belt is still loose and the alternator has a worn bearing. I buy a new alternator thinking maybe, just maybe, the belt problem would be fixed. Nope. After looking at the belt path I notice that the driveline pully (the pully on the crank shaft) doesn't line up correctly. The pully is about half an inch off. WHAT THE HECK!!! I'm am livid at this point since I have gone through two belts and find out that something huge could be wrong. I'm am just confused. The car ran fine up until that point. How did the pully move? What can be done? A side note, the engine vibrates like crazy. I thought it was the tranny but after looking at the driveline pully, it looks as though that might be causing the vibration. It doesn't look loose but I haven't tried handling it yet. Another bit of info: There are three pullys on this belt that I know of; the alternator, the A/C, and the main driveline pully. According to the book, the alternator is used as the tensioner. Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks. __________________ "So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life." -Peter Gibbons, Office Space

02-21-2007, 12:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
tinfoil Fucking Hostile Location: Springford, ON, Canada	Now, I'm a geek and about as far from being a mechanic as anyone here. However, I've had to replace these in a couple of cars and each time I had to replace the pully as well. Soemthing about tension, blah blah blah... For what it's worth. __________________ Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

02-21-2007, 06:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
JStrider Poo-tee-weet? Location: The Woodlands, TX	did the new alternator come with a new tensioner? my guess is there is something wrong with it... the belt should not be loose __________________ -=JStrider=- ~Clatto Verata Nicto

02-22-2007, 12:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
reconmike Thank You Jesus Location: Twilight Zone	check to see if the balancer bolt on the crankshaft came loose, it sounds as if this is the reason the balancer walked out. could be someone did a timimg belt job and didnt tighten the bolt completely. If that is the case you should remove the pulley and check the crankshaft end and the inside of the balancer for damage, this being loose will give you a terrible vibration also. __________________ Where is Darwin when ya need him?

03-01-2007, 07:27 AM	#7 (permalink)
zizdog69 Crazy Location: Arizona	Hi guys. Thanks for all the suggestions. Sorry I was a little late to update you but I thought I would post just in case anyone else has a problem. After looking around under the hood, I noticed that the drive shaft pulley’s outside track for the ac/alt belt was movable. I took a hammer to it and lightly tapped it back into place. Apparently, the pulley is made of multiple pieces connected by rubber. After time, these pieces start to deteriorate and break apart. After tapping it back into alignment, I went for a drive. I checked to make sure everything was ok and noticed that it had backed off again. I have a replacement coming in today. This might also explain the vibration in the motor. I will post when I get it put together this weekend. Now, on to my next problem: A 1997 Mustang GT Auto that won’t shift out of park. I will post if I have problems with that one! Thanks again guys! __________________ "So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life." -Peter Gibbons, Office Space

02-21-2007, 07:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
KirStang Future Bureaucrat	Yea, check the tensioner, the drive-shaft synchro, and the water pump. My engine belt was on too loose, caused my water pump to go bad, which caused massive squealing, and it also caused my drive-shaft synchro to go bad too. OR just take it to a mechanic you really trust. To clarify, it's the crank position synchro or something that went bad.*

02-21-2007, 08:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	Pictures. We need pictures. Your alternator should be mounted with either 2 or three bolts. If you loosen all of them a bit, you'll be able to rotate the alternator around. Rotate it so that it pulls outward, tightening the belt. You may need a helper (i.e. crowbar) for this to get it tight enough. You'll know you have the right tension when you can twist the belt 90 degrees, but no farther. The shrieking might have been the bearing (smell anything funny?) or it could have been the belt screeching against the pulley. When you say the crankshaft pulley is half an inch out of alignment, what do you mean by that? Describe it better. As for the engine vibration, check all of your engine mounts carefully. You could have a broken one, and if you let it go you'll end up with all sorts of engine problems. The vibration could also be caused by the crankshaft being screwed up - - -start praying that that isn't the case, because if it is, you may as well replace the engine. It'd be cheaper than fixing it, especially since you have the 5SFE. Find someone with a naturally aspirated MR2 that wants a turbo motor - -they'll generally sellt heir 5SFE very cheap.