Serpentine belt replacement, alternators and inverters

[jseabolt]

Short version:

 

I need to replace the alternator on my '98 1500 Express, 350. While I am at it, I'm going to replace the serpentine belt. I have only replaced two serpentine belts in my life. One was on my uncle's '87 S-10 pickup (power steering pump bracket broke) and the other one was on a '94 Plymouth minivan. The Plymouth was no big deal because it was front wheel drive but I recall the one on the S-10 being a pain.

 

I did not take the fan shroud off. I worked the belt around the fan and shroud and seems like took me 3 hours. That was 24 years ago and I am more mechanically inclined today so I'm thinking this time may not be as bad.

 

QUESTION: I remember working the belt around fan being the major hurdle due to the fan shroud. Can the fan shroud be removed on my van without having to pull the radiator? Or is it worth trying to work the belt around the fan and shroud rather than pulling the radiator?

 

The reason:

 

I was running a 1500 watt inverter and wood chipper off my '98 1500 Express the other day. I had the van running because I thought it might run the battery down. Well now the battery light is on and my voltmeter gauge is showing 12 volts so I think I crapped my alternator out.

 

I used this same inverter the other day off my Ford Explorer. I was operating a palm sander sanding my mailbox post. But I did not have the vehicle running.

 

With the Chevy, I connected the cables to the battery, started the vehicle, then the inverter then the wood chipper so I can't understand what went wrong.

 

My guess is if you run a 1500 inverter off a car battery, do not start the vehicle. If it does run the battery down, jump start it off another vehicle.

 

 

 

[diyer2]

IMO

I wouldn't run tools off my vehicles using an inverter. Are you dong this because there is no AC power, long distances like to your mailbox post? Buy a generator, extension cords.

I would work the belt over the fan.

[barry G]

just 63cc is a 900 watts generator from harbor fright.

invertors are for not sure what.

they even sucked on a kc135 airplane.

 

the alternators for these are not exactly beefy.. and there is subtle updates from origin.

2008 and 2011..

nothing to notice since.

 

I still would not run invertor, even on the latest.

 

those need to ground too..a bad invertor can kill a battery etc. not just alternator.

 

I stop at 250w .. use it for charging a camera or lap top.

[jseabolt]

I have a large property and a long driveway. Yes my mailbox is 1000 feet from my house. Ordinarily I'd connect about five 100 foot electrical cords together to run my pole saw. Of course the downside is by the time you connect so many cords, it creates a massive voltage drop.

 

Also the advantage of electric over a driven gasoline engine is the device can sit indefinitely. Where with a gasoline engine, you run the risk of the carburetor gumming up from sitting more than a couple of years.

 

My father is notorious for not topping off fuel tanks in his stuff and the stuff evaporates over the winter. And he makes it worse by using that E-10 garbage which gums up carburetors even worse. I've had to tear apart carburetors on his pressure washer, lawnmower and tractor several times.

 

The other option is, If you drain the fuel tank and the let the engine run out of fuel so the fuel bowl is empty, it can rust and the carburetor can corrode especially if the float is made of brass. I don't know if Sta-bil actually works. It says it will protect gas for 2 years but I've ran 2 year old gas that was not treated and had no problems as long as the container is sealed up and air cannot get to it.

 

I try to keep the tanks on my stuff topped off when not using them and cover up the vent hole in the gas caps so it does not evaporate. I don't know if that does any good. There is still a vent hole in the fuel bowel.

 

I have two generators. One is a 2000 watt and the other one is a 6500 watt.I bought the 200 watt generator during the blizzard of 2009 (see photo below).

 

I bought the 6500 watt generator to run my house off of when the power goes out. I have it tied into a 220 volt 30 amp breaker in my garage to back feed my house. Yes this is frowned upon by linemen but if you throw the main breaker it's safe. Just not idiot proof. I wouldn't trust my wife to fire up this generator during a power outage. I figure if I use common sense, I don't need one of those $600 throw-over devices.

 

I was planning on converting this generator to run off propane and I may still do it. It was going to cost me several hundred dollars but I think I found a shortcut. Instead of using copper tubing, I'm going to use 50 feet of carburated fuel hose to connect from my 500 gallon propane tank to the propane regulator on the generator. Yes fuel hose is "porous" and is not ideal for long term use. Of course this is going to be regulated gas (not high pressure gas or liquid propane).

 

I can and have run my pole saw off my 2000 watt generator. One winter a tree fell across my driveway and I had to go back and get my chainsaw just to get out of my driveway. Come May, I cut the remainder tree down with my pole saw. I loaded up my generator in my yard wagon and took it down to the base of my driveway. Trouble is I am not "swole" so lifting this generator with a full tank of gas is almost 100 pounds.

 

 

Getting back to my original question regarding the serpentine belt. Any chance I can remove the fan shroud without pulling the radiator? I have not looked but wonder if the shroud is split into two pieces and I separate the two halves without having to snake it around the fan.

 

Or can I unbolt the fan, then lift the shroud off the radiator?

[diyer2]

My 2 cents.

 

The serpentine belt I can't tell you about.

 

I would rather use a generator than my expensive truck. The truck I depend on, the generator can be out of commission for a while if it happens, not a big deal.

 

Sta-Bil works but I prefer Sea Foam.

 

Sea Foam stabilizes and also cleans fuel systems, work wonders on carburated equipment IMO. It has saved me a lot of grief and rebuilds. Research the stuff.

 

Generators:

Every body has a budget but the Honda EU series are the best IMO portable power. Quite, fuel efficient, reliable. I have never needed one but know people who camp with them. Used for powering air conditioners, charging boat batteries for trolling motors, satellite TV and many other things.

 

I have a second home in the mountains here in Colorado that is off grid, owned it for 19 years. Sun powers the house, the water well by generator. The generator, a Mitsubishi 6500 watt can sit for up to 6 months a year in temps that can reach -30 degrees. It has never failed to start in the spring and the carb has never been touched except to install a high altitude jet when new.

 

Everybody has there way of doing things, I believe in the right tool for the job and keep it simple stupid.

 

 

[jseabolt]

OK, I guess the thread has deviated from my main concern: serpentine belt replacement to remote powering a 110 volt AC powered component. I guess that was my fault.

 

I'm either going to get a deep cycle boat battery and mount it and my inverter to a 2 wheel dolly or use my 2000 watt generator to power my electric yard equipment.

 

Serpentine belt/alternator replacement:

 

I'll try to make this short as possible. This job did not go as smooth as I thought it would (never does). First of all, the Haynes manual is wrong. The video on YouTube is wrong. Unless there was a design change along the way, there is no 15 mm socket involved. In order to take tension off the belt, all that is required is a 3/8" breaker bar or ratchet. Stick the square end of the ratchet in the square hole in the tensioner and push it down counter-clockwise and pull the belt off.

 

It took me about 2 hours to get the alternator off. Bracket that holds the dipstick tubes in place, 13mm stubby wrench used to get the rear bolts out, etc.

 

I then discovered I had the wrong alternator. It fit the lower bracket but not the rear bracket and the connector on the voltage regulator was different. It looked like 70s Mopar alternator (visible windings). I took it back and they said, " This is a 94 amp,I bet your van has the 140 amp alternator". OK now I have a match. Then I said, "I bet I got the wrong belt as well". So they gave me a different belt.

 

Got home and discovered the belt was too short. Went to another auto part store and they measured my old belt (since the part number was worn off the old belt).

 

So I go to put that one on and now the engine squeals like a pig!

 

I called a friend and he suggested I replace the tensioner and the idler pulley since the van has 140,000 miles on it and I was not sure if it had ever been replaced.

 

So I replaced those two components. The squealing was reduced somewhat.

 

I go to the town mechanic and asks his advice. He thought the new tensioner was defective and told me not buy critical parts from those chain auto part stores but this mom n' pop store in town which I had thought went out of business.

 

So the owner of the parts store looks at it and says he thinks the belt is too long. So he installed a shorter belt and no more squealing.

 

He told me it's not uncommon for this to happen with a serpentine belt. Is the diameter of the alternator the same as the old one? Measuring a belt will get you in the ballpark but has the old belt stretched?

 

Oh yeah, there is no need to take the fan shroud or the fan off. I managed to snake it around it. Not a big deal if you have done it several times.

 

So I got the wrong alternator and three wrong belts!