Around a month ago I was driving my '79 Catalina and it stalled randomly at an intersection. It would not stay running unless I was giving it gas, and after the 3rd time, I put the hazard lights on. Nothing happened. I checked the battery and realized I had forgotten to ratchet tighten the negative battery cable to the battery when I disconnected it to work on something a few days before. I tightened it, and the problems all went away. Isn't this car old enough to do that old school alternator test where you pull the negative and the car should keep running?
Revving the engine I can hear a really annoying squeal, almost like pulley or belt squeal that only happens when the engine speed changes, then disappears. I've noticed the alternator belt flutters, and I'm wondering if it possibly being loose is the reason the car stalled that day, as well as being the source of that squeal. The belt and alternator were replaced a few months before it was parked 5 years ago, and the adjuster nut doesn't look to have been put in the same place as it was before -surface rust where it was. The belt itself has no cracks and still looks new.
Here's a video of the wiggly belt.
I was able to tighten that belt today after all the hot weather and rain passed. The belt squealing while the RPMs changed went away. I was able to get a large pry bar between the alternator and a large bolt that holds the water pump to the front of the engine and used that to pull the alternator further to the left. I actually noticed whoever put the belt on at the shop put it on half backwards on the crank pulley.
Without the battery firmly connected, voltage may have dropped to the point where the electronic ignition would no longer work reliably, particularly if cables and grounds are not in tip-tip shape. I'd definitely replace that belt.
Would it be possible that the shop who replaced the belt and alternator didn't put enough tension on the belt? The alternator position determines the tension
Certainly possible. Can the belt be made tighter, or is it a bit too long? After sitting for so long I'd probably just replace the thing. Belts are pretty cheap, Save the old one for an emergency spare.
If you look closely at the nut holding it in the bracket, the nut is about a full width to the left of a rusty spot about the same size as the nut It looks to me like it wasn't tightened in the right spot.
It wouldn't surprise me. On some of those getting the belt tight enough can be a bit of a pain. When there's no other provision for that I use crowbars, breaker bars, piece of pipe, whatever I can get between the engine block and alternator housing to pull on with enough leverage.
that thing is definately loose
perhaps the belt is the wrong size or after sitting for 5 years is crappy
