99 Tj 2.5L busting belts

[captjanes]

i am after replacing 3 belts on my jeep now in the past few months i dunno why. i was wondering if any one had this trouble before. i dont know if it was too tight or too loose.. i think i got them on the right way i put them on so i could read the words on the belt looking from the front of the jeep. i turned my alternator and idler and power steering pulleys and they all fine. i think i am not putting the correct tenson on the belt. they dont bust of the start it mite be riding on the jeep for 2-3 weeks then one day i would start up and it would bust. really making me mad but i think it is tension. is there a way i can measure it with a staight edge or do i have to invest in a tension tested. thanks in advanced guys

 

[Saddle Tramp]

In my experience a bad tensioner will shred a belt with a little time. You might try replacing it.

 

[54cj3b]

bad tensioner or a bent or bad pully would be my guess

 

[Sine Deviance]

bad tensioner or a bent or bad pully would be my guess

It would definitely have to be this. Usually if it's a pulley, you can hear it squeak and squeal when the Jeep is idle.

If you do have a pulley going out, replace it ASAP. Bad things can happen when pulley bearings finally give up the ghost. I've also heard stories of water pump pulleys going bad on Chevy smallblocks and causing the water pump to explode, pushing the fan into the radiator, and blowing chunks of shrapnel into everything and generally ****ing everything up. I don't know if there's any truth to that but I never wanted to find out so I always took the safe route

 

[54cj3b]

It would definitely have to be this. Usually if it's a pulley, you can hear it squeak and squeal when the Jeep is idle.

not always

 

[Sine Deviance]

I said 'usually'

Even if you can't hear it naturally, you can always try the pipe test. Crank up the Jeep and let it idle, take a length of pipe, put one end on the engine accessory you want to test, and then listen through the other end. It works like a stethoscope allowing you to hear a little of what's going on inside. If the pulley is going you will usually be able to hear it through the pipe against the accessory.

 

[Crazy4diesels]

Stuck or stalling accessories and mis aligned pullies seem to make belts fly off in one piece, squeal really bad, or stall out the engine. I've never seen one shread the belt (unless you drive with the squeal :bomb: ) . A damaged pulley or some kind of obstruction could shread it. If you don't see anything, I'd put on a new belt, carry a couple of spares, and check it carefully very often. You might be able to see chaffing, scuffing, abrasion, etc before it breaks and that could lead you in to what is causing it. Best of luck - John

 

[glenn beck]

belt tension can be done with a straight edge and a fishing scale. put scale hook on belt and add 20lbs of force the belt should deflect 1". take a picture of the belt if it breaks and post it and we can tell you whats causing the problem.

look for shinny spots on the inside of the belt you are running. shinny means its slipping and this leads to a spot that likes to slip. (if its a v-belt the inside flat surface should never be shinny only the angle parts of the belt should touch the pulley) slipping means its loose or something is binding (power steering at full lock causes high load to the belt).

so many reasons pictures will help. the last belt problem i had was traced down to a worn pulley that was wider than the v belt causing the belt to burn off.

 

[Weylyn]

worn pulleys generally. But you have a belt tensioner, that would be my 1st thought