Dog1 Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 ell was that? All the sudden my emergency brake light came on as well as my charge light. Oil pressure went to zero immediately. You have probably guessed what happened already. The front alternator belt broke and unplugged several of my connectors before it exited my vehicle. Can anyone give me some words of wisdom as to what I should be look out for; or tricks of the trade to make the changing out of the alternator belts as painless as possible? Never changed one on a Subaru, so I hope to avail myself of your knowledge. Larry Roa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 look for bad water pump, siezed alt shaft changing belt is a 2 minute job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog1 Posted October 14, 2004 Author Share Posted October 14, 2004 look for bad water pump, siezed alt shaft changing belt is a 2 minute job When I didn't notice an increase in engine temperature, I pressed on the last three miles to home. Will look for weeping out the bottom of the water pump seal (I'm assuming that they work the same as my 1977 Dodge Powerwagon) and will spin the alternator pulley to check to see if it is O.K. . I'll go pick up new belts to replace both of them in the morning. NAPA still the best place to get belts and parts from? Larry Roa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill90Loyale Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 Larry- For me it's a 15 minute job. Loosen the two bolts securing the alternator, which will drop down to the right, releasing the belts. Remove the remaining good belt. Check pulleys as described above. Bring good belt to Napa with you to confirm they're giving you right length. Buy two belts (don't leave the old one on), but save the old good one and place it on your full time spare tire in the engine compartment as a spare in a later emergency. Install new belts around the pulleys. Use a short pry bar to jack up the alternator to tension the belts (tight but not gorilla/ about a quarter inch deflection). Tighten the two bolts. Run it for a few minutes to warm the belts up. Retighten. Done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subiemech85 Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 I had a water pump go bad, it stil pumped like it should, but you could rock the shaft back and around side to side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 ...Will look for weeping out the bottom of the water pump seal (I'm assuming that they work the same as my 1977 Dodge Powerwagon)... The weep hole will just tell you if seal is leaking. (Bearings and seals are different issues but do effect each other.) Do check for weeping, but wiggle and rotate the shaft to look for worn out or seized bearings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandman Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 When my water pump died, it still pumped, didnt leak, but it rattled real bad and was rather loud doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog1 Posted October 14, 2004 Author Share Posted October 14, 2004 Larry- For me it's a 15 minute job. Loosen the two bolts securing the alternator, which will drop down to the right, releasing the belts. Remove the remaining good belt. Check pulleys as described above. Bring good belt to Napa with you to confirm they're giving you right length. Buy two belts (don't leave the old one on), but save the old good one and place it on your full time spare tire in the engine compartment as a spare in a later emergency. Install new belts around the pulleys. Use a short pry bar to jack up the alternator to tension the belts (tight but not gorilla/ about a quarter inch deflection). Tighten the two bolts. Run it for a few minutes to warm the belts up. Retighten. Done. Bill90Loyale,Thanks for the info. In other words, just replace it the same way I would do the one on my truck. You will have to forgive me, as I may appear somewhat slow on the mechanics of a modern automobile. I have been accused of being stuck in a time warp when it comes to newer automobiles. Until I got my Subaru, the newest vehicle I owned was a 1977 Dodge Truck (the same one that I have been driving over 25 years and 258,000 miles). I still have vehicles that I drive that date back into the 40's and 50's. I am very carefull working on equipment that I do not have a strong understanding of. This probably came from being in Combat Arms ( AFSC75399) for twenty plus years. Working with weapons and explosives for that long and still having all body parts intact is a result of being very cautious and methodical. Thanks for taking the time to explain things for the old fart who's learning to love Subarus Larry Roa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill90Loyale Posted October 14, 2004 Share Posted October 14, 2004 Bill90Loyale, I am very carefull working on equipment that I do not have a strong understanding of. This probably came from being in Combat Arms ( AFSC75399) for twenty plus years. Working with weapons and explosives for that long and still having all body parts intact is a result of being very cautious and methodical. Thanks for taking the time to explain things for the old fart who's learning to love Subarus Larry Roa You're welcome, and welcome to the Board. They don't call this the "Older Generation" for nothing (although there are a number of 18 year olds who have caught on quick). I remember being a newly minted Ensign in the Coast Guard-assigned as Deck Watch Officer and Gunnery Officer on the ship. I'll never forget how slowly those guys worked on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor loading those 5 inch high explosive shells. You'll learn to feel very comfortable with the Subie. It all makes pretty good sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog1 Posted October 14, 2004 Author Share Posted October 14, 2004 You're welcome, and welcome to the Board. They don't call this the "Older Generation" for nothing (although there are a number of 18 year olds who have caught on quick). I remember being a newly minted Ensign in the Coast Guard-assigned as Deck Watch Officer and Gunnery Officer on the ship. I'll never forget how slowly those guys worked on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor loading those 5 inch high explosive shells. You'll learn to feel very comfortable with the Subie. It all makes pretty good sense. Thanks to all who responded. Checked the water pump and didn't have any sideplay. Used a large screwdriver to tighten idler pulley...not the prettiest way to do it, but it got the job done. Had a hell of a time finding the belts. NAPA said they could order them in and get them in a week from Seattle. Four different parts stores later I found some. I envy you guys in Washington and Oregon (AKA Subaru Central). Bill90Loyale. I used to shoot with the Coast Guard up in Alaska when I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB in the early 1980's. Amazing we all survived our youth playing with all those low-bidder munitions and toys. The Air Force should set up a recruiter's site on this website with the number of troops joining up to be mechanics . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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