Belt shredding - causes??

[302GTS]

I'm not going to sugarcoat this, tonight I was a moron. I normally baby my car like crazy, until I hit the dragstrip. No burnouts, no peeling out from light to light, no swinging it around corners, no high rev's, nothing. Tonight, my girlfriend and I were on our way to dinner with some friends, when I took a short cut through a local school. Saw a gorgeous blacktop in the back that I couldn't resist, and as much as my girlfriend plead me to just keep driving, I made the mistake of going in there... I revved her to around 4k, and sidestepped that clutch as fast as possible, smoking the tires quite a bit. I got off the brake and cut the wheel sideways, swinging into a couple donuts.

Midway through the third or fourth donut, my serp belt gave out, and shredded apart. I shut the car off immedietly, got out and pulled out the destroyed belt. I was less than a mile away from a shop, so my car's there overnight until I bring in a new belt to throw on it in the morning. My question is, what could have caused this? The belt looks to be brand new, so I'm thinking it was swapped on when I had my smog equipment removed and eliminator bracket/pulley added. Could it have possibly been too tight, and just came apart by coincidence during my little hot-rodding session, or could something else have caused it?

 

[revhead347]

More likely it was too lose, and it was slipping at high revs, or one of the pulleys seized up. You need to beat on your car more often to ensure these things don't happen at inconvenient times like when your old lady is in the car.

Kurt

 

[Bullitt95]

My question is, what could have caused this? The belt looks to be brand new, so I'm thinking it was swapped on when I had my smog equipment removed and eliminator bracket/pulley added. Could it have possibly been too tight, and just came apart by coincidence during my little hot-rodding session, or could something else have caused it?

The likely causes are either:

1. Smog pump eliminator pulley isn't properly aligned.
2. The belt was a tad too long and it slipped.

 

[Husky44]

The likely causes are either:

1. Smog pump eliminator pulley isn't properly aligned.
2. The belt was a tad too long and it slipped.

X2, but as a snowmachiner, I'll tell you that most often shredded belts are going to come from pulley mis-alignment. That's where I'd start first.

With the tension arms on our pulley systems, unless the installer was a total knucklehead, it would be difficult to have it too loose...

 

[greengoblin95]

X2, but as a snowmachiner, I'll tell you that most often shredded belts are going to come from pulley mis-alignment. That's where I'd start first.

With the tension arms on our pulley systems, unless the installer was a total knucklehead, it would be difficult to have it too loose...

gotta agree with the above statements. either loose belt or the alignment of a pulley is off as already stated. just get to a side of the car and take a look at the the engine bay. sometimes you can see something out of line.

 

[302GTS]

Meant to update this earlier, but slept in a bit.

Went to the shop this morning, new belt in hand, and checked out all the pulleys. None were seized, and none were misaligned - the problem was in the smog eliminator. The nut tightening the pulley to the bracket was slightly loose, and the pulley itself had about 1/2" of free play! Tightened it up, threw a new belt on, and everything's been good all day. Thanks for the suggestions, guys! If it happens again anytime within the next few months or so, I'm just gonna return the eliminator kit and run a shortbelt.

 

[Bullitt95]

If it happens again anytime within the next few months or so, I'm just gonna return the eliminator kit and run a shortbelt.

Why not do it anyway? I've been running a shorter belt for more than 2 years since I removed my smog pump.

 

[302GTS]

Why not do it anyway? I've been running a shorter belt for more than 2 years since I removed my smog pump.

Because I'm not sure of the length of the belt to use, and it's much easier to go into an auto store IMO and ask for the stock length belt rather than trying to pick up a shorter one. I could be wrong, but all in all the eliminator kit was used for future simplicity and for that nice clean, even look under the hood.

 

[revhead347]

It's around 89.5". I just go buy about 8 belts, and return all the ones that don't fit.

Kurt

 

[greengoblin95]

you can get the extra belts or just ride up there and just bypass it and try a belt one at a time and return it until you find the right length