Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Serpentine Belt Keeps Losing a Rib -- Tensioner Replaced

[LPMorgan]

About 2 years ago, my 1999 3500 dually lost a rib on a serpentine belt. A few months later it happened again. My tensioner pulley was replaced. Several months later it happened again. My tensioner was replaced. Several more times it happened and I replaced the belts. This summer I replaced the tensioner again. This time I lost two ribs and put the old tensioner back on. You guessed it, the problem is still there.



The belt jumps one rib closer to the engine. This happens at odd times. Often I lose one rib, then everything works fine for thousands of miles. Sometimes it happens again within a hundred miles.



The problem appears to be getting worse, and I do not think it is the tensioner since it has been replaced twice with the pulley replaced one other time.



The brand of belt and duty status is making no difference. Whether or not I am towing my 10,000lb trailer makes no difference.



If anyone has seen this problem and determined the root cause, please let me know. Any suggestions on possible root cause would be appreciated.

Suggestions on where I can take the truck where someone can pinpoint the root cause would be appreciated. I am heading for Rockport TX near Corpus Christi for the winter.

 

[TBartlett1]

The belt on my 1990CTD did the same thing with a couple belts.

Installed the shorter belt without AC and problem solved.

Apparently must have been missalignment of he AC compressor.

 

[seafish]

It is also important to check for play, wear and tightness on ALL of the pullies and bearings that the belt runs around. That includes the tensioner, a/c, alternator, and water pump, and idler pully, at least on the 3rd gens.



Also on the 3rd gen, Dodge also installed an "overunning" alternator pully that allowed the belt to keep turning a little after engine shutdown to help prevent the belt from jumping off its track. I wonder if they make one for the second gen?? Here is the thread I started when my truck jumped it's belt... of course, it is on my 3rd gen, so maybe nothing I pointed out applies , but I would think that at least a little does--



Serpentine belt... . Bad Luck = Good Luck?? - TDR Roundtable

 

[JCyrbok]

what about the bearing for the alternator. Thought I had heard before that when the bearing starts to get loose the pully slumps out of alignment and can cause the belt to jump the ribs.



Also check the same on the waterpump (makes sense that could do it too).



Hope this helps



J-

 

[cerberusiam]

Check the idler pulley above the water pump and make sure it hasn't moved in its mount. That used to chew the inside of the belt off on my 92 until the misalignment was found.

 

[ed9824v]

I have had the damper pulley start to go and it will move the outside ring and cause belts to go almost instantly, not uncommon. Ed

 

[madmanmanick]

use a strait edge to make sure that all your pulleys are in alignment with each other. If one of them is out of alignment it may be pulling the belt off the back of the pulley toward the engine. After this happens the inner rib of the pulley will cut through the belt(which you have said is what is happening). It is just like when putting on a bycicle chain. Just get it a little bit on the sprocket and the rest happens by itself. In this case it is the oposite, the belt is coming off just a little bit and the pulleys are finishing the rest of the movement. Hope this helps.

 

[LPMorgan]

I am interested in trying without the AC, but the routing guide shows the tensioner on the slotted side of the belt. I know that won't work. Anyone have a belt routing guide for 1999 without AC?