Archived Truck stranded in need of tow

[Royk]

This evening after stopping at CVS on the way home from picking up my little girl at dance class, when I went to start the truck to go home, it squealed like a pig. I let it run a few seconds to see if the squeal would settle down, but instead smoke started coming from the engine. I shut it down, got the flashlight and inspected the belt and pulleys. Nothing was obvious, except a very rusty looking idler pulley (I think it's the idler pulley; it was dark out). I started the engine again, jumped out and observed the belt in motion. It was shredding as it turned. I quickly shut it down. Sounds like something seized and was dragging the belt over a stuck pulley. I couldn't confirm this in the dark and couldn't troubleshoot anymore as my 8 year old ballerina was now freezing, afraid and crying and I had to get her home to bed for school tomorrow. Any ideas? The truck is 15 miles from home. I've swapped an alternator a time or two in a parking lot. If it is the idler pulley, I need to know what tools to take. Of course this happens in the freezing weather, going into the long Christmas weekend. Please help!

Roy

 

[MichaelOverfield]

This evening after stopping at CVS on the way home from picking up my little girl at dance class, when I went to start the truck to go home, it squealed like a pig. I let it run a few seconds to see if the squeal would settle down, but instead smoke started coming from the engine. I shut it down, got the flashlight and inspected the belt and pulleys. Nothing was obvious, except a very rusty looking idler pulley (I think it's the idler pulley; it was dark out). I started the engine again, jumped out and observed the belt in motion. It was shredding as it turned. I quickly shut it down. Sounds like something seized and was dragging the belt over a stuck pulley. I couldn't confirm this in the dark and couldn't troubleshoot anymore as my 8 year old ballerina was now freezing, afraid and crying and I had to get her home to bed for school tomorrow. Any ideas? The truck is 15 miles from home. I've swapped an alternator a time or two in a parking lot. If it is the idler pulley, I need to know what tools to take. Of course this happens in the freezing weather, going into the long Christmas weekend. Please help!

Roy

It could be anything on the belt drive. A sezure of the idler pulley seems unusual.. if so I'd think it would have been quite loud for some time before failure. I've heard of fan clutch failure, was the fan spinning? Then you have A/C and power steering. The idler would be easiest and cheapest to replace. Also you could have a problem with the tensioner, that thing is a real PITA to get to. You'll want a serpentine tool for any repair. Get a quality one, the hassle of a cheapo that breaks is not worth saving a few bucks. Box end wrenches, sockets lots of patience, maybe a belt install tool, kind of looks like a grabber, though I found it to be of limited value. The routing of the belt is tricky, draw the path before removal off the old and match upon install. Good luck.

 

[Bob4x4]

Check the water pump

 

[mwilson]

I vote for A/C compressor clutch or water pump.....I've had two A/C clutch failures in 2nd Gen trucks over the years, it is sudden and brutal. It's bad enough to make one question the starter when trying to restart the engine...

 

[mwilson]

If it does turn out to be the A/C compressor clutch you can bypass it.....please see the first diagram of this post, also read the note about changing the tensioner pin to the other hole. You will of course need to buy a belt for a non-A/C equipped Ram.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/252170-Belt-Routing?p=2438707#post2438707

 

[Royk]

This sounds like it's gonna be a real PITA. I should have noted in my first post that the A/C failed a couple summers ago, but I didn't have the money to fix it (and still don't), so I just stopped driving the truck when it was hot out. If that's the thing, I guess I'll just bypass it. Also, I have been hearing a rattling noise coming from the engine area for a week or two, but was unsure if it was just something loose or an engine component. How do I figure out what the problem is? Cut the remains of the belt off and try to turn each pulley by hand? BTW, the fan was turning. Don't know if I should have it towed home or try to find a fair mechanic.

-Roy

 

[Tuesdak]

Cut the belt off first and see what locked up. Hopefully it's just the AC as suggested above.

 

[Royk]

How do I change the pin in the tensioner?

 

[mwilson]

Sorry, poor description on my part. There are two locator holes on the bracket that the tensioner bolts to. Notice the two different tensioner positions shown between the non A/C and A/C belt diagrams. Take the bolt out that holds the tensioner in place and then rotate the tensioner until the locator pin lines up with the other available hole. Reinstall the bolt.

This will be far easier if you remove the air cleaner housing to make some room...

 

[Royk]

Thanks for the info on the tensioner. I finally got a look at the truck in "daylight" and removed the shredded belt, which was like a rats nest twisted around the fan. It turns out it is the A/C pulley that seized. This doesn't look like a parking lot repair in the middle of December. I guess I'll have it towed to my house and see if they can drop it into my garage. Removing the airbox looks easy enough, but it looks like the fan shroud and radiator hose are in the way of getting in there. Do I need to remove these too? I don't see how the shroud could get out. Is there a tutorial for changing the serpentine belt?

 

[MichaelOverfield]

Thanks for the info on the tensioner. I finally got a look at the truck in "daylight" and removed the shredded belt, which was like a rats nest twisted around the fan. It turns out it is the A/C pulley that seized. This doesn't look like a parking lot repair in the middle of December. I guess I'll have it towed to my house and see if they can drop it into my garage. Removing the airbox looks easy enough, but it looks like the fan shroud and radiator hose are in the way of getting in there. Do I need to remove these too? I don't see how the shroud could get out. Is there a tutorial for changing the serpentine belt?

You should be able to do it with just the air cleaner out of the way. It is tight in there, if you need to remove the AC compressor, do it from below.. if just going non AC belt, you should be able do all that from above.

 

[fbuchynski]

I had the AC clutch go on my 1994. I installed the serpentine belt for a non-AC truck until I could replace the A/C compressor. You should be able to install the non-AC belt in the parking lot without to much trouble and R&R the compressor in warmer weather. I carry both serpentine belts in the truck, a non-A/C belt and an AC equipped truck.

 

[Royk]

Thanks guys! Towed the truck home, but of course now the temperature has plummeted into the single digits and teens. I have my POS 99 Subaru to hold me over until I get a chance to attack the belt. Thanks again.

Roy