On Monday, April 7, 2014 7:59:03 AM UTC-5, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
stryped fired this volley in

:



I am looking for an easy and accurate way to check pulley alignment

on the serpentine belt system


Ac has always worked properly by the way.

When my wife goes through a drive through by the way she has to cut the air off to make the racket from the belt or whatever stop. Only seems to happen in gear with the ac on and stopped or nearly stopped....
You're not really thinking this out, Stryped.

Everything in a serpentine system is rigidly mounted. There are no

adjustments for lateral alignment. Belt tension is provided by a spring-

loaded tensioner.



The tensioner bearing is the most common problem, and they're cheap to

replace, but a mother-bitch to get to in some of the compacts.



The Mazda AC compressors have the same basic defect as the Mitusbishi

ones. The front of the pulley is vented, and the vents are so large that

there are only three little 5mm tabs of steel holding the entire pulley

to its spline hub. With time, they flex JUST enough to crack.

Eventually, if that happens, the pulley will let go of the hub. It won't

fly off, but it will create a terrific racket and possibly break your

belt.



If one or more tabs are cracked, you can see that as a wobble in the

pulley, whether the AC is on or not.



And you never said whether or not the AC is working properly. You could

have a plugged system deadheading compressor pressure, and causing the

belt slippage.



Still the idler is most suspect, then probably the AC clutch/pulley,

followed by the alternator bearings.



LLoyd