Alternator belt Problems

I found that the drilled and tapped alternator attachment holes on the motor block were out of alignment, holding the alternator pulley out of alignment with the crank and waterpump pulleys. I had to enlongate the attachment bolt holes on the alternator. It still isn't totally correct on mine but close and hasn't lost a belt since.

im having the same exact problem on my 92 and was told the alt came out with the wrong pulley and IF YOU CAN FIND ONE AT FORD IT SHOULD FIX THE PROLEM good luck finding one i have been unsuccessful

I had the same problem. Now Fixed. The issue is that the belt comes loose after a while and then starts to squek badly and finally breaks. This happens even after tightening it. The real culprit is the tiny bolt that holds the tension in the belt. After time this bolt gets worn out and causes the belt to lose tension. My mechanic just replaced the tiny bolt and now everything is good. No more belt breaks. It is a tricky thing because most mechanics think everything if fine after tightening with the bad bolt but after some time running it starts to loosen up and the replacement will do the trick.

My alternator took a dump and I replaced it with an Mitsubishi which it called for. Soon after it ran OK for a while then the belt started smoking and failed. When replaceing the new alternator the replacements pulleys groove was bigger than the waterpumps which didn't match. When sitting in the pulley the belt should fit perfectly with the top of the belt even with the top of the pulley. This belt sat much lower in the groove therefore creating heat, and I think along with the misalignment of the alternator mentioned earlier, making the belt fail. I took the alt to an alt shop and the man said it's the correct pulley for my application. He showed me a picture and specs and according to his manual it was correct. Well, it's not correct. Am gonna bring the alt to him and see if he can replace the pulley with one that will fit the belt. Wish me luck.

PS: For anyone looking to buy one of these Capris, 91-94, they are notorius for squeeling alternator belts.

Took the alt to the alt man. He replaced the bigger wrong size pulley with the correct size. End of problem. No broken heated up belt. No belt squeeling. Cost, $10.00 Life is good once again !!!!

could also be the tensioner they get enough kms on it and they have to be replaced

Do you have the spec info on the pulley... I just purchased a 91 Capri and replaced this belt and it broke again the same day had to have it towed home and the tow truck driver pointed out the difference in pulley depth to me... Appreciate any help John

Hey John, Don't have that info. The owner of the local alternator shop, Canton MI.) I brought it was so knowlegable he just took it in the backroom and found a pulley that fit. Lucky to have this local guy fix it. I didn't ask what pulley he used on the fix. I've sold the car since then. Good Luck, Mark

OK thanks Mark... were there any other mechanical nuances that occured that I might look for with this model? Mine is pretty clean, 82k miles, automatic and I really look forward to driving it, but just getting a rocky start with this belt situation and also will need new rotors and brakes... I appreciate any input and thanks again for your response... John

a common problem with the alternator is that it locks up and causes the belt to squeal and break. what I found that inside the alternator there is a balancer bushing in the the back end of the alternator and it's a split type of balancer. I had mine removed and haven't had that problem since. another thing is that the regulator has constant problems that cause the same thing

https://www.silverstatefordparts.com/oem-ford-parts.html go to this site they have parts cheep thank you all for the info. i know its been a year since the last post but hopefuly this info will help somone. the pulley part number is f2pz10344a

I have question how you replace alternator in a 91 Mercury Cappri ?

Please!!!!!!!!

Anyone having belt problems, Roo Sports has developed a new belt to fix the problem since the pulley for the alternator is no longer available.

Jeff was that pully you purchased for the mitibishi remake or Ford stock???

Roo-Sport.com (503-919-4227) has a belt that fixes this problem for good! They call it the "Squeal Stopper". It has worked on 3 of my Capris, first time they've been installed!

The belt issue is common on these cars due to the alternator pulley being a different width and depth than the pulleys on the engine. The key is to use a fatter belt that rides proud of the alternator pulley slightly. This will appear too big for the remaining pulleys but will work fine. However, if the belt after a while begins to squeal address it fast, as the belt is nearing a failure point. Often a tightening of the belt at the alternator will once again buy you more time. When the belt fails it usually takes out the power steering belt as well. The wise owl will keep spare (or old) belts and a ratchet with #10 and #14 sockets in the trunk to prevent being stranded when a tow home is not practical.

well i have a 93 capri and the alt belt squeals like hell sprayed with water to find where the noise was, its near the alternator. put a couple drops of household oil on to stop the noise and after reading the above going to take the belt off and measure the crank belt for width and get a wider one, hope it works or i will get a big bottle of oil!!!