OK folk, help me out here....
87 Z28, 5.0/T5, just about stock. 4 belt system, car runs very well, only have to open teh hood for filter changes...
I'm hearing a chirping for about three weeks, then teh one serpentine belt that runs alternator, water pump and
crank snaps and dissapears. As teh water pump is driven by both ps and a/c belts, I limp home on Optima power.
I change all belts (Goodyear on alt and smog, Dayco on ps and a/c-we didn't have all Goodyear like I was hoping),
and sent teh alternator to my builder for testing. Alternator tests fine, so I re-charge teh Optima, bolt teh alt back
up, and everything is quiet and good-voltage is fine. (alternator is a custom hi-amp build with good Delco parts,
puts out close to 150 amps-carries my dual SPAL fans...)
Teh next morning, I start it to move it out of teh way to put my other car in teh garage for service, and it begins
to squeal even worse than it ever has. I immediately shut it down, put my mechanic's stethescope on everything,
and only teh alternator is louder than I thought it should be. I took it loose, until teh belt was slack enough to not
turn teh pulley, but tight enough that it wouldn't take out teh other belts by jumping rail. Teh obnoxious squealing
is gone.....I take teh alternator back off, and send it down to teh builder (Tucson Alternator Exchange), and tell
them to stick bearings in it regardless of their condition. They do, and I stick it back on teh car, and everything is
quiet again.
A couple days go by, and it starts squealing again...By now, I'm pretty pissed...luckily, it's an easy change. This time,
I try a stock 105a alternator....I change it, and everything is quiet for three days. Meanwhile, I send my high-amp
back to TAE, and have them dissect it...teh owner did it himself. After pronouncing it good, I change back to my
high amp, and everything is fine for three days, then starts teh same squeal over again....
I don't know what teh heck it could be....only when teh belt is slipping is my voltage not perfect, and I've tried
everything I know to find something wrong...it ran without fail for over two years with this alternator, and
no problems that I could find. Teh Optima is right at 4 years old with no problems that I know of, starts like a
champ, even after sitting for a while-has never been discharged. Teh dual SPAL fans are wired to come on
with teh car, but never dip into low voltage sitiuations, or slow down when I turn on all teh other power stuff,
like headlights or a/c. I have an aftermarket stereo, but not a boom-boom unit with lots of amps, etc.
I haven't had any problems or done any maintenance, other than an oil change for over a year, so whatever is
causing this is new....
Help me out before I buy a .99 for sale sign.....
Corvette Store
Save my Z-28 from me....
Take no prisoners!
