Altenater Question

[alvin stadel]

I need some help with this. This just started yesterday. When I raise or lower the top on my retractable the Alt. squeals like crazy. The only time it makes any noise is if I run the top. I can run the top up and down  off the battery and all is well, but I like to have the car running when I work the top. If a bearing is going out wouldn't it make a noise all the time, which it don't. To me the battery should be handeling the top operation, and really shouldn't be causing any extra load to the alt. The Alt is new, but in todays world that dosen't mean it can't be bad,  Any ideas. Thanks

[Ford Blue blood]

Check the belt.  The extra electrical load the top puts on the system will load the alternator and require more energy to keep the battery charged.

[alvin stadel]

Bill, I checked the belt, it is new, has the right tention and is clean, and it fits the pullys like it should. What really bugs me is I have run the top up and down many times with out a issue. I have a friend with a 57 RHT, he still runs the original 35 amp generater and has never had a problem. J am not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to electical problems but I usually figure things out. But this one has me stumped.

[gasman826]

Pull the alternator and take it to one of the big box auto stores for free testing.

[CobraJoe]

In the old days we'd run a bar of soap over a squealing belt...

[Tom S]

Yesterday I suggested that putting a smaller pulley on the alternator might help. Today I deleted that post because a few hours later I realized that would just make things worse.

[Tom S]

In the old days we'd run a bar of soap over a squealing belt...

Are you just joking? I can see how that would stop the squealing by making the belt slip a lot easier - and a lot more. I've always just  tightened the belt to make it stop the slipping that was makin' it squeal. They probably still make belt dressing products designed to give fan belts more grip on V-pulleys but if the belt is already adjusted to as tight as it can go I think I'd consider a new belt before using that stuff.  

[CobraJoe]

No sir, used to use it and it worked; it's not a substitute for improperly adjusted belts.
I'm sure there are some old timers here who have used it in the past also.
 Google it, I'm sure it will come up.

[mustang6984]

No sir, used to use it and it worked; it's not a substitute for improperly adjusted belts.
I'm sure there are some old timers here who have used it in the past also.
 Google it, I'm sure it will come up.

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[alvin stadel]

Well guys, I am not sure what I done, but it isn't squealing anymore. The alt. checked out ok, I cleaned the pullys, roughed up the V's with 60 grit sandpaper put it back together and the squeal is gone, I hope forever, but it may come back.  Thanks for all your input, Alvin

[Tom S]

No sir, used to use it and it worked; it's not a substitute for improperly adjusted belts.
I'm sure there are some old timers here who have used it in the past also.
 Google it, I'm sure it will come up.

Well, I'm an 'old timer' & I don't think I've ever heard of doing such a thing. Obviously I'm having a hard time seeing how that could stop a belt from slipping instead of just making it worse. 

[Tom S]

Well guys, I am not sure what I done, but it isn't squealing anymore. The alt. checked out ok, I cleaned the pullys, roughed up the V's with 60 grit sandpaper put it back together and the squeal is gone, I hope forever, but it may come back.  Thanks for all your input, Alvin

You did what I'd have done but I don't think I'd have used that coarse a grit sandpaper. Assuming that you took the belt off in order to clean up the pulleys you also did what's probably the most important thing by having to re-tension the belt.