Problem with RX-7

[giansampsonwild]

Hi,

Am trying to find an answer for my Dad about his RX-7. Unfortunately he doesn't care about his car as much as I do and left it sitting in the garage for 9 months. When he finally started it up again the fan belt starts to squeal as soon as you hit 3000RPM. He's gone through 3 fan belts in the last 120K. He's pretty handy with keeping this car on the road but he's run out of options.

Any ideas?

Gian

[Moppie]

So its wearing out new fan belts?

Are they wearing badly along one edge more than another?
My guess would be one of the auxluries the belt is driving has either worn bearings or a faulty bracket and its causing the pully to run at an angle to the belt, which of course wears away at the belt very quickly.

The other and less likly option is the auxluriy being driven is on its way out, and putting to high a load on the belt, also causing excessive wear.
But of course your likely to notice this as you would miss what ever it is the auxluriy does.

Can you tell exactly which belt it is thats wearing out so quickly?

[giansampsonwild]

Belt is wearing evenly.

The car is an 83 with the air pump removed (about a decade ago). Belt goes from crank shaft pulley, to fan pulley to alternator. Have pulled the alternator out and it runs smoothly. Have pulled the water pump pulley out and runs smoothly.

When the car starts to squeal it's the fan belt pulley that heats up - but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the alternator or the water pump.

Gian

[Moppie]

an 83 :ylsuper ylsuper

not many left now days, most have either rusted away, or been trashed and crashed by kids.

Altough Iv never worked on a rotory, things like drive belts are all pretty much the same on any car.

Does the belt run over and ilde wheel? if so it might pay to check it.
But by the sound of it a bearing has failed in something somewhere, and is putting undue stress on the belt.

Its either that or your over tightening it? unlikly as you sound like you know what your doing, but make sure theres about an 1/3 of an inch of movement on the belt at its longest point.

Otherwise I would double check all the auxulries it driving for play in the pullys, and for alignment with the crank pully.