Belt smoking

[NY81TTASE]

Last time I got to play with my engine, I was trying to let it idle. It was installed and i finally had everything needed to let it run and see how it  did. As I sat there keeping an eye on the gauges, I started to see smoke from the front. I shut the engine off and looked to see where the smoke was coming from. The belt was sizzling in the groove of my alternator pulley.   It's a 301T and I think the belt goes from crank, alternator to air pump. I'd have to look again to verify.
I haven't removed the belt yet,,,but what could cause this?

[FormTA]

Just throwing this out there, how charger was tye battery? Could the alternator be working really hard to charge up a mostly dead battery?

[5th T/A]

First off, is the belt snug?

This shouldn’t be hard to isolate. Have someone start the engine while you observe under he hood. The center groove of the crank pulley drives the water pump, alternator and air pump. If any of those devices are locked up it will smoke the belt. If you loosen the belt at the alternator you should be able to easily turn the air pump or alternator. I believe you have a double groove pulley on the water pump with the front pulley used by the power steering pump. So you might have to loosen the power steering pump to rule out the water pump and power steering pump.

[NY81TTASE]

I dont think the battery is that bad,,,im not sure though. It did feel hot one day when I was trying to make it idle with a gas can and a hose.  I have one of those fleet chargers on wheels and I usually charge it up with that.  Maybe it isn't holding a charge ?  I haven't touched the car since it had the issue and that was in November

The belt only touches the crank, the air pump and the alternator.
I just loosened the alt and took the belt off. The air pump spun easily (its gutted) and so did the alt pulley.
  Maybe my tension isn't tight enough??   
I'll see if I can link the video...(I'll be back)
Ok. Here it is
https://youtube.com/shorts/wdBAjTElvFM?feature=share

[5th T/A]

As you mentioned, I see the alternator belt does not drive the water pump. Also the belt looks way too loose. As Formula/Luke mentioned if the battery is badly discharged it will put a much higher load on the alternator. With the engine shut off and no accessories like lights or blower running, a charged battery should read at least 12.5 volts. Even with a low charge on the battery the alternator belt shouldn’t slip if it’s tight enough.

Just a note, it’s better to charge your battery at a slower rate if that’s an option with your charger. High current charging is hard on the battery.

[Wallington]

Lucky the belt even stayed on, very loose, alternator given extra load, extra slipping, extra heat. Charge the battery, replace the belt, keep an eye on the alternator.

[FormTA]

Crazy the belt was just about lova or melted tar at that point!

[NY81TTASE]

Wow,,loose?  I thought that was too tight.
Ok,,  I'll see what the volts are on the battery, charge the battery and tighten the belt up a little more.  I hope this doesn't happen again. I'll post back any results

[NY81TTASE]

I checked this morning by putting a multimeter across the battery terminals.   I got 11.something.
What I read on the internet is that it is a weak battery.
But when I was starting the engine last year, I was charging the battery. Could I have messed it up by overcharging it?   Wouldn't the alternator just bring the battery back up to where it belongs??

[5th T/A]

Attached is a chart that will give you a rough idea of your battery charge state.

12.5 volts should be enough to start your car, down near 12.0 volts is a pretty weak battery and may not provide enough current for a start. An alternator is really meant to maintain a battery, not charge it. Running the engine long enough will charge the battery, at the same time putting a pretty good load on the alternator. With a lose belt like you were showing in the video, it probably won't charge. As Wallington suggested, your alternator belt is likely toast and should be replaced. As I mentioned before a high charge rate is hard on the battery. In my mind I wouldn't charge an automotive battery at more than 10 amps unless I was in a hurry. Letting a discharged battery sit for a long time is also hard on it. There is all kinds of information on the web about proper battery maintenance.

You may just have a discharged battery or a bad one. You could put it on a charger at a low rate for a day or two and see if it comes back. Many auto parts stores will offer a free service of charging and load testing your battery. If it fails, they would like to sell you a replacement, but your usually not obligated to purchase from them.

IMG_3772 by Lawrence Alexander, on Flickr

[NY81TTASE]

Thank you. That chart puts it in perspective.  I'll give it a shot at charging it slowly and replace the belt. I'll snug it up a bit more too.  Hopefully this fixes it.  Thanks