Why is my generator clicking?
 

I dropped the engine a couple of weeks ago to change the clutch. I haven't changed the fan belt since I bought the car three years ago and thought it would be a good idea. I bought a Continental fan belt and installed it.

The first thing I noticed was how tight it was. So I added a couple of shims and all seemed well. After driving it for a few days I noticed a loud clicking coming from the engine. Being the fatalistic I am I thought the engine was coming apart. But I turned it off and slowly rotated the the engine with a wrench. The clicking is definitely coming from the generator.

I added another shim and the sound went away. Now it's back. Did I bend something by having the belt too tight initially? I can't loosen the belt any more and it's really sloppy. Any ideas?

Did you check the condition of your generator brushes? Maybe they are just worn out or misaligned.

Good luck
Ron D

I vote for the brushes. sometimes they get cocked or stuck causing the clicking.

Proper pulley adjustment should not be neglegted either. You should be able to move the belt about 1/2" and have a total of 10 shims--any not needed between the pulley halves should be "stored" under the nut--this is to pevent the nut from bottoming out and not tightening the pulley to the shaft.

Check for 2 things if you're not positive about the source of the noise. Look for a tight generator stand and properly aligned fan housing. A tight belt could pull the gen up and a high spot on the fan could be rubbing. Happened to me.
jim in Ma.

Jim, that's a great tip. Yes that could be what's making the sound too. There isn't much clearance around the fan and it doesn't take much to get it out of whack. He should also check to make sure that big round fiber gasket that goes between the fan shroud and the generator shroud is in place.

Thanks for the tips. I'll be checking those this weekend and post what I find. Hopefully I find it.

So what's up? Did you figure it out?