Alternator woes!!!!

[roccit_53 at scirocco.cs.uoguelph.ca (C Boyko)]

On 7:25:38 pm 01/24/06 Don Walter <dswalterwi@gmail.com> wrote:
> Can an alternator be bad without the alternator light coming on?  and
> how can the belt keep needing to be tighten every few hundred miles?
> When we put it on for the third time we checked and double checked
> that nothing else is moving.  When first put on it is so tight that
> the alternator is touching the A/C compressor.  Some how it is
> stretching then we tighten and it stretches then we tighten and it
> stretches.  It is not slipping as we have to keep moving farther up
> the bracket each time.  Any one have any ideas what the heck is going
> on?  What could be shifting?
> --
> Don Walter - Waukesha, WI
> 1984 8V Audi 4000s (lastest addition)
> 1986 2.0L 16V TEC 2 Black Scirocco (see progress at
> http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/708939)
> 1986 2L 16V Toronado Red Scirocco (Ben's Car)
> 1988 1.8 16V Toronado Red Scirocco (sold on 3/29/04)
> 1984 1.8 8V Pewter Scirocco (sold years ago)
> 1971 Karman Ghia (sold)
> 1969 Karman Ghia (sold)
> 1969 Beetle (sold)
> _______________________________________________
> 

The "alternator I REALLY want to beat to death" (Cabby) did something like
this, recently the volts would drop, but not below 12.3 say? This is after
rewiring, a new regulator, and rigorous testing. ANyway, one of the lower
bolts (on the AC tensioning part) eventually backed right out. So that was
fixed up by the son (he drove it when it fell out), and I figured we were
in the clear, but no. Back to belt tossing 101. Seems in the multiple
tightening sprees the upper bolt (the one you loosen to use that gear
tensioner dealie) had somewhat stripped in the housing, and eventually just
would not hold. And as Allyn pointed out, it's a heavy abuse area. Anyway,
the latest fix was a longer bolt and a nut on the back side of the
alternator. It's tensioned by guess and by golly though, who has a 1/2"
drive torque wrench to torque that 22mm gear dealie correctly? Or a 1/2
drive torque wrench that does inch pounds? I, for one, do not, except an
oldie deflection one.  Bentley's on crack on this one. But if yours threads
into the alternator housing, maybe that's it.
Cathy