Dumb belt question

[DmnStr8]

OK, well about a week ago my smog pump seized, so I decided to just get a smaller belt and bypass it. Unfortunately the local NAPA only had an 84.25" belt and an 85.5" belt. I ended up using the 85.5" belt because the other was too small. It seemed to fit ok and the arrow on the tensioner was right in the middle. After letting it run for awhile and taking a quick drive to stretch the belt out it still seemed to be good. Well this morning I noticed a small rhythmic belt noise at start up. It was moist and cold outside and the noise went away when the car warmed up so I figured it was nothing. When I got home I decided to check my coolant levels (I had had a low coolant light the day before and I wanted to see if it had gone down again since i had topped it off). I noticed that the belt was seriously frayed on the side facing the engine and that the tensioner was all the way down.

I was wondering if the belt damage was the result of the belt being too big. The last belt that was on the car was a little too big as well (the tensioner was all the way down as well) but it was not nearly as frayed.

Sorry for the dumb Q. I'm still in the learning phase.

 

[srothfuss]

Belt fraying is typically the result of a pully that is out of alignment. But in your case (you didn't change anything except the belt) maybe the belt was too long and came off a pulley for a minute..?

 

[notchback]

if the belt is too long it won't be snug enuff, and would probably squeal.

you might have not seated it quite well, and rubbing and fraying pushed where it belonged ?

 

[blackstangt]

it may have been installed improperly like notchback said, or too long, get another one a little smaller and make sure it goes in the grooves on the pullies, not on the bolt to the left of the alternator pulley (alt bracket to alt) and not on the pulley lip

 

[darthcual]

My vote is for incorrect routing.