Hey guys (and girls) hope all is well. Basically I bought a '90 250 w/ 5.8l. When i bought it belt was in rough shape, so I changed it right away. Then three weeks later on the hwy, i lost steering etc. Belt was shredded. Put an new one on to get home, its been 1 week, and today,m shredded again. It seems as though once the new belt is on, it works its way to the outside of the pullys. First time i noticed, it was riding forwards off of the front of the **NEW** alternator, then once the new one was on, i started up for a few seconds and looked, and it was working its way forward on the crank pully. soooo what could i start looking at? the alternator was replaced right before i bought the truck, and in certain light, it looks like its sitting a red-hair behind the other pullys, but not 100% sure. thanks in advance, ive been through a few issues with my fords, so i look forward to being able to help out by donating info to others that need it. ps sorry for lowercase "i".. bothers me too but im in a rush. THANKS!

 

Make sure you dont have any rust or buildup on the pulleys. In the shop we usually use a wire wheel or wire brush and clean em up. If there is some sort of buildup, the belt wont sit in the grooves like it should. Another thing would be to make sure all of the pulleys are lined up properly.

 

You could prolly get a straight edge and check the pulleys alignment. I've had one that was installed too far onto the shaft and caused a similar problem.Use the edge between as many puleys as you can.

 

It sounds like missaligned pulleys, why would you keep throwing in belts if you know for a fact they last several years?.

Welcome to FTE! and i hope you find the cause of your issues.

 

Probably misaligned belts but on my 90 Bronco after it was parked for a few months the air pump seized up and the belt just slipped on the pulley. I don't imagine a belt will last long with that going on. Make sure all pulleys are working and check tension on the belt. That could be another problem if the belt is slipping.

 

Wow. You guys rock. Wasn't sure how likely it would be for a pully to be too far on the shaft or misaligned with other ones. I will check today and let you all know. Really appreciate the help guys!

 

..how would I align a misaligned alternator pully? Haven't been out to look yet, but I think I remember seeing a hex-head holding the pully on? Do I need spacers or..?

 

Be sure to check the Tensioner and idler pulleys also, and wobble from bad bearings can cause problems.

 

With the belt off, try to shake each pulley to see if any are wobbling.

I don't think that a pulley that is one or two millimeters off the correct depth will cause this. That is how far forward my PS pulley is because the installer tool I was using bent when I got to that point. The belt is slightly skewed but causing no problems.