Hi,
I know this is a dumb question but I've been banging my head on the wall for days here.
I have 65 convertible with a 200 6cyl engine.

my fan belt is bad.

simple fix right?
loosen top bolt loosen bottom bolt, pivot, swap belts.
my shop guide, everything i've read on line says the same thing.

but it dosent work!!

once the bolts are loose the alternator rocks freely but will only move a fraction of an inch then it hits the bracket at the bottom. The top adjusting bracket has lots of room in the groove but it barely moves. Nowhere near enough to swap belts.

Am I missing something here?
do I need to pull the whole alternator out?
I'm lost.

thanks for any help.

 

Might be non-original alternator or different bracket or the bottom bolt is too tight.

First, try loosening the bolt under the alternator then try to move it. If that doesn't work, then I'd just remove the alternator (pretty easy to do - just be careful with the old wires), install the belt, then reinstall the alternator and tighten it up.

Can you see anything restricting the alternator's movement?

 

that makes sense. I cant see anything else I may be missing

 

One thing to add on to what canary said. Your description sounds like the alternator bolt is bottoming out in the adjustment slot. If this is the case then it sounds like the belt you have is too short and you might need one a few inches longer.

 

Ah, rtintwo may be onto something. I'd make sure you have the correct belt length by searching parts websites or going to a parts store like Napa.

If you do have the correct belt length yet it isn't big enough then you may have a non-original alternator, fan, and/or harmonic balancer pulley. Some guy posted here recently that he tried to buy a new harmonic balancer pulley and found every parts store was selling them 1/4" bigger than the stock size. The stock size should be 5 7/8" I believe.

Check the belt length then post back here with what you find out.