Black Dust on Alternator Housing?

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Mike's Dart

Mike's Dart

Dodging The Negative Darting Toward The Positive
Joined
Nov 20, 2016
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Location
McDermott, Ohio
My Old '73 Dart is now 1200 miles out of "Hibernation" and I noticed some black dust on the front part of the alternator housing aft of the pulley upon one of my many trips under the hood each day! I think this is the original alternator. No noise or charging problems, but I wonder could the bearings be getting ready to burn up? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Mike
 
On the front? near the pulley? Probably belt dust. Check your belt alignment and it's surviving width, and the integrity of the alternator mounts and the waterpump front bearing. Also slip the belt off and check that all the pulleys freewheels smoothly.
If it is belt dust, this is a big deal. If the belt fails and you don't catch it, you are well on your way to engine overheat. And if you don't catch that either then you are only minutes away from making a loan to replace the engine. Or at least the heads.
 
AJ/FormS said:
On the front? near the pulley? Probably belt dust. Check your belt alignment and it's surviving width, and the integrity of the alternator mounts and the waterpump front bearing. Also slip the belt off and check that all the pulleys freewheels smoothly.
If it is belt dust, this is a big deal. If the belt fails and you don't catch it, you are well on your way to engine overheat. And if you don't catch that either then you are only minutes away from making a loan to replace the engine. Or at least the heads.
Click to expand...

Okay! Will do! I was planning on replacing the water pump and belts anyway! What a cool little car!!! And even more so, what a cool place to get advice and just talk CARS!! Thanks!!

Mike
 
you know what, I thought about it some more and Brian in post #2 could be right. The way the Mopar Alternator cools itself, I could see brush dust flowing forwards. I don't think it could make it's way through the fan to be "aft of the pulley", but I could be wrong. In any case it's easy to check the brushes. Blow it off and see if it comes back. I would still check the belt etc.
 
Brushes take a long long time to wear out, and you would notice charging issues long before dust, which probably could never get around to the front side.. that's gotta be rubber dust.

Now it's time to change belts and check pulley alignment.
 
If the car not driven much the copper slip plates that the brushes ride on will get corroded and turn green, the surface will be very rough compared to polished when a vehicle is run every day. the brushes will take a beating till they get polished up. If the belt is loose or out of align far enough to wear the belt it would be very noisy, squeals a lot. I was assuming this was not the case. So I ask is the belt loose, squeals, so on?
 
AJ/FormS said:
On the front? near the pulley? Probably belt dust. Check your belt alignment and it's surviving width, and the integrity of the alternator mounts and the waterpump front bearing. Also slip the belt off and check that all the pulleys freewheels smoothly.
If it is belt dust, this is a big deal. If the belt fails and you don't catch it, you are well on your way to engine overheat. And if you don't catch that either then you are only minutes away from making a loan to replace the engine. Or at least the heads.
Click to expand...

Yep! Belt dust. Upon closer inspection the alternator belt has cracks where it is stretched around the pulley on the alternator! That belt and the power steering belt are undoubtedly old and suffering from some dry rot! Good catch! She will be grounded until the new belts are installed! No sense taking any chances of "cooking" that /6 over a few bucks for some belts! Did get the new fuel pump and new coil installed today! I took her for a little spin and I must say seems to run a bit better!!!!! Thanks for your input!
Mike
 
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