sidehatch

Hello fellas how yall doing?i have mutliple questions,if you can answer 1 or all it would be auwsome. 1.What would symptoms of failing alternator be? my volts are at 12 and fluctuate. 2. the milage read out stays on after the car is shut down,sometimes for a long time and then goes out. 3.Just had tb/wp done including accessory belts and up and lower rad hoses,car has funny smell after driving and then pulling in garage, would that be the new rubber?its a horrible smell cant explain it. Just had the flex plate checked,after it was unflexed the whining torque converter stopped whining,if it was flexed over 2mm would that do damage to the block? How flexed does the plate have to be to start doing damage? thanks gentleman

WICruiser

1 - failing alternator is generally identified by low voltage, but do not base low on the dash guage - check with a meter at the battery and jump post. Dash volt meters are known to read incorrectly and fluctuate when the actual system coltage is fine.
2 - sorry, don't know
3 - check the radiator hoses to make sure they are not rubbing against something. Also check your coolant level. Burnt rubber smells pretty bad but it is usually identifiable, you may have a coolant leak and it is burning antifreeze that you are smelling.
4 - you can not determine thrust bearing wear by the amount of flex that was released. When the clamp was released the crankshaft end play should be measured - that is the only real way to know.

sidehatch

The burning rad fluid makes sense thats what the smell is because i do have a small leak.thanks man

Lizard928

#1 there are no symptoms for a failing alt. 95% of the time it is the voltage regulator which fails. It fails suddenly. The other reason for failure is a failed diode. Again sudden failure, not gradual. But the bearing in it can fail and if they do it will simply make a ton of noise.
2 is normal
4 any preload will cause the thrust bearing to wear. As to how much wear. You need to check the end play to see how much wear is there.

worf928

Assuming you have a digital dash car (89 or newer) that's the way it is supposed to work. It's on a timer.

sidehatch

Thanks,im glad the digi dash thing is normal,just have to get this rad leak and oil cooler leak addressed at the end of the month,there small leaks but annoying,after the interior lights were put in the off position it seems the battery drain isnt all that bad.