# will a alternator with bad bearings make a engin overheat?



## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

ok my alternato started sqweeling in the winter now its summer and its still charging fien but the frotn and back bearings sqweel and the alternator case is hot, a year or two ago i installed a new radiator a 4 row at that and since my cars has always run between 185 and 195 nomatter how hot ro cold the weather was. well today i drove about 25 miles round trip and it was on 215 when i pulled up back home, could this be that the alternator is slowign the belt down and it aint cooling right you know from drag o is it something else? by the way here lately my cars been ahrd to start, runs great but i tested the batt and its 12 volts when the switch is off and 15 when the cars running so i nkow its chargeing and the starter is about 3 yeas old so what gives?:willy:


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

No, the alt shouldn't be causing your running hot. I would check the fans and thermostat operations.


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## johnnylightning03 (Nov 27, 2007)

is the guage reading correctly? if so and it is running hot you can try washing or gently blowing through the radiator with an air hose .it could possibly have clogged/ dirty fins and restricting the air flow. a bad alternator wouldnt cause it to overheat. i guess if was not charging right it could possibly throw the guage off but i kinda doubt that. good luck


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## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

well it was about a inch or two low on water but surely that tad bit wouldint make it overheat to that extent. i let it cool and rook the radiator cap off, added a tad of water and ran it til the wate started flowing so thermistat is opening and the fan is the engin driven orginal so it thev8 is runing its working but ill see if the thign has any dirt on the front of it. humm would a inpropaly ajusted choke do it? i had to ajust it in the winter and now it does seem to idel fast.


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

If you don't have a radiator overflow tank, the current level(1" or so low) is perfect. As far as the choke, if you have an automatic choke, once the engine warms up the choke plate should be straight up and down. If it's a manual choke, once you push the choke button all the way in the choke plate should be staright up and down. If it's not, the choke plate is restricting air to your carb which will cause it to idle faster and probably not help your overheating issue.....


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I would remove the belts and try to turn the alternator by hand. If it feels tight ir "gritty" I would R&R it anyway!


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