I am throwing the alternator belt at about 5000 rpm. I know that the most likely culprit is an alignment problem. My question is, how do I accurately measure this? What is acceptable and what isn't? What is acceptable pulley runout?

Thanks,
Randy

Look at my answer to the post about throwing the alternator/waterpump belt. Gat a Top Cog belt and you will probably be all set.

While helpful, that is not the answer I was looking for. I am looking for a methodology to accurately MEASURE the pulley alignment. I am trying to eliminate the variables as to what is causing this. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Randy

What I did was put a straight edge across whichever pulley stuck out further, and used a tape measure to measure back to the centerlines of all the pulleys. The key is to find a straightedge that is rigid enough to not bow (like a piece of angle aluminum).

There should be 3 ways for a pulley to be out of alignment: the pulley could wobble, not be parallel with other pulleys, or stick out/in too far.

you can check wobble with a dial gauge. you can use the above technique to check for being out of line or parallel, but it is not very accurate. You just have to be very careful. Also, you probably want to check with the belt on and tensioned to make sure the alternator/pw pump/etc. is not deflecting.

This technique is far from perfect, though. I would love to hear of something better, if anyone knows of anything.