Alternator Bushings - or a bigger issue

[sporkfan]

So my alternator/waterpump belt jumped off the pulley and ground itself into mush last week. I got a cheapy, cut off the power steering and a/c belts and changed the alt belt with the trunk tools. I bought 3 new belts and threw those on thinking that the old belt was simply old...wrong.

The next day the alternator/waterpump belt jumps again. I caught it early and got the belt on twice only to have it jump off in a gas station parking lot. I had the car towed home and it looks like the alt has a nasty list.

I ordered the bushings and I plan to put them in this weekend. Has anybody else run into this before, I couldn't find any threads about it and I was wondering if there could be larger issues, like a say a water pump going south.

[strad]

Make sure the alternator bracket isn't busted.  I've seen that.  The alternator was bouncing all over the place while the engine was running.  I was frankly pretty surprised it hadn't thrown a belt.  Definitely check that wp for play in the shaft.

[sporkfan]

Pulled the alternator and the alternator mount off today. Looks like the issue is with the alternator itself.

The body of the alternator is aluminum with steel inserts where the bolts go through the mount for the pivot and the adjuster. My alternator is missing the steel inserts so the hole for the alternator bolt holes have bored themselves  out.

I got it all back together with the new bushings, but it looks like I'll have to buy another alternator, which sucks, because other then the bolt holes being ovals, this one works fine. Ugh.