The alternator belt on my Gen 2 3S-GTE is badly chewed up (I still need to figure out why), so I need to replace it.
Toyota doesn't sell them anymore, so I went to Repco to get an aftermarket one.
For some reason their system asked if the car has power steering or not. Does anyone know why the alternator belt length is different (830mm vs 815mm) on SW20s with power steering?

Maybe because on the 3sgte in the celica has a PS pump where the alt is on the SW20. 
 
The celica 3sgte would have a long Alt belt and the SW20 a short Alt belt (similar to the celica PS belt)
 
Maybe the book they are using is very generic?
 
Celica 3sgte pictured below fitted with a PS pump

 

That could be relevant, but I only told them that it's a 1990 SW20 Turbo MR2. They didn't ask for the engine type. 

How badly chewed up? Can you still measure yours? I know supercheap have a tool to measure belts.

That said here's mine... I reckon I've only got about another 15mm til full adjustment, so 4pk815 should be on the money.

91 3sgte

5SGTE
How badly chewed up? Can you still measure yours? I know supercheap have a tool to measure belts.

Wrap a length of string around the outside of the belt and then measure it?
 
I did some searching earlier today Rob and I kept seeing 830mm mentioned as the correct length for gen 2 and 3 3sgte all years.

I will measure mine when I remove it just to be sure, but I just found this (quote copied directly from www.mr2.com/forums), which sounds like a definite confirmation that I should be using the 830mm belt because I have power steering:
"With and without power steering makes a difference because power steering cars got a bigger alternator due to the higher electrical loads from having power steering. The larger alternator sits further from the crank pulley thus needs a longer belt.
OP, it depends on if you still have the higher (100amp) alternator. Assuming that you do, then you will want the belt for "with" power steering if you happen to have the smaller (70amp) alternator, then you need the "without" power steering belt."

I went ahead and bought the 830mm alternator belt from Repco and installed it with no problems on my 3SGTE SW20 with power steering. 
I had to remove the AC belt to get to the alternator belt, so I replaced it too. The AC belt is 875mm. 
 
FYI:
As I mentioned in the first post, my alternator belt was "badly chewed up". 
Well, I actually found a sliver (about 300mm long and about 2-3mm wide) of the old alternator belt, very badly frayed, sitting on the chassis rail next to the engine! The belt itself was still in the correct position in the grooves, but it was missing a lot of material (roughly a whole groove worth) on one side only. Therefore the excessive fraying on the side of the alternator belt was not caused gradually, but probably in an instant. I don't know if it happened due to a failed strand of reinforcement on that side of the belt, or if something got flicked up off the road into the belt, or if something fell onto the belt from above (this could've happened last time I was on the dyno with the engine bay open the whole time). Anyway, I just hope it was a case of bad luck that won't happen again. 

I replaced mine last week, autoone offered me 3 different choices depending on standard, ac or power steering. To a avoid running back and fourth i bought all 3 and confirmed with the store attendant that i could return the ones that didn't fit just as long as packing wasnt damaged and still saleable. He was cool with that and i fitted um the correct belt and just returned the others.
My guess for getting chewed up is either loose belt or component that is seizing a causing the belt to grab and become spaghetti. Also when fitting make sure you try and allign the belt across the crank and alternator on the tracks closest to the engine, if there missaligned that could cause problems too


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