Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 13:54:03 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fan Belt Squeal
Content-Type: text/html
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>I'll have to try parafin (you can find in the canning section). I've used motor oil recently and am having good luck (just the occasional quick squeel... ). Hated the stuff made just for belts when I tried it. Sorry I bought it. <BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: John Rodgers <J_RODGERS@CHARTER.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: John Rodgers <J_RODGERS@CHARTER.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Fan Belt Squeal
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 08:35:09 -0600
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>First, before doing eanything else, check the condition of the
<DIV></DIV>>belts. If
<DIV></DIV>>worn, replace!! You do not want to be caught out at some
<DIV></DIV>>inconvenient
<DIV></DIV>>place when a belt lets go - like maybe on I-40 in the middle of the
<DIV></DIV>>prairie at midnight. Next be sure your belt tensions are correct.
<DIV></DIV>>Even
<DIV></DIV>>brand new belts will squeal if tension is not correct. Finally, if
<DIV></DIV>>the
<DIV></DIV>>squeal is still there, with the engine running ---- and be very
<DIV></DIV>>careful
<DIV></DIV>>of the hands, remove any long sleeved shirts, etc ---- press a block
<DIV></DIV>>of
<DIV></DIV>>parafin against the pully side of the belt and hold it there for
<DIV></DIV>>several
<DIV></DIV>>revolutions. The parafin will dress the surface and eliminate the
<DIV></DIV>>squeal. Old trick I learned years ago from a really oldtime aircraft
<DIV></DIV>>mechanic. Works on seat tracks as well.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I never found a belt dressing that worked as well as the parafin.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>John Rodgers
<DIV></DIV>>88 GL Driver
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Marc Perdue wrote:
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>>Okay, so the '87 Westy is the oldest vehicle I've owned in quite
<DIV></DIV>>>some
<DIV></DIV>>>time, so I'm a little (make that a lot) rusty at these things. I
<DIV></DIV>>>noticed that my fan belt (okay, it's not really a FAN belt, but you
<DIV></DIV>>>know
<DIV></DIV>>>what I'm talking about) has started squealing over the past week or
<DIV></DIV>>>so.
<DIV></DIV>>>I've also observed that a lot of cars' fan belts squeal more in the
<DIV></DIV>>>winter time. Is this pretty much normal? Back in the old days,
<DIV></DIV>>>when I
<DIV></DIV>>>had a Ford truck with 246,000 miles on it, was a student with
<DIV></DIV>>>negative
<DIV></DIV>>>money, I'd just spray the sucker with belt dressing and be on my
<DIV></DIV>>>way.
<DIV></DIV>>>Now that I'm an adult (sort of) with negative money, I'm curious if
<DIV></DIV>>>this
<DIV></DIV>>>is still the best solution. My real question is this though: Is a
<DIV></DIV>>>squealing fan belt necessarily an indication of a worn-out belt? I
<DIV></DIV>>>know
<DIV></DIV>>>what to look for to figure out if a belt needs to be replaced, but
<DIV></DIV>>>it's
<DIV></DIV>>>dark out just now and I'm basically lazy. On a vanagon, will a
<DIV></DIV>>>broken
<DIV></DIV>>>fan belt destroy the engine?
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>>Okay, that's enough of the stupid questions for the moment. Thanks
<DIV></DIV>>>for
<DIV></DIV>>>your support,
<DIV></DIV>>>Marc Perdue
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>>
<DIV></DIV>>>
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