Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 12:51:46 -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've always worried about a too tight belt hurting the bearings...Your post is informative, I thought that about the oil, and hey its not that good of a fix... but are you sure its slipping more? It seems like it catches once the noise goes... then if it were slipping wouldn't that be bad for the water circulation via the pump... And what do you think of parafin.. its wax, not an oil... (and if the problem is petroleum dissolving petroleum then isn't synthetic oil safe... )<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Dennis Haynes <DHAYNES@OPTONLINE.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <DHAYNES@OPTONLINE.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Fan Belt Squeal
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 17:15:05 -0500
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Belts usually squeal when they can not develop enough grip to drive the
<DIV></DIV>>load. Lubricating the belt reduces the squeal buy allowing more slip.
<DIV></DIV>>This will in turn heat up the belt and pulleys and cause an early
<DIV></DIV>>failure. Motor oil will also cause the belt to deteriate. The Water
<DIV></DIV>>boxer alternator/water pump belt drive is an extremely poor design.
<DIV></DIV>>V-belts should wrap around a drive or driven pulley as close to 180
<DIV></DIV>>degrees as possible. The drive pulley (crank pulley), doesn't even wrap
<DIV></DIV>>45 degrees. This provides limited surface area for the belt to be driven
<DIV></DIV>>thus requiring everything to be in perfect order to handle the
<DIV></DIV>>alternator load. The alternator load will be greatest after engine
<DIV></DIV>>starting due to the battery needing a charge. This with a cold or wet
<DIV></DIV>>belt will create the famous squeal. The correct fix is to replace and
<DIV></DIV>>adjust the belt as needed. A good test is to be able to turn the engine
<DIV></DIV>>over by turning the alternator pulley with a wrench. If the belt slips,
<DIV></DIV>>it is still too loose. FWIW, I have yet to find an aftermarket belt that
<DIV></DIV>>performs as well as the special continental supplied by the dealer. The
<DIV></DIV>>original belts on FUN BUS went almost 90K. I've used every premium
<DIV></DIV>>aftermarket belt imaginable and I only get ~ 30K of service out of them.
<DIV></DIV>>Also check the pulleys for wear. They can glaze and get smooth wear the
<DIV></DIV>>belt rides. The alternator pulley can also wear to the point that it no
<DIV></DIV>>longer has the correct width/angle to be driven by the belt. Replacing
<DIV></DIV>>this pulley will often help.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Dennis
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>-----Original Message-----
<DIV></DIV>>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
<DIV></DIV>>Of Mark Dorm
<DIV></DIV>>Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 4:54 PM
<DIV></DIV>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Fan Belt Squeal
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I'll have to try parafin (you can find in the canning section). I've
<DIV></DIV>>used motor oil recently and am having good luck (just the occasional
<DIV></DIV>>quick squeel... ). Hated the stuff made just for belts when I tried it.
<DIV></DIV>>Sorry I bought it.
<DIV></DIV>> >From: John Rodgers
<DIV></DIV>> >Reply-To: John Rodgers
<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>> >>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> _____
<DIV></DIV>>
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