Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:58:12 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: V-Belt tightness -- how to determine?
In-Reply-To: <4E558F18.7080202@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
The most important part of using warning lights is to know when to quit. Red
lights usually mean stop now.
Both low coolant and alternator-water pump stop turning are stop now events.
When the water pump stops the heated coolant in the heads is no longer
circulating. The temp sensor will not see the raise in temperature in the
heads until there is enough heat to force flow or you have steam. To make
things worse at normal highway speeds and air flow over the radiator the
thermostat can be closed and again no coolant is flowing by to open it until
it is too late.
Engine cooling is a very dynamic process. While the coolant is at normal
temperature there are many engine parts that are much hotter. Imagine a pot
of water on the stove with a high flame. Everything is OK until the water
boils out. Now the pot gets damaged. Notice how cast iron pots will take
more of this abuse. Same with engines.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Rocket J Squirrel
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 7:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: V-Belt tightness -- how to determine?
Jeez, Dennis -- you're the very embodiment of the bearer of good tidings,
aren't you?
See everyone? No wonder I've developed a worrywart complex w/r/t my Vanagon!
Dennis is one of the Wise Men of the List, knows whereof he speaks, and what
he speaketh here be doom and gloom.
-- Dolorous Edd
(On the other hand, I learn something! Last week the alternator lamp comes
on on the dash and battery voltage drops. My first thought [hope, actually,
since I have a spare belt] is that I've dropped a belt. But was I sensible
enough to pull over alongside the road immediately, unload the camping gear
and open the engine compartment to inspect? No.
Not at all. It was hot, the road dusty. I drove a mile or more to a
prospective campsite, thinking I might be stuck there for a couple days
before taking a look. I figured I had tens of minutes before the battery
didn't have enough power to run the engine. BUT, a dropped belt would have
meant that coolant flow would have stopped so, I had no business driving
another hundred meters.
My question is: if a belt is dropped, do the temp gauge/coolant lamp give
sufficient time to warn of engine bakage so one can pull over?)
-- RJS
On 08/24/2011 04:19 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> Those multiple steam traumas may also done some engine damage. The
> likely future repairs are melted outer head gaskets, loose studs or
cracked heads.
> Since there was enough pressure to blow out that manifold consider the
> heater cores and maybe the radiator to need future attention as well.
>
> Sorry,
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf Of Mike
> Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 6:56 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: V-Belt tightness -- how to determine?
>
> It caused mine to fail within minutes! (It must have been on the edge,
> apparently and that was the last straw) I was hearing a new squeal
> after snugging both belts a bit, so I broke out my mechanic's
> stethoscope and that confirmed that it was coming from inside the W/P.
> I decided to take it on along trip the next weekend, figuring that it
> wouldn't cause any immediate problem, as it wasn't leaking a drop.
> Well, I was wrong!
> About 50 miles from home cruising down the highway @ 65 mph, with my 3
> kids on board, I though maybe I had smelled burning rubber, and
> wondered why. A minute later the charging light came on and confirmed
> my suspicion that it must have thrown the alternator belt. I slowed
> down and considered pulling over on the Mass Pike, but traffic was
> heavy, so I figured that I could make it a few more miles to the next
> rest area with no alternator. It'd probably run on a good battery for
> a lot longer that that, so I figured no problem, right? Well, I
> forgot that the alternator belt was also the W/P belt, and within
> another minute I heard a pop and saw steam fill my rear view. I
> immediately shut it down and pulled over into the breakdown lane and
> coasted to a stop. I got out to survey and saw a lot of antifreeze
> pouring out from the right rear side of the van. I opened the decklid
> and found the belt laying there and all else looked good. I poured a
> whole gallon of antifreeze into it, in hopes of limping to the Ludlow
> rest-stop. I ran the engine for very short bursts and coasted the
> majority of the way into the rest-stop. I couldn't see the source of
> the leak, and had no extra belt, so I called triple-A. The MA state
> trooper said that they had to handle any tows off the Pike, so I got
> them to arrange towing it off the pike. They towed it all the way to
> my house (AAA PLUS!), and when I finally got a closer look, I found
> that the right plastic octopus (hiding behind the
> firewall) had blown out one of the large plastic plugs that's
> glued-in. I took it out and found that the dealer still carries them.
> I may need a new large hose, as I may have damaged it removing it. It
> has a molded tee going over the top of the auto trans and it looks
> hard-to-find and expensive, not to mention difficult to replace.
> So now, I need a W/P, a belt, an octopus, a molded hose, some jugs of
> coolant and then I'll see how it goes from there. No money available
> right now, so it'll have to wait a bit. Oh well.....
>
> Mike B.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roland
> Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 12:11 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: V-Belt tightness -- how to determine?
>
> I've wondered about this also:
>
> - too loose, and the belt may squeal (maybe other problems if it is
> too loose).
> - too tight, and the water pump bearing might wear out more quickly
> (pretty sure an overly tight belt caused my last water pump failure).
>
> Roland
>
> On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 7:13 AM, Rocket J Squirrel<
> camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Something I've never understood about tightening the belt.
>> Instructions usually say something like:
>>
>> "Be careful not to get the belts too tight. You should have slight
>> (1/8" - 1/4") deflection in the belts after they are adjusted.
>> This of course depends on the length of the belt."
>>
>> <http://www.vanagonauts.com/**printable.phtml?&catid=215<http://www.v
>> a nagonauts.com/printable.phtml?&catid=215>
>>>
>>
>> How much pressure do you put behind your thumb when testing? I can
>> deflect the belt anywhere from not much to a lot more by pressing harder!
>>
>> --
>> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
>> Bend, Ore.
>> 1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people.
>> 1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer ca. 1972 from a defunct company
>> in San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westrailia.
>>
>> Sent from my kitchen.
>>
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