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Date:         Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:45:12 -0700
Reply-To:     Roland <syncronicity1@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roland <syncronicity1@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: V-Belt tightness -- how to determine?
In-Reply-To:  <A54477A85A4F49F3A96141941A75753B@Mikelaptop1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Mike, sorry to hear about the water pump and steaming breakdown.

Not to emphasize any bad news, but I am with Dennis on the potential for engine damage.

I actually had 2 steamy breakdown events ('89 2.1): - water pump blew on the freeway, I limped the van a few hundred yards to the next exit ramp (narrow walled trench freeway in the city, kids on board, didn't want to stop in a bad place) - a couple years later that firewall multi-connector plastic fitting blew (same deal, buzzers, lights, adrenaline, etc) right on an exit ramp. There was literally a huge chunk of the plastic that went missing (by the way gowesty has metal replacements for this thing which I then installed).

A year later, can't pass smog test: root cause, burnt exhaust valve. Can't say for sure, but it is quite probable that these steamy events were the cause, only because in both cases I ran the van for 30-60 seconds more to get to a place where I was more comfortable to stop. Maybe if I had stopped right away I could have avoided an expensive head replacement.

Roland

On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 3:55 PM, Mike <mbucchino@charter.net> wrote:

> 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.vanagonauts.com/**printable.phtml?&catid=215> >> <htt**p://www.vanagonauts.com/**printable.phtml?&catid=215<http://www.vanagonauts.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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