Date:         Sun, 7 Feb 2021 15:55:23 -0800
Reply-To:     Dan N <dn92610@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dan N <dn92610@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Broken belt to Water pump
Comments: To: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:  <1599907158.2484049.1612740236595@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

there are 2 questions...

1. Why don't they give the water pump a dedicated belt as for the A/C? The
belt driving both alternator and water pump will wear out faster... right?
2. Why did VW give up on air cooled engines and move to water cooled in
1985 while Porsche kept air cooled engines till 1997? If we have a good air
cooled engine we won't have the water pump and belt issue... right?

On Sun, Feb 7, 2021 at 3:24 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

>  Believe it not Dennis, you provided me the proper guidance and assurance
> to fix my problem with broken belt nearing Corpus Cristi, TX.  Luckily, I
> had another rubber belt in the back, and a few gallons of water.  You
> explained that I had possibly taxed the whole deal....all the way up to
> behind dash, the front heater core.  Heat-stressed the whole system.
> Fortunately, that was not the case.....I caught it almost immediately.
> Funny....I expressed to Vanagon List about how maybe there should be some
> kind of sensor or something to alert driver of impending doom.  Seemed like
> a reasonable challenge.
> Sure enough, about 2 years later, GoWesty provided a solution!  I don't
> know if they read all these emails or not, and also the multitude on the
> Facebook Vanagon Owners Group.  I think they do; but employees are likewise
> instructed not to comment.  Good for them!  I would do that too.
>
>
>
>     On Sunday, February 7, 2021, 2:45:03 PM PST, Dennis Haynes <
> d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Engineering wise the alternator/water pump belt set up is defiantly a
> result of after thought engineering. There just is not enough belt wrap
> around the drive pulley to transfer the torque needed to drive the
> alternator without excessive tension and a belt that  does not stretch. For
> alternators that are loaded supporting AC or dual battery systems or
> ridiculous head light loads this belt just doesn’t stand a chance for long
> life. Add that road debris can often fly up and pull the belt off just adds
> to this failure scenario. This is one red light that does mean stop now.
> Belt failure can also be caused by water pump or alternator bearing
> failure.
>
>
>
> Dennis
>