Patrick,
I've had it happen (wound up walking 5 miles to the nearest gas station when
it did). You stretched the belt.
All of the V-type belts are made sort of like Radiator hoses. They are
rubber for the most part (to provide traction on the pulleys and
flexability) and have a fiber criss-cross strand that runs through the
outside layer (it's actually just below the surface on the outside rubber
layer) that provides rigidity and form. When you pull on the belt you can
tear the fiber strands (which is why most manuals tell you "DO NOT USE A
LEVER TO PROVIDE TENSION")
When I tore mine, I had a friend tugging levering it into place with a 1"
crecent wrench and I was tightening the bolt...I should have figured out it
had stretched when the alternator was no longer sitting in the same position
on the adjustment arm.
I've always been able to get enough tension on it by pulling on the
alternator with just my hands until I'm red in the face and cussing like a
career sailor trying to free up a hand to reach a wrench to tighten the
adjusting bolt. If you're too tired afterwards to do anything but sit down,
you're pretty much right on mark with the tension.
When you do tear the fillimant layer at first...the belt will still do it's
duty for a time, but the rubber will stretch under the pressure and heat of
the engine. Which is why it loosens up (The rubber will conform to the
longer shape).
If you were driving for any duration with the temperature that high up, the
heat may have done some damage. And if you're going to have the engine high
enough up when you're doing your oil change, you might want to take a look
at the main bearings for wear. (This is just what I was told when this
happened to me.)
In the future, always keep one eye on the road and the other on the trouble
lights Oil/Ign (helps if you're cross-eyed). The first tip off that your
fan/alt belt has broken is the Ign. light coming on and the water temp level
needle will shortly start to move like an odometer towards the hot side.
And ALWAYS travel with a spare alternator/fan belt! By the way, I have two
stock 1500 belts that I'm no longer in need of since I put the GM alternator
on.
Let me know if you want them (one has less than 50 miles on it and the other
is brand new).
-Terry
'76 Spitfire 1500 (Still can't get this bastard tuned right. But it's
running! By the way, where the hell can I get new #6 x 40 threads/inch
throttle adjusting screws?)
Maryland
----- Original Message -----
From: Patrick Baize <speedracre@netzero.net>
To: <Spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2000 10:19 AM
Subject: Fan Belt - over heat
>
> Hi All
> On Friday I got a whiff of Coolant while driving. Looked at my temp
> gauge and it was pegged hot. Never noticed it was getting hot until I
> smelled it. I found that the Belt was missing, It has less than 2000
> miles on it and it was a Gates 7430 green stripe. Suppose to be a really
> good belt. A couple of weeks ago, the belt was loose so I tightened it.
> Last week it was loose again. Tightened it. The Altenator didn't move,
> so my only guess is the belt stretched, perhaps it was defective.
>
> Anyone experience this? Does anyone know of some sort of buzzer that
> will sound in the event the engine starts overheating?
>
> THnx
> Pat
> 63 Spitfire (still siting)
> 74 Spitfire( definaetly will change oil today, you never know)
> 68 Chevy C10 (still sitting)
> http://www.dol.net/~starborn/artvango.html
>
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