I keep throwing a fan belt
Short version: How do I get melted fan belt stuff off of fan belt pulleys? Chemicals? Elves? Fire? Nuclear Weapons? Specifics: 1982 Beaver Catalina P30 Chassis Chevy 454 I keep throwing a fan...
Forum Discussion
Well, I fixed it for now. Much thanks for all the advice and general input.
Medium story short:
I took off the smog pump pulley and cleaned off the rubber melted onto it with a propane torch, a putty knife, a wire brush and a final cleanup with acetone. It was pretty clean looking when I got done. I (gently) put it in a vice to hold it. I put the original length belt back on it. Drove it at night for two hours with several stops and shut downs without a failure.
Long version:
I keep the RV at a friends house and I was supposed to meet him at his place at 5pm or so to put it away. I started working on the belt at 3pm. I was having a tough time trying to clean it while on the engine. I recalled someone somewhere saying it was pretty easy to take off the pulley so I went for it. Three bolts but none of my standard wrenches fit. Trip back to the garage to get my metric set. Just like someone had said, 10mm fit. D**n pully was spinning like crazy so I put the belt on and tightened it to hold the pulley. A few minutes later I had it off without dropping one bolt. (Small victories)
I tried to us a utility knife on it while holding it by hand when I got this clear picture in my mind of the knife slipping into my hand. I took it in the garage and put it in the vice. My propane torch is in a drawer right there next to the vice So, per a recommendation I found on the web, I gave it a try. Took a couple of minutes with the heat to get the bulk of the rubber off with a putty knife and then a few minutes more with a wire brush to get it really clean. A wipe down in the grove with some acetone and it looked pretty good. It even shined when I had it back on the pump and the flashlight was on it.
Back in the RV I spun the pump so a bolt hole was on the very top and then aligned a hole on the pulley with that hole. Got it the first time! A few minutes later and it was finger tight. I threw on the belt again and started the engine. No squeak and it did fall off after a couple of revs. Dog house cover on and I was on the road. (No cleanup if I was going to get there by 5pm)
I left the house at exactly 4pm. One stop on the way to get a fancy replacement belt I had ordered and another stop for an errand for my wife. WHERE THE HECK DID ALL THIS TRAFFIC COME FROM?! I haven't mentioned that I get flex time at my job so I don't normally travel during regular commute times and I normally commute against the normal traffic flow. That and working from home sometimes leaves me unaware of just how many cars normal people have to put up with.
Half an hour later I'm about six or seven miles down the road. I'd heard a squeak or two that eventually turned into a regular repeating squeak squeak squeak. (Those paying attention know what this is) The bolts on the pulley were only finger tight. I had forgotten to tighten them after putting on the belt. I pulled off on a wide shoulder and got to doing that. It is amazing how fast things get hot in an engine bay. The smog pump pulley wasn't that hot but the one on the alternator left red marks on my arm. A few minutes later and I'm back in traffic.
I skipped the pickup of the fancy (read $27 vs. $7) belt in hopes I could make the pickup for the wife. I made the wife's pickup just in time and finally made it to my friends house at 6:03pm.
I'm going to try and figure out how long of a belt to get for bypassing the smog pump and put one of those and another full length spare in the trunk. That and I will start bringing my metric tools with me when we take it out.
Medium story short:
I took off the smog pump pulley and cleaned off the rubber melted onto it with a propane torch, a putty knife, a wire brush and a final cleanup with acetone. It was pretty clean looking when I got done. I (gently) put it in a vice to hold it. I put the original length belt back on it. Drove it at night for two hours with several stops and shut downs without a failure.
Long version:
I keep the RV at a friends house and I was supposed to meet him at his place at 5pm or so to put it away. I started working on the belt at 3pm. I was having a tough time trying to clean it while on the engine. I recalled someone somewhere saying it was pretty easy to take off the pulley so I went for it. Three bolts but none of my standard wrenches fit. Trip back to the garage to get my metric set. Just like someone had said, 10mm fit. D**n pully was spinning like crazy so I put the belt on and tightened it to hold the pulley. A few minutes later I had it off without dropping one bolt. (Small victories)
I tried to us a utility knife on it while holding it by hand when I got this clear picture in my mind of the knife slipping into my hand. I took it in the garage and put it in the vice. My propane torch is in a drawer right there next to the vice So, per a recommendation I found on the web, I gave it a try. Took a couple of minutes with the heat to get the bulk of the rubber off with a putty knife and then a few minutes more with a wire brush to get it really clean. A wipe down in the grove with some acetone and it looked pretty good. It even shined when I had it back on the pump and the flashlight was on it.
Back in the RV I spun the pump so a bolt hole was on the very top and then aligned a hole on the pulley with that hole. Got it the first time! A few minutes later and it was finger tight. I threw on the belt again and started the engine. No squeak and it did fall off after a couple of revs. Dog house cover on and I was on the road. (No cleanup if I was going to get there by 5pm)
I left the house at exactly 4pm. One stop on the way to get a fancy replacement belt I had ordered and another stop for an errand for my wife. WHERE THE HECK DID ALL THIS TRAFFIC COME FROM?! I haven't mentioned that I get flex time at my job so I don't normally travel during regular commute times and I normally commute against the normal traffic flow. That and working from home sometimes leaves me unaware of just how many cars normal people have to put up with.
Half an hour later I'm about six or seven miles down the road. I'd heard a squeak or two that eventually turned into a regular repeating squeak squeak squeak. (Those paying attention know what this is) The bolts on the pulley were only finger tight. I had forgotten to tighten them after putting on the belt. I pulled off on a wide shoulder and got to doing that. It is amazing how fast things get hot in an engine bay. The smog pump pulley wasn't that hot but the one on the alternator left red marks on my arm. A few minutes later and I'm back in traffic.
I skipped the pickup of the fancy (read $27 vs. $7) belt in hopes I could make the pickup for the wife. I made the wife's pickup just in time and finally made it to my friends house at 6:03pm.
I'm going to try and figure out how long of a belt to get for bypassing the smog pump and put one of those and another full length spare in the trunk. That and I will start bringing my metric tools with me when we take it out.
