quote:

Originally posted by Medic37:
I do not have the old-one to match-up a new-one with [don't "ask" how it became missing].

quote:

Originally posted by Medic37:
worked fine before I removed the belt

Why did you take the belt off? Yes, I want to know. That part seems a little odd. The dealership should cover there backside by telling you about a "potential" problem (a/c bearing lockup) and giving you the option of further diagnosis. But they should have done the requested work without a doubt.

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1991 Barth Regal
460 EFI C6 Transmission
33' Oshkosh/John Deere Chassis

http://www.TruckRoadService.com/

"Without Trucks,

America Stops"

Okay...

...here's my embarrassing admission as to why the belt was removed in the first place.

It was within the bounds of a "hammer-mechanics" way of trouble-shooting.

I had this squeel that was developing, coming from the engine compartment. It was intermitent and somedays it would do-it and somedays it was quiet as a mouse. It reminded me of "belt squeel" from a loose or worn belt.

I had been on-the-road for 2 days and had not heard that horrible "squeel". On the 3rd day [the morning that I was heading-back home], I fired-up the engine, let it warm-up a bit and started to pull-out of the park I was staying-at. The "SQUEEL" was there ...it was constant, it was LOUD and it was the worse it had ever been. This included driving-thru the beautiful, little downtown area of Stockholm, Wisconsin, while all of the weekend antique shoppers were out on the sidewalks, attempting to enjoy a peaceful Sunday morning.

Of course, all heads were turned in my direction, to see this huge "SQUEELING" silver-bullet going-thru town. I had to climb a fairly steep hill, as well, which caused the offensive noise to be even twice-as-loud.

I decided to do a bit of trouble-shooting...

Since the truck only has 2 belts, I pulled into the next convenient farm-driveway, pulled-out the pocket-knife, and cut the A/C Belt right-off the pulleys!

This would be know as a Beltectomy in the medical world ...do something "drastic", hoping for a "dramatic" change.

I felt pretty bold in my gallant effort to rid thyself of the offensive noise!

Well... the patient still died, as you all know the rest of the story. It was a "squeely" 100 mile ride home and an immediate appointment made for the next day to have the serpentine belt and the tensioner replaced. The truck was right-at the 100,000 mile mark, so I felt it was a good time to have these items replaced anyway ...got a good looking-over, oil change and transmission service, as well.

This is how I pretty-much know that there was probably nothing wrong with the A/C, the A/C Belt, Compressor or anything else, before some dummy cut the belt-off with his pocket-knife, since everything was working fine prior to this dramatic, medical intervention.

I, of course, threw the belt away, thinking it was a simple repair and there would be no need to keep-it to "match-up" with a new belt.

I hope you guys are able to get some good laughter out of this story ...makes one think hard about the repercussions of one simple act...

Thanks for the dealership explaination ...it totally makes sense. I went there because it's an easy 10 minutes from my house and was advised to go there by a smaller hole-in-the-wall shop, who I thought I could have developed that "relationship-with", as you had described. I'll be shopping for a new diesel mechanic in the south-metro area of Minneapolis. Fortunately, the coach should be good-to-go once spring rolls-around.

rM

quote:

Originally posted by Medic37:
why the belt was removed in the first place.

It was within the bounds of a "hammer-mechanics" way of trouble-shooting.

Ok, makes sense to me. I'll call that a "cascade event" as well. Now if you just saved that belt...

Well the good thing is that you got home. Who knows, the lack of the a/c dragging the other components might have been the answer and that simple act alone might have gotten you home.

It also told you a little something about that dealership without you being in there for something MAJOR!

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1991 Barth Regal
460 EFI C6 Transmission
33' Oshkosh/John Deere Chassis

http://www.TruckRoadService.com/

"Without Trucks,

America Stops"

A little spray can of belt spray can be a real help in troubleshooting.

There are different opinions on its value, but it gives instant results in tracking a noise. Sometimes the noise even stays away for quite a while. I had a neighbor whose car had a squeaking belt on his morning start up, which awakened me. I offered to spray his belt, and pointed out that they were all old, cracked and shiney. I ended up spraying his belts every month or so for quite a while.

...being that it was the tensioner that was the "squeeling" culprit, I wish I would have grabbed a can of WD-40 or spray lithium or "something" B-4 grabbing the pocket-knife.

Thus we learn!

Once, while doing an emergency driveway repair on a Dodge van at our old winter getaway in Indio, CA, a neighbor, a real old-timer who'd just sold a busy private shop, lectured me on belt dressing. In his experienced opinon, belt dressing creates more problems than it solves.

His advice on finding squeaking belts was to get a little spray bottle of water, and shoot that on the belt. I've been doing it ever since. It quiets the squeak for a few moments which tells you whether or not it is the belt making the noise.

What it doesn't do is sticky up the belt and pulleys, and doesn't coat the block and accessories with greasy goo that catches every passing particle of dust and dirt.

BTW - Medic37, Don't sweat the dum-dums. You just joined the party a little later than some of us.

quote:

Originally posted by Medic37:
...being that it was the tensioner that was the "squeeling" culprit, I wish I would have grabbed a can of WD-40 or spray lithium or "something" B-4 grabbing the pocket-knife.

Thus we learn!

Don't feel bad about not dousing the idler pulley bearing with oil - the bearing is sealed, and none would have gotten there anyway.

At least if the compressor is bad, it's a straight-forward repair...not like my SOB; I had the A/C compressor replaced, but later I found the belt rubbed on the power steering pulley (when the belt failed on the road at 102F). 10 compressors later, the shop - thanks to the factory rep who finally loaded his truck with every fittable compressor he had in the warehouse - finally found one with the correct offset...the 12th that had been tried...

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
10 compressors later, the shop - thanks to the factory rep who finally loaded his truck with every fittable compressor he had in the warehouse - finally found one with the correct offset...the 12th that had been tried...

Golly, would a straightedge or a piece of string have showed something?

That's what it came down to after the first miscue...the shop ordered compressor after compressor (Ya', shure, dis ben de RIGHT ONE!).

Sheeessshhhh, bill h, you don't expect a Parts Guy to actually check anything, do ya'?