Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:09:14 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Belt Squeal - Issue Revealed, Problem Solved
In-Reply-To: <00c801cba26c$2309e5d0$691db170$@net>
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Good that you finally found the cause.
A suggestion? Whenever you have new hoses or have removed and
re-installed a hose it is always a good idea to go back over it all after a
few days and re-tighten screw type hose clamps, re-check the belts, etc. I
like to visually check to see that no wires were un-tied and that the
gaskets are not leaking anywhere. I sometimes go so far as putting a torque
wrench back on some of the fasteners..
It can't hurt, and often I find I can take up about half a turn on most of
the hose clamps, at least...Sometimes I find a forgotten wire that comes out
of hiding after a day...laying somewhere where it should not be.
I especially do this now after a professional shop has worked on one of my
vehicles...
I once trailered my race car to Las Vegas for a weekend of POC road racing,
with a stop in San Fran to have my mechanic do a fancy alignment on the
car. He was behind schedule so I got to the track just a few hours before
qualifying. I made two laps and the car felt wrong, came in and found one
front wheel with about 2 inches of Toe Out...they forgot to do up the
locknut on the tie rod...
So there I was, 3 days of hauling to a race and in only 2 laps I had a
corded tire and an alignment that I had to do "by eye"...Of course there
were no matching tires at the track for my vehicle and I ended up running on
old old practice/warm up tires that were hard as hockey pucks...
That taught me. No matter how good your shop is supposed to be, you'd
best check things yourself...preferably twice over...
Don Hanson
On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 10:39 PM, Kim Springer <kimspringer@astound.net>wrote:
> Hello All,
>
>
>
> For the last few days my belt squealing issue has been not that big of a
> problem, until this morning:
>
>
>
> I started T7 up, no squeal. Let it warm a bit, and drove off. Two blocks
> later, it started squealing again. Pulled over and shut it down. Went to
> start it again, would not start. Opened the driver door to listen for the
> fuel pump, I hear it. Still no start. I open up the engine lid, gas fumes!
>
>
>
> One of the hose clamps at the tee (left side) was loose and it was weeping
> fuel. It seems I've been dressing the belt with gas fumes without even
> knowing it, causing it to stretch and get loose. I never smelled the gas
> fumes and I checked it several times over the past few weeks. I have a good
> sense of smell, but had no idea of the cause until today.
>
>
>
> Tightened the clamp (checked all other clamps as well), adjusted the belt
> (which I will replace in a few days), and back on the road.
>
>
>
> What amazed me, since the leak was just weeping, was that it was enough to
> drop the pressure in the FI system to keep it from running. Good thing too.
>
>
>
> I had the top end done recently. My guess is that they split the
> Induction/FI system at the tee and forgot to tighten the clamp properly
> when
> they reinstalled the 2-4 side.
>
>
>
> So add that to your memory banks. Loose belt - gas fumes near the belt-
> belt
> stretch - belt squeal.
>
>
>
> Kim
>
> Tristar #7
>
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