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Re: Fan Belt Suggestions and duct tape story

To: Steve Bush <sab92078@home.com>
Subject: Re: Fan Belt Suggestions and duct tape story
From: Brian Evans <brian@uunet.ca>
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 09:18:26 -0400
That's a good fan belt story, but where's the Duct Tape???  Can't be a Red 
Green Guy unless you've used Duct Tape to fix a race car (and I think a tad 
more than taping a body panel back together is needed to qualify - 
everybody's done that :))

Anybody rebuilt a clutch using duct tape?  Fixed a motor mount?  leaky 
header?

Cheers, Brian (from up at the lodge today)


At 10:27 PM 04/05/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>I would like to contest Brian's award.  My fan belt story also happened
>in Canada.  I was headed to Westwood, BC from Seattle to be a
>spectator.  My trusty Morgan I broke a fan belt just after crossing the
>border.  With no spare, I thought I was lost until a Morgan SS stopped.
>Seeing my problem he made a suggestion that I replace the broken fan
>belt with a pair of my wife's panty hose, stretched and knotted tight.
>It worked so well I passed many a gas station on my way home without
>replacing it.  Oh, the Morgan and wife are both "ex's".  Hated loosing
>that car.
>
>Murray Taylor wrote:
> >
> > Surely we must give Brian the "Red Green" Award of Achievement.
> >
> > Brian Evans wrote:
> > >
> > > I've used Gates belts as a matter of preference when I could get them.  I
> > > used to like the green ones that had a full fabric cover.  As a 
> preference
> > > in non-stock I like the toothed belts - 1/2" gilmer type belt can 
> transfer
> > > a lot of power and are almost foolproof.
> > >
> > > I say almost fool-proof because I was using them on a Mini once.   I was
> > > setting the timing in broad daylight using a cheap timing light, held 
> very
> > > close to the crank pulley running at 5,000 rpm.  The metal shroud of the
> > > light caught the belt, and cut it right off so fast it was silly.  So 
> there
> > > I am, in St. Jovite (9 hour tow from home) just before the first practice
> > > on Saturday.  No spare, and no industrial supplier in this quaint little
> > > tourist town.  No stock pulleys in the paddock.  What to do?
> > >
> > > The Mini gilmer belt setup uses a broad pulley on the waterpump, and a
> > > narrow pulley with guide rails on the crank.  I went to the gas 
> station at
> > > the track entrance and bought several normal fan belts that I thought 
> might
> > > fit over the pulleys.  The smallest one was too tight, the next size 
> up had
> > > way too much slack to even think of working.  I then got out the Canadian
> > > males best friend - Duct Tape.  I wrapped a 1/2" thick layer of duct tape
> > > around the waterpump pulley, such that the fan belt would just barely fit
> > > over.  I started the engine and the belt instantly pushed a v-belt shaped
> > > groove into the layers of duct tape!  I ran the entire weekend using this
> > > and it worked perfectly!
> > >
> > > This is my best duct tape story, BTW...
> > >
> > > Am I the only one who evaluates the significance of a breakdown based on
> > > how far a tow I am from home and how early it is in the weekend?
> > >
> > > Brian
> > >
> > > At 12:23 PM 04/05/2000 -0400, Chad Raynal wrote:
> > > >Hello All,
> > > >
> > > >Wanted to ask if anybody has found a particular brand of fan belt 
> (Gates,
> > > >Dayco, etc.) to do a better job than the rest.
> > > >
> > > >I found that a brand new Goodyear belt has way too much stretch at 
> my first
> > > >track session this weekend.  I replaced the belt with a Dayco that has
> > > >worked fine thus far, but I'd most surely replace it if someone has 
> a better
> > > >suggestion.
> > > >
> > > >By the way, all pulleys are aligned to within a degree, and the 
> alternator
> > > >pulley/shaft is true.
> > > >
> > > >Thanks in advance for any feedback.
> > > >
> > > >-Chad
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Get 100% FREE Internet Access powered by Excite
> > > >Visit http://freelane.excite.com/freeisp


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