Isn't the water pump on a water-cooled engine driven off a belt?  If so, how
would the engine get cooling if the water wasn't circulating?  When a
thermostat goes, the engine overheats almost immediately due to the coolant
no longer circulating, so how is this different?  Sorry if I'm being dense
here.....
bmc  :)
"Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."

> From: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
> Reply-To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
> Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 21:25:52 +1200
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: V-belt failure & engine health
>
>> Can v-belt failure cause engine damage?  I was traveling about 65 mph
>> when the battery & EGR indiot lights came on.  I felt for heat coming
>> from the vents and felt none suspecting a broken belt.  I drove about 10
>> miles/10 minutes before stopping.  The belt replacement was uneventful
>> and everything seems fine now.  Any worries?
>>
>> Thanks to all.
>>
>> Jesse
>
> Only if your engine is an upright aircooled, in which the
> cooling/heater fan is driven by the belt. Type 4 engines (and flat
> Bug-type ie Type 3) have crank-mounted fans, so a broken belt may
> cause a flat battery but nothing else..
>
> Watercooled vans will not be affected coolingwise, unless the battery
> gets so low at town speeds that the electric cooling fans cannot run.
>
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> 165 EvansSt, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Ph: 0064 (3) 473-8863 fax: 0064 (3) 479-7527
> 1986 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX CE80 diesel sedan
> 1989 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX CE96 diesel van
> 1989 Toyota Corona 2.0D Select CT170 diesel sedan
> 1992 Toyota Estima Lucida 2.2 turbodiesel MPV (=narrow "Previa")
> 1984 VW Caravelle GL (to be fitted with 260hp Subaru SVX flat-6 &
> Porsche G50 trans)
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW & Toyota van nut
>