

| Subject: | Re: PS V-belt (it screams) |
| From: | Rob Campbell |
| Date: | Tue, 20 Apr 2004 19:13:08 -0700 |
I want to thank everyone who gave me such specific hand-holding for the power steering v-belt replacement procedure. I was able to find a v-belt (though at first they gave me the wrong belt... correct cardboard sleeve/barcode, but wrong contents). Couple things. The belt goes around a coolant hose, which connects to a small pipe (held in place with clip right under the back lip/rim of the engine hatch). This had to be disconnected to get the hose on. Is this normal, or should the hose have enough slack to be routed around the v-belt? It seems like someone just took a short-as-possible shot right through the belt. This is not a huge hassle, but if its incorrect, I'll add to to my "wishlist" of eventual fixes. Also, just took it for a test drive, the steering is wonderfully restored, but it screams a bit if I turn all the way hard in either direction. The tension is as close as I could get it to what was described (about 1/2" in the middle of the belt). However, it is a bit more slack than that other 2 belts. Perhaps I am not using enough force for the 1/2" test? It was indeed a "fun" time levering the pump to maintain tension while also trying to tighten up the adjustment bolt. I need to wait for the engine to cool before I want to stick my hands in there again, and by that time it will be dark, so this will have to wait until tommorow. In the meantime, does it make sense that the "scream" would occur if the belt is too loose? Is it better to err on the side of too tight? Thanks a lot for helping me take these baby-steps towards self-sufficiency, this list is fantastic! Rob Campbell 87 Westy, Seattle
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