Of course, when the alternator belt breaks and the light come on the
engine must be immediately shut down. Well, get off the road safely
first but get your foot off the gas. When the water pump stops turning,
coolant stops flowing! Since the gauge sensor is not really on the
engine, you do not see the temperature rise until things are hot enough
to make steam. The gaskets are now being punished. The uneven temps at
the tops of the heads are now stretching the studs and hot spots are
forming on the heads and pistons. OK, next, we get the pressure cap to
release or we blow a hose or pop the end cap out of that plastic
manifold. Sudden hot coolant loss and rapid water to steam conversion
causing sudden-uneven cooling! Now we have warped heads, possible case,
and bad cylinders and of course stretched head studs. BTW-the power
steering belt will fit in a pinch.

The real trick is to regularly check the belts and the accessory
bearings to avoid this failure in the first place.

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 11:31 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: ALWAYS CARRY A SPARE ALT. BELT!!!!

 subject sez it all.   those of you who dont have a spare alternator
belt in
your van need to order one and keep it in there.  along with a 13mm
wrench so
you can change it.

  not fun being stranded with a overheated van with a dead battery in
the
middle of nowhere..

chris