Both alternator and water pump were fine when I spun them before
putting the belt on --- I was dreading a seized water pump. Van's
running great (except for the overheat at idle problem).

Cheers,
Doug

On 8/23/05, Ken Lewis <kdlewis_wating_time@allvantage.com> wrote:
> Doug,
> So...it's fixed? You don't have a dragging water pump or alternator(which
> caused the shredded belt)?
> Ken Lewis
> http://neksiwel.20m.com/
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Doug Alcock" <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 1:48 PM
> Subject: [VANAGON] Conclusion to:"Trouble on the Road in PA" (longish)
> 
> 
> Hi gang,
> Thought I'd tell you how my recent problems on the road ended up. To
> recap (and actually flesh out the story a bit)......
> We were heading down near Philly from Toronto when I blew a plastic
> coolant tee in the parkiing lot of the Duty-Free at the CanUS border.
> Call CAA and got towed to a local garage. He didn't have a tee and
> couldn't locate one in town (Saturday). The tow truck driver takes me
> over to Home Depot where we find a brass plumbing tee that turns out
> to work just fine. Mechanic proceeds to add the coolant I've lost. He
> does it with a gadget that pulls a vacumn in the entire coolant system
> --- then you drop a hose in a bucket of coolant and it is magically
> sucked into the system. I'm impressed but a bit sceptical, figuring
> that if this really worked this list would be all over it. We fire the
> van up and watch the temperature go up, and up, and up. I'm figuring
> there's still air in the system and the mechanic agrees that it is
> possible. I suggest bleeding the system the Bentley way but he says no
> --- his gadget works best when there is no coolant in the system ---
> and proceeds to start pulling hoses and getting as much of the
> recently restored coolant out of the van. This takes awhile but
> eventually he refills the system with soolant using his gadget. Fire
> the van up and watch the needle rise up, up, up again. At this point
> he's willing to try things my way though stating that he doesn't think
> there's any point. We bleed the Bentley way and sure enough, Bluebelle
> drinks another 4 litres of coolant. But still the freaking needle goes
> up, up, up. The *&&*%^*ing electric cooling fan isn't coming on. He
> starts looking on his computer for wiring diagrams so he can check the
> fan ---- I point out that if we pull this plug and jump the contacts
> we can test the fan. We try this and the fan works ---- and the temp
> stays where it should. We figure that the thermoswitch is gone --- and
> I figure the chances of getting a new one right now are nil. I'm
> staring at the temp guage and my eyes wander down to an unused switch
> on the dash that used to power driving lights. I turn to the mechanic
> and say --- why don't we use that switch to control the fan. He says
> that he is absolutley forbidden to rig anything like that for fea of
> getting sued. But he agrees that it's a pretty good idea and if I'd
> like he'll provide wire, connectors and tools and I can do it myself
> --- which I proceed to do. So we're back on the road.
> 
> Back to the border, as we're sitting waiting to cross the border I
> watch needle on the temp guage start to rise. I smugly reach for the
> switch and fire up the fan --- the needle continues to rise and rise
> ---- I turn on the front heater and the needle goes back to where it
> should be. Does anyone have a reason/suggested fix for this??? The
> needle stays exactly where it should while driving but I can't idle
> for more than a couple of minutes --- even with the fan going on high
> ---- before I have to turn the heater on to keep from overheating.
> 
> So we get to our campground near Philly and I borrow a few minutes of
> net time from the campground owner to send my "help" message to the
> list. I want to thank everyone who replied. It's great to know you can
> reach out for help at times like that. I bleed the cooling system one
> more time --- get a bit more coolant in it -- but no joy. We continue
> our trip, only occasionally having to resort to the heater --- which
> was just as well because Washington DC was 100 degrees and 100%
> humidity.
> 
> The folowing Saturday we leave DC and head home --- about 6pm we
> decide not to camp that night but to push on and get home late that
> night. Part of our reasoning is that we don't want to get stuck in big
> border lineups the next day. About 10 minutes later, the alternator
> light goes on and the temp needle starts to rise. I'm thinking 'darn
> --- looks like I lost the alternator belt as I pull over the the side
> of the Interstate'. Sure enough, I peer under the van and am able to
> reach up and grab my shredded belt. We call AAA (I'm thinking I may as
> well put them on speed dial at this point). AAA tells me that there
> are autoparts stores not too far from us that are open until 9 and
> that because we're on an Interstate we're a priority tow and they'll
> have a truck to us in 30 minutes. I'm thinking --- maybe we can get a
> belt tonight and get back on the road. We wait and wait ---- AAA calls
> and asks if we have a tow truck ---- we say no. Turns out they gave
> him the wrong mile marker and he's way North of us. By the time he
> shows up it's clearly too late to make an autoparts store.
> 
> He tows us to an exit near Erie PA --- lots of motels, restaurants and
> an Autozone. We've decided to grab a motel for the night. The lady at
> the first one informs us that not only does she not have a room, there
> isn't one in a 30 mile radius due to a baseball tournament in town.
> She agrees, however, to let us camp in her parking lot which we
> proceed to do. The next moring I walk to the Autozone ( a halfhour
> round trip) and get a belt identical to the old one. When I go to
> change it I find that the only way it's going to go on is if I pull
> off the alternator (this is an I4 conversion). I' m just tapping the
> alternator out of it's moorings when I think "what if I can't get it
> back on for some reason?" I try putting the long skinny bolt that
> holds it back in position --- it won't go and my heart goes 'kerpop'.
> However, a few gentle whacks with the BFH get the pin back in and
> tightened. And I go trudging back to the parts store for a belt that's
> just a little bit longer. It goes on fine and we're back on the road
> again --- and home a few hours later.
> 
> I've gone through a lot of coolant this summer --- about a month ago
> we were leaving our campsite and my wife noticed coolant gushing out
> of the from of the van. One of the rad hoses under the spare tire had
> broken. I wrapped the hole with duct tape, then wrapped it with a
> sheet of aluminum cut from a beer can and secured the aluminum a
> couple of hose clamps. I replaced the lost coolant (funny how I always
> have 4 lites of premix with me) and bled the system. That got us
> through the weekend and home and I've since replaced that hose and its
> aged partner.
> 
> Anyways......thanks again to all who answered my call for help
> 
> Cheers,
> Doug
> 
> 
> 
>