Threw a belt!

Topic: Threw a belt! (Read 1316 times) previous topic - next topic

Threw a belt!

September 18, 2011, 09:02:12 pm

Half mile from storage I threw a belt. Progressive roadside assistance on their way. My plan is to tow it somewhere for service. I'm in Round Rock. Was thinking of taking it to Holt Cat and have them change the belts. Any one have experience with Holt or should I take it somewhere else in the Austin, TX area?

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #1 – September 18, 2011, 09:11:04 pm

I would expect you could replace the belt and drive it. I would avoid towing my coach if I could. There are lots of hazards in towing.

Just today I picked up three brand new Gates belts in the sizes of the three belts on our coach. Our belts were replaced in January. I put the three new ones in the drawer in the propane bay on the passenger side. I expect I could replace a belt on the shoulder of the road if necessary. Recent stories on Foreforums reinforced the idea that belts are easy to change and pretty easy to keep on hand. A broken belt can be a trip spoiler.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #2 – September 18, 2011, 09:23:02 pm

Agree.

Unless the thrown belt is due to a seized major component, replace the belt and go on down the road.

Towing would be a lot more expensive than a mobile mechanic and could do other damage to the coach.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #3 – September 18, 2011, 10:25:58 pm

I've never changed a belt before and not exactly sure where to start. I'll go look at the CAT manual, but I'm not sure where to start given all the various pulley's, dual belts, etc. My worry is I start loosening bolts on pulley's trying to figure out how to get access to the belt location I need to replace and mess things up even more. I'm not sure how old any of these belts are so they really ALL need to be replaced. I purchased 2 full sets of belts. Since the tow to HOLT is covered by my insurance roadside assistance, my thought was to have them take it there and just let someone with a lot more knowledge replace them all. So, the cost is the same regardless of whether I tow it or have a mobile mechanic visit.

You guys have me worried about the towing now. What kind of issues am I facing? The trip is only about 10 miles, but I'm sure there are hazards whether you travel 1 or 100 miles. I guess I can see if I can get Progressive to switch this from a tow to the mobile mechanic, but then I think the risk is what if the mechanic does shoddy work, etc?

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #4 – September 18, 2011, 11:21:39 pm

The drive shaft has to be disconnected, which shouldn't be a big issue, if the tow truck driver knows what he's doing. Equally important is the re-connect; the drive shaft must be placed "in-phase". Otherwise the U-joints can be ruined fairly easily. My coach had to be towed about 25 miles (water pump froze up). After getting the new pump and continuing on to San Antonio, I noticed a significant vibration in the engine area. When I got back to Nacogdoches, mechanics found the shaft was installed out of phase, U-joints ruined and the zerks had been broken off.

I'm not much of a mechanic, but I've replaced all three of the belts on the C8.3 a few times. The first time, while on the side of the road, however, can be traumatic. After this fix, acquire the backup belts and figure out the tools you'll need to do it yourself in the future.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #5 – September 18, 2011, 11:32:43 pm

Thanks for your input Don! I'm fairly certain I could replace all the belts given time and some coaching or some sort of instructions, but not much to go on in the docs I have. I was reading in my manual about towing. In addition to your point about disconnecting the drive shaft, there was also mention of towing from the rear with front wheels down. Seems to me that would be easier and less room for error on the drive shaft issues?

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #6 – September 18, 2011, 11:53:24 pm

Benjie,
I'll let more knowledgeable members comment on "towing from the rear with front wheels down." I have seen this a few times, but don't know the pros and cons. I do know that on my '92 U-280 it was actually built with receivers (for wrecker hardware) welded in the front behind removeable fiberglass panels for towing.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #7 – September 19, 2011, 12:35:56 am

I cancelled the tow and am calling a mobile mechanic in the morning. Fingers crossed he's good!

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #8 – September 19, 2011, 12:56:30 am

Benjie,

We have excellent service with mobil mechanics; I would not be concerned.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #9 – September 19, 2011, 08:48:18 am

CAT 3208 BELT NUMBERS and their PROPER ADJUSTMENT - Wanderlodge Owners Group
Benjie, Here is a link to another site that has instructions for belt replacement. This may not answer all your questions and 3208NA may be slightly different but its a place to start.
Good Luck
Gary B

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #10 – September 20, 2011, 03:59:27 pm

Well, ended up getting the mobile mechanic out. He fixed while I watched. I don't really have a reference point to gauge how good he is. The belts are all on and seems to run fine the last mile I drove it. He didn't have any type of belt tension tool so they were tightened based upon years of experience. That makes me a little nervous as I certainly don't want to be on the side of the road with my family in another couple weeks with another belt issue or bearing issues. After observing, I'm confident I could have figured it out but it took him 7 hours with the right tools so I can only imagine how much time it would have taken me without an air ratchet, impact wrench, etc.

He did have some very interesting stories. He claimed to have made 27 million dollars in his lifetime and then lost it. When I joked that he must have been part of the Mexican drug cartel he actually said yes he'd been caught with more than 60 tons of marijuana! I didn't dig much deeper, but he said he had land near the border and some drug runners had asked him for usage of his land. From there, his involvement grew. Said he spent about 3 years in a federal prison. Truth or not, I wouldn't say the story exactly instilled confidence, but I couldn't exactly tell him to leave with half the bolts off and he knowing best where they went!

I will say that there are definitely some things I'm going to do differently on my next coach! One of the most important is going to be looking for an engine configuration with better access to belts, water pump, etc. Having a rear radiator, the only real access is from top side and it can get tight trying to work that way! Those pics Gary posted of the Wanderlodge would never be able to be taken on my set up unless you removed the entire radiator and fan! The other is going to be finding a coach with more clearance underneath. After the coach has been off for about 15 minutes and the air has bled out, it gets difficult to climb under the thing with any real room to maneuver!

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #11 – September 20, 2011, 04:25:17 pm

Benjie,
FWIW I had a 89 OREG (rear engine gas, Ford 460) had to get pretty good at changing belts because I kept throwing them. Turned out the idler pulley was bad. Once that was replaced, no more problems (till I blew her up pushing that poor under powered rig hard)m

Moral of story, carry spare belts, and if it goes again anytime soon you probably need to look at idler/bearings/etc. In belt path for cause.

Damn nuisance to loose cooling and power steering on expressway!

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #12 – September 24, 2011, 12:59:33 am

Regarding Tim's post-

For those with the gas Ford, a mechanical 7.3 Ford/Navistar diesel should be a very easy conversion and will bring the OREG up to 5.9 Cummins performance. I did my old 26' Southwind with a mechanical 7.3 turbo and it doubled the fuel mileage from the 440 Dodge. 6.9s have smaller diameter head bolts that don't work as well holding heads down if a turbo is fitted.

Benjie,

Beside blocking the suspension after you have raised it, I made four tapered blocks, one for each rear tire to give more clearance. Pull ahead up on them. Should have all rear tires up on the blocks. Exception is changing outside rear tire where a 2x6 on the inside tire works great as a jack.

A lot of the SOBs that are up in the air ride like you are in the rear of a Airbus after a bad (or an average) landing so you usually give up handling when the coach is designed with more ground clearance.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #13 – September 24, 2011, 08:53:57 am

Wish I would have know that before I traded for my 1999 U-270....but then I wouldn't have my 2000 U-320 4010!

In my mind I really wanted to just convert to diesel - I guess i didn't do enough research

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #14 – September 27, 2011, 12:33:05 am

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – September 24, 2011, 12:59:33 am

Regarding Tim's post-

For those with the gas Ford, a mechanical 7.3 Ford/Navistar diesel should be a very easy conversion and will bring the OREG up to 5.9 Cummins performance. I did my old 26' Southwind with a mechanical 7.3 turbo and it doubled the fuel mileage from the 440 Dodge. 6.9s have smaller diameter head bolts that don't work as well holding heads down if a turbo is fitted.

Benjie,

Beside blocking the suspension after you have raised it, I made four tapered blocks, one for each rear tire to give more clearance. Pull ahead up on them. Should have all rear tires up on the blocks. Exception is changing outside rear tire where a 2x6 on the inside tire works great as a jack.

A lot of the SOBs that are up in the air ride like you are in the rear of a Airbus after a bad (or an average) landing so you usually give up handling when the coach is designed with more ground clearance.

Interesting, so if I know of a nice early 90s OREG Ford that I could get for a very good price I should purchase and put in a 7.3 Navistar?

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #15 – September 27, 2011, 03:00:22 am

Quote from: Benjie Zeller – September 27, 2011, 12:33:05 am

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – September 24, 2011, 12:59:33 am
Regarding Tim's post-

For those with the gas Ford, a mechanical 7.3 Ford/Navistar diesel should be a very easy conversion and will bring the OREG up to 5.9 Cummins performance. I did my old 26' Southwind with a mechanical 7.3 turbo and it doubled the fuel mileage from the 440 Dodge. 6.9s have smaller diameter head bolts that don't work as well holding heads down if a turbo is fitted.

Benjie,

Beside blocking the suspension after you have raised it, I made four tapered blocks, one for each rear tire to give more clearance. Pull ahead up on them. Should have all rear tires up on the blocks. Exception is changing outside rear tire where a 2x6 on the inside tire works great as a jack.

A lot of the SOBs that are up in the air ride like you are in the rear of a Airbus after a bad (or an average) landing so you usually give up handling when the coach is designed with more ground clearance.

Interesting, so if I know of a nice early 90s OREG Ford that I could get for a very good price I should purchase and put in a 7.3 Navistar?

The truck I bought had the turbo 7.3, 5 speed Getrag, the one piece flywheel, new radiator and about 18,000 miles since remanufacture. It had a front end accident but could be driven. I bought it off ebay for $1350 at 11pm, bought an online ticket and flew back to get it in Minn/St.Paul at 6am in the morning. Had to fabricate a bunch of stuff and a new drive shaft. Shaft was the expensive thing, about $300 or so. I did have to worry about steering clearance for a while until I realized I could turn the pan 180 degrees and just make a oil pickup that would work. No dipstick as I did not want to drill the block (old dipstick just hit the shallow end of the pan). Put a 240Z power steering pump on for the steering and Dodge power brakes (yes, hyd. power brakes). The guy had a new job in Turkey and had spent $18K on it the year before. Insurance had paid him a lot from the accident so I just came along at the right time.

Up until around 1992, the 7.3 was a mechanical engine. Glow plug timer is on the engine so nothing to worry about there. Glows, pulses, shuts off all by itself. Just a few connections and you have to make sure there is a return diesel line to the tank (or make one). Electrical connections total about 5 or 6. Since a Ford came out, another Ford should go in without too many changes. Hopefully, the engine mounts would be close. Ford trans should bolt up to an automatic engine. The Dealers Diesel turbo remanufactured engine has worked well. Lots of low end and with the short ratio in the back, I am in 5th on the on ramp before I get to the freeway. Does I-80 over Donner Pass in 5th with partial throttle. A 40 foot 525 hp did pull me a little on Donner but the Monaco's and others were tied to a tree. The 26 footer is very light so a Foretravel would weigh a LOT more. No intercooler on this engine so power would be about the same as a mechanical 5.9 Cummins in stock config. 195HP as I remember for my 7.3. Like I said, it has glow plugs so starts fast in most conditions. The Fords are famous for small air leaks around their complex fuel filter assembly but I mounted a remote fuel filter and have had no trouble. Should be able to pick up a nice gas Foretravel with a bad engine for around $5K. No smog after conversion.

Would be OK without the turbo but slow in the hills. Talked to a guy with a long horse trailer that put over 600K on his 6.9 without doing anything to it.

The 26 footer only had 27K miles so I sold the 440 Dodge engine/trans for $1600 to a SuperBee restoration in Phoenix.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #16 – September 27, 2011, 09:28:00 pm

Well, I read this thread, and Sat. looked for the belts on a U-225 with the 5.9 Cumming. I did manage to get the bed up enough to see there are belts at the top of the rear of the engine. No way to touch them from in the bedroom without removing the bed deck. I opened the rear radiator grill, no belts can be seen. I did not crawl under the coach to look up where they surly must be located.

But I think it is going to be a bit of a pain to change my belts. Will crawl under the coach this week when we are camping and parked on a nice smooth concrete slab, and not on huge sharp gravel like last weekend. Taking the creeper to allow a complete roll around the underside.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #17 – September 27, 2011, 09:41:24 pm

Sorry Dave, the only way to get to those belts is to climb into the engine bay under the bed. You don't have to remove the bed platform just get it up as high as possible and use the bronze colored clamps on the struts to keep it up. That's one heavy mattress. The clamps are down by the electrical stuff.

I have actually done it myself but I recommend hiring it out. Now you know why I have such a bad back.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #18 – September 27, 2011, 09:51:33 pm

Thanks for the reply, and the safety clamps, and the great mattress. But I have looked at the engine, the space, the distance and am amazed to know you got back there. See where I will have to lay on top of the engine for sure. Think I would move the mattress forward, and then jack up the platform as much as possible. It would be a very hot and messy thing to do on the road.

And now we all have the rest of the story, and understand about your bad back.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #19 – September 27, 2011, 10:01:26 pm

Not being able to go in through the rear engine cover due to radiator, I wonder if there is a method to simply remove the radiator, do the belts and reinstall the radiator ? Not having ever seen your setup, the closest I have seen was the 89 U300 with the 6V-92, that would also be one to have done somewhere else. Just wondering with the 5.9, might be easier, No room to stand up beside engine, either side ?
No idea.
Thanks

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #20 – September 27, 2011, 10:44:14 pm

I will have to look to see if I can get the super skinny wife to stand up beside the engine. That just might be the best answer, and I will tell her it was a great idea from the forum, not mine.

I have the spare belt thanks to Kent Speers, along with many spares that he carried and left on the coach. I gathered them together for different places and filled a storage box.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #21 – September 28, 2011, 09:27:45 am

Dave M, if you have a forklift with you and 4 hours to spare you can remove the radiator. I speak from experience. I had the radiator pulled, rodded and disassembled in 2009. It was clean as a whistle. No corrosion anywhere.

So Dave C, all of the belts and the water pump and the thermostat were replaced while the radiator was out. You should be good for another 10 years at least. And although you have a lovely thin wife there's no way she can stand up in that engine compartment. If you are really stuck you simply put one foot on each ledge in the engine compartment, straddle the engine and put a blanket over the engine so you can lay on it and with considerable pain and bending of the body you can reach the belts.

If your smart you will make sure that you have a good roadside service plan and if you ever call for a roadside belt replacement tell them to send a skinny, flexible, young mechanic.

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #22 – September 28, 2011, 11:15:11 am

Quote from: Kent Speers – September 28, 2011, 09:27:45 am

... I was clean as a whistle. No corrosion anywhere. ...

Kent,

The reports on this forum indicate that you might have corroded up pretty quickly in the last two years if you were "clean as a whistle" in 2009. (Or was that a typing error?)

Best wishes for continued abatement of your "corrosion issues."

Thanks for sharing stories of "rear radiator adventures." Our Cummins B5.9 rear radiator power plant left our fleet when we sold the SOB and acquired the U295.

It was good news that Benjie was able to get new belts "on site" rather than participating in a "towing adventure."

Re: Threw a belt!

Reply #23 – September 28, 2011, 11:22:22 am

JD, thanks for the quick catch. That was a good one. Typo corrected.

Affiliate Notice