News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

DRIVE BELTS FAN BELTS

Started by R Schroeder, July 01, 2012, 12:11:09 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

R Schroeder

I'm a big fan of NAPA parts, but I don't think much of there Premium belts.
I have bought 3 now, and all of them stretch and through black muck all over the front of the engine.
I asked them if they carried Gates belts but they told me those were Gates belts running under there name.
There listing was even wrong as far as the size.
What do you guys use ?
Roy

TJ Hopland

Oriley sells gates under the gates name.   All modern belts seem to stretch.  Wonder if its because they have all their formulas for the serp belts which run with a tensioner so a little stretch is not that big of a deal?  I remember older belts needing a re tension too but I find myself tweaking the tension on the V belts after the first week then again a month or so later.  After that they seem to be pretty stable.  The older belts seemed to just need that first month tweak.

Not sure what the black goo deal is?   Sounds like something else is going on there.  I have recently had a belt shred and there really was minimal mess. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

R Schroeder

I do adjust for the stretch after running a bit. These belts really stretch too. This is coming from the sides of the belts. It blows back on the engine from the force of the fan. It outlines the area of the belt on the engine block. Also up on the inside of the hood.

35-709

Front seal leaking on that A6 compressor?
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

R Schroeder

No its the belts. They leave black all over your hands when you touch them.
Black on engine is directly straight back from belt out line.
I will try some gates belts tomorrow.
T.J. told me where they sell them.
Roy

R Schroeder

Got my belts, but to hot to mess with them this week.
Roy

Chris Conklin

Still curious about the black mess that outlines the belt against the engine. I would think that if it was detritus blowing off from the belt that the bulk of it would be spattering up on the hood and to the sides and on the ground, not back toward the engine. The belts are spinning the wrong direction to spatter behind themselves and onto the engine front. It seems that whatever it is has to come from the front and head back toward the engine and it just happens to outline the belts because they are in the way.
Chris Conklin

R Schroeder

#7
Chris, the radiator fan is blowing it back on the engine.
One of the guys brought up the compressor.
There is a slight, very slight amount of oil there. It has been there for all the time I have owned the car. If it were leaking as much as what is on the front of the engine, it would not blow cold by now.
This seems to be flying off the belts in a dust type form, and then it gets blown back.
I will change the belt and clean it off on Sunday. Going to be to hot here until then.
I'll figure it out one way or the other.

dadscad

Roy, I've been using NAPA Premium belts for years and have never had the situation you are experiencing. Although, the belts currently on the car are several years old and yours are of newer manufacture.

You might want to check pulley alignment and the belt groove for smoothness on all the pulleys. You may have one with a crack or scar that is grinding a belt to powder.

Good luck with the new belts, let us know if you find anything suspicious.

David
Enjoy The Ride,
David Thomas CLC #14765
1963 Coupe deVille

R Schroeder

I will David.
This is one of those things that bugs you, and there has to be an answer.
With the belts off , I will check all of the pulleys and the alignment.
I have never had this happen to any car I have ever owned, and I have owned a lot of cars.
Roy

R Schroeder

I went out and changed the belts this morning. The heck with the heat. I used Fantastic and Gum Out carb clean to clean up what I could. There is a line across my upper radiator hose and on the front of the distributor that will not come off with either of the cleaners. It is sort of caked on and tough to remove.
They rest of it washed off with the cleaners. Must have been newer.
Will run for a while now and see what happens.

Guidematic


It seems they are of a lesser quality belt than the top line Gates. I have run into that exact same problem when using belts from another supplier here. They stretch and throw goo all over like you desribe.

I have used Dayco and GM belts with good results. Usually one retension after they are installed, and sometim,es they stay just as they were.

Mike
1970 Fleetwood Brougham 68169
1985 Eldorado Coupe 6EL57
1988 Eldorado Biarritz 6EL57
1990 Brougham d'Elegance 6DW69
1994 Fleetwood Brougham 6DW69

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

Roy,
If it is the AC/PS belt you are concerned with I would like to suggest you check the belt width.  Is the belt riding down in the pulley grove?  This is an issue I have been fighting for a while (AC/PS belt slipping) and I finally looked at the shop manual and noticed the AC/PS belt is supposed to be wider than the alt/ waterpump belt (.50" vs.410).
Greg Surfas
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-

R Schroeder

#13
Mike,
Yes they do stretch. Way more than normal.

Greg,
Yes the AC/PS belt is wider than the other. All of them that I bought were the same width.
It doesn't ride way down inside. Very top is higher than the pulley. I took it to the store just now, and already it needs to be tightened. Normal. I can tell, because the air will make it slip. Will fix that in a few days.

Roy

You can see in this picture how the belt sits on the compressor. This was when I put the NAPA belts on last year.

"Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364

Roy,
Look at the belt in the PS pulley.  Does the belt in fact measure 0.500 inches across the "back"?
Greg
Cadillac Kid-Greg Surfas
Director Modified Chapter CLC
CLC #15364
66 Coupe deVille (now gone to the UK)
72 Eldo Cpe  (now cruising the sands in Quatar)
73 Coupe deVille
75 Coupe deElegance
76 Coupe deVille
79 Coupe de ville with "Paris" (pick up) option and 472 motor
514 inch motor now in '73-

R Schroeder

Yes the belt is .500 x 60 7/8.

R Schroeder

Now that it cooled off here, I'll be heading out to a few shows in the area. We will see if its any better with the gates belts.
Will update.

R Schroeder

#17
Took a 170 miles ride today , and I don't see any black junk on the motor. So, it looks like maybe the gates belt is better.
Did have to adjust it one more time, but that should be it for this belt.

Also, according to my repair manual , an A-6 compressor with the old type seal does fling a little oil. This is normal, as per Cadillac manual. The ceramic seal needs to have oil on it. Some will by pass through.

TJ Hopland

Was doing a quick under hood check on my 80 this morning and noticed what I assume was the same stuff you were describing.  I noticed it on the aluminum AC lines but after looking closer its all over everything.   And yes they are fairly new napa premium belts.  Its not oily or at least any more oily than anything else under the hood of this car.   
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

R Schroeder

I have about 320 miles now, and no black junk. I can only assume it was the belts.
Roy