How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Jordan Baker]

Well I did a Canada Day drive today. Round trip would have been about 100km. The truck drove great, well almost.....about 15km from home the fan belt let go. CAA and my dad to the rescue. Tow truck was on scene in about 25min and we were home in no time.

My wife, Vicki called it to. I said let’s take the CMP for a drive, her reply was “yeah I’m probably going to call a tow truck”. Well let’s hope she called it with the lottery ticket she bought on the way home.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

And neither of you thought to use the old pantyhose replacing a broken fan belt hack? I'm glad nothing was broken!!

I got thinking about a loose fan belt causing overheating at speed and it makes perfect sense. As the speed increases so would the pressure needed to drive coolant through the water pump and the loose belt would slip on the pully reducing circulation.

[Jordan Baker]

Yes nothing broken is nice. Tow truck dropped me off at home. Cut the old belt out, started up the truck and backed into the garage.

[Harry Moon]

don't let coming home on the hook discourage you. I've come home on a hook three times, actually one of those was to the destination where i fixed the contamination. The fan can overpower the belt, 6 blades moving a lot of air and if you are over 30mph we are past it's design speed. I use a 5/8 belt reasonably tight. the belt tension is a regular maintanence check item

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Harry Moon

don't let coming home on the hook discourage you. I've come home on a hook three times, actually one of those was to the destination where i fixed the contamination. The fan can overpower the belt, 6 blades moving a lot of air and if you are over 30mph we are past it's design speed. I use a 5/8 belt reasonably tight. the belt tension is a regular maintanence check item

Back in the day I blew the transmission on my 60cwt Chev Machinery I (the one now at the Oshawa museum) in Arthur. Left it there and drove up the following weekend with a spare transmission. Installed it using my knee as the transmission jack. Got about 200 mosquito bites because both hands and my knee were busy aligning the splines on transmission shaft to the clutch. Drove it back to Scarborough. True story, I have photographs and witnesses.

Fast forward to yesterday.

My wife rented a car (VW Golf) and because of the two driver jockey dance she had me drive it home. Then in the middle of nowhere doing 115km/hr on the 401 bang woppa woppa woppa and a violent pulling to the left narrowly missing a car in the fast lane. Got well off on the shoulder to find the front right tire disintegrated. No problemo...there was a fully inflated donut in the back. Jack there too, but no wheel wrench. So I call the 1-800 'save me' number explaining the problem and my location to two different foreign call centres, and then a third time to the local contracted tow truck service. The tow truck dispatcher informed me I would have to find my own way home from the side of the highway because of covid social distancing rules. So there I am, a grown man broken down on the side of the highway unable to fix a simple flat. No matter, 3 hours later the defective VW was returned to the rental car place and because of all my trouble they upgraded the rental car my wife is now driving in comfort.

[Jordan Baker]

Originally Posted by Harry Moon

don't let coming home on the hook discourage you. I've come home on a hook three times, actually one of those was to the destination where i fixed the contamination. The fan can overpower the belt, 6 blades moving a lot of air and if you are over 30mph we are past it's design speed. I use a 5/8 belt reasonably tight. the belt tension is a regular maintanence check item

No discouragement from me. It’s all part of the joy of vintage vehicles.

How does the fan overpower the belt?

[Harry Moon]

the faster the fan goes the more horsepower it needs to move the increasing amount of air, just like losing tractions when you apply to much horsepower to the tires. more grip helps hence make sure you use 5/8 belts and pulleys. A fan unlike a car doesn't lesson the draw of horsepower when it reaches a certain speed it is uphill so to speak all the way.

[Harry Moon]

I use this belt and always have a spare with me. (I do run an alternator though)

[Lynn Eades]

Jordan, was that a new belt or the one you burnt? Btw, there are better photos of Vicky.
Harry does that belt cross over to a B52? I like those belts as well.