Neighbor lady wants me to help. Her dads 1987 buick park avenue malfunctioned and she limped it back to her driveway. It then vented coolant.
When I checked the belt it looked good, but was off. I hand turned alternator, steering pump, airconditioning, but mostly I'm clueless.
I didn't even find a belt installation schematic. Neighbors frantic mood isn't helping.
Nils K. Hammer
Personally I have no idea but The Inter Webs suggest:
oned and she limped it back to her driveway. It then vented coolant.
ator, steering pump, airconditioning, but mostly I'm clueless.
isn't helping.
The first thing you have to do is find out why it threw a belt. The first t hing to check is the belt tensioner pulley and spring. The second thing wou ld be the water pump. I don't know what the third thing would be. Perhaps t he A/C compressor. It could be locked up, I suppose. You'd have to try turn ing the hub, not the pulley.
Check these things first. Don't bother trying to put on a new belt until yo u find out what caused it. If everything looks good. Put the old belt on an d start it up. If the belt wobbles and shimmies and rattles, replace the be lt and the tensioner. If it runs OK, turn on the A/C. My guess is that's wh at's going to throw the belt.
On occasion, if the high speed coolant fan is not working, the compressor head pressure will get high enough to throw the belt. In that case, replacing the compressor is an unfortunate waste of money, since it's the fan operation that needs repair.
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