Just went thru a hard time / Mowing 5 acres in the country fighting tractor flat tires and compressor problems finished using my gravely zero turn in one foot of grass . Any way I started the 20 miles home at 7pm got within 4 miles and threw a tire on my 6x10 trailer with zero turn on it, hid it on a side road . All my friends trailers tied up, my other ones loaded and miles away ,knowing how many thieves are around made me nervous , Anyway i found my way to walmart and bought a tire and loaded up tools and flashlight , Oh joy I get to change tires in the dark in the stickers . Well I got her done with difficulty . But then I realize those tires are 14 years old --shoulda thought about that .
Next morning I try to back out of my drive at the river wam! no power steering then all the warning lights . Okay I found the belt off . I see nothing wrong but I pull fan and shroud , Belt perfectly good all pulleys okay but at 206k I replace all pulleys and tensioner and a new serpentine belt . I already had to pull top rad hose off so they are orig so I gear up to change oil and all hoses with antifreeze . I get a stucco pan out and wash it ,within 10 minutes the oil is in the pan and filter too, So I pull pan out to pour oil in a laundry soap container .Then I see a floating paper towel in oil . So I grab it to throw it out and low and behold its a big rat --freaked me out .
I know the rat jammed the belt but did he ride in from the country or spend the night on my engine and was a river rat ? I feel he must have ended up on the tray under the oil filter and when I paper toweled that he fell into the stucco pan .It was cool last night for florida maybe 68 . I guess I need to put out some more green rat bars .
Funny! but it cost me $300 or so and a work day . It needed done anyway . That dang fan is hard to get off even with the auto zone tools . I am going to get a small chain to get it off like f150T says attach it to engine bolt and one fan bolt .
So watch your engines for critters and put some rat killer in engine compartment and all around when you park it .

 

After all that is about the time someone would have told me to have a "blessed day" and I would have slugged them! I don't even think rat traps would have caught the gremlins in your case.

 

Sounds similar to an experience I had involving the neighbors cat on a particularly cold night. I happened to get home late, then leave early. Well I attempted to leave early, the cat, just looking for some place warm, thwarted my attempt, to his own demise. I still have fur in the engine compartment and Hood liner.

 

Well another part of the saga -- .I was underneath fighting the bottom hose clamp and my vertigo took over so bad i barely could get out and stand in front of the truck . Sweating-- dizzy-- nauseous , no fun to get old . I had my wifes car so I had to meekly ask my neighbor to go retrieve her at her shop . Good guy did that for me . My neighbor had the same thing happen to him --old farts club . Well I'm hoping to get better as I have a cruise to alaska in one week -- Thats 7k invested . Just hope the hurricanes stay away till I get back and recover .
Managed to dizzily put truck back together on the top side still have tools everywhere but I have a few days and a lot to do . I have had vertigo so bad thirty years ago that was triggered the same way and it hung on for 3 months . Something about raising your head with arms up working on stuff over head ,what a bummer . If it happens to you don't fight it come out of there ,the first time I fought it and really got sick for a long time . Something about the crystals in your ears getting out of place .Damn rat .

 

Damn Father Time!

Take care of yourself redfish, we need ya. And enjoy a safe cruise.