My truck apparently has a taste for drive belts. This will be the second one since I bought her in May I'll be replacing.

Started up fine this afternoon, and then I thought I heard squeaking. Checked, didn't see anything or hear anything else and took her out anyways since it was only 5 miles to the barn.

All good til I was ready to head home and was real sure that was squeaking under the hood. We made it about 2 miles and then I smelled that lovely burning rubber making a turn...at which point my power steering and brakes went out.

Long story short, I called one of my buddies to come rescue me, but of course I can't do anything about fixing her since everything is closed today. So now I'm suffering severe separation anxiety because the truck is still 3 miles away and not in my driveway where she belongs.

My buddy and I pulled the belt out- my vacuum pump is the issue again, just like last time. It keeps working its way out of alignment and then the fan hits the edge of the belt. It also looks like the bolt that should prevent that is missing. I'm hoping really hard that putting in a new bolt will solve this- any other theories?? (otherwise I'm going to have a very expensive lawn ornament for a while!)

 

it sounds like something is loose! i am assuming you have double checked every pulley to make sure none are wobbling?

why cant you drive it to your driveway? it will run it will just be manual steering and manual brakes. back when my belt let loose i was about 5 miles out from the farm and i was towing a 25' gooseneck with a new holland LS180 skid steer... needless to say not a light load. it was real hairy making the turns i needed and stopping to make the turns but i made it. i was sure i was going to overheat the truck since the waterpump wasnt turning but surprisingly it stayed cooled

-cutts-

 

I remove my fan when it starts to get cool and don't replace it until it starts to get warm. (No towing w/o the fan though)

Rog

 

yeah sounds like a bracket is goofed or a bearing in one of the pullys good luck though

 

I removed my electric fans last January to replace the waterpump and still haven't reinstalled them. Since then I've towed a 20 ft trailer 2700 miles from Az to NY. I planned on putting them back on but it never gets hot enough here that I need them.

 

Are you saying the pulley is working off the vacuum pump or is the whole pump getting loose.
If it's the first one you will need a new pulley to go on a new pump. There is no bolt that holds the pulley in place, it's held on by friction, press fit.


If the whole pump is getting loose then you are likely missing the bolts that go behind the pulley. They need to put into place before the pulley is installed on the pump....and then the pump can be installed onto the bracket.

 

Dont forget to use thread locker................

 

...even without the drive belt I won't hurt anything else? gonna be a long 3 miles for me- I didn't bring her back yesterday cause I didn't want to take anyone out...I'm not a very big person, and it took both feet and every ounce of strength I have to get her stopped

It probably wouldn't hurt to check everything else again just in case; but if you look at the vacuum pump from the driver's side, you can see the whole pulley is just a little bit further forward than it should be. I'm honestly not quite sure if I mean the pulley is working off the vacuum pump or is the whole pump getting loose

(I know my descriptions probably aren't the most helpful...I wasn't mechanically inclined at all until last November, and she's my first diesel, so it's learn-as-I-go right now!)

 

sounds more like the pulley is walking off the pump. it should be pretty obvious if the pump itself is coming loose

 

no not at all. your alt wont be charging your batteries, your waterpump wont be pumpin coolant, your power steering wont have pressure, and your vacuum pump wont be spinning. you dont need to worry about the batteries and waterpump since it is just 3 miles or so... like i said i was towing a trailer when mine went out and i was at least 5 miles out. the steering will be interesting but just remember, the steering will be easier while moving. when you need to stop pump the brake pedal several times and dont get close to anyone. just take it slow and easy and you shouldnt have any problems. and be careful. if you dont feel you can do it without causing harm to someone or someones property, then dont do it... just if you are comfortable.

-cutts-

 

The belt shoudln't come off that easy IMO.
But yea, figure out why its outa place, and be sure to check all your idle pullies to make sure they are good.
If they are damaging the belt any, that will make it easier for the belt to move around.

 

you should not have a problem getting home, just give lots of time to stop and take the corners really slow and watch your temp. gauge so you dont overheat but for 3 miles their should be no harm.

 

short belt life is deffinatly a missalignment or bent pully. Ilders are pretty notorious for this. The tensioners can go out too. What brand vac pump is it? Ive had TERRIBLE luck with napas. I use motorcrafts now with MUCH better results. Also, check that pully to see if its bent, it can be done. That'll shorten a pumps life also.

 

Yea, them idler pullies and tension pullies, if they are damaged, they will do strange things.

 

I called the local Ford dealership yesterday...that was a bad idea. "oh it sounds like you'll want to replace the pump and pulley, plus get an $80 drive belt from us!" ~$450 in parts alone...blah...

so I think it's only my pulley that's the problem?

just working its way out

and then I end up with an out-of-alignment drive belt now in the path of the fan. *sigh*


I honestly don't know what brand the vac pump is...I did bring her back home last night, so I feel ever so slightly better. that was a freakin long 3 miles, but I didn't injure anyone/thing :/