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WELL the drive home today had it's own adventure. NOT with the Lemon Snowball made famous by its own thread...dragging my feet with finishing repairs on that thing...but with the 84. Got half way back...heard a squeal and looked in rearview to see a cloud of smoke pouring out behind me. Pulled over to check...the crank//WP//AC belt was spinning but the AC pulley wasn't. Locked up solid. So pulled out the toolbox...got box cutter and cut away the belts. The AC//alt was already on its way out (again) so no loss there (had another with me anyway) while the other...well it was cooked. Pulled the alt which is now on pass floorboard so could check the AC pulley better...YUP locked up solid. Since I was on the shoulder a 1/4 mi from a main road junction with traffic buzzing by...needed to make it to just past junction to where there was a much larger clearing. So made the drive up...shut down...then made the "Come and get me, I need a tow." call to home.
Now bear with me...
No sooner do I finish the call do I start thinking. DAMN! If only I had baling wire or even tape while I rummaged around thinking I had another LONGER belt from when I was about to do an AC delete but didn't because the belt was too short (remembered during search). Already had the pulley with me but as I typed this I would've been screwed anyway since didn't have sockets big enough to pull the alt pulley. Then I looked in back of car...and there I saw it in all its pristine white glory...a nearly full bundle of cheap 3/16" fiber wrapped nylon rope. Same type might use for on a flagpole. EUREKA! I'll use IT!!!
Having the crank//WP pulley right next to one another made the job simple...just had to make sure to get rope as snug as possible since no way to otherwise remove slack. 1st go...started with 3in or so hanging loose then made 4-5 passes around the pulleys...square knotted them together then wrapped the excess around the strands then tie again. Fire it up then get out n check. I SEE SLACK! Turn off then retie. Checked...all is good...drive 2 miles (keeping speed to no more than 20mph) then pull over to check. Rope came undone. Okay...pulled the blackened mess off.
2nd attempt this time making a loop with one end of the rope then repeating the number of passes. This time when reaching the end run end of rope through loop then pull it as tight as can...wrap end once around the strands then tie as many half hitches as had free rope for. Start up and all looks good. Only see marginal slack since the rope has some give after all. Take off and get a couple more miles before seeing the other vehicle from home that would have towed me. Instead had them just follow while I kept going. Gradually over the course of miles gave it more throttle for speed while cars pass myself and the one behind (hazards on the whole time ofc). Since the car has an analogue temp gauge I kept an eye on that the entire time...stayed right around 180F. Pulled over only once to double check (all still good)...eventually got back up to highway speed to eventually make the side road home.
From now on after this going to be keeping a batch of rope on hand just in case as long as the vehicle uses V-belts. Couldn't have done this with serpentine.
Now bear with me...
No sooner do I finish the call do I start thinking. DAMN! If only I had baling wire or even tape while I rummaged around thinking I had another LONGER belt from when I was about to do an AC delete but didn't because the belt was too short (remembered during search). Already had the pulley with me but as I typed this I would've been screwed anyway since didn't have sockets big enough to pull the alt pulley. Then I looked in back of car...and there I saw it in all its pristine white glory...a nearly full bundle of cheap 3/16" fiber wrapped nylon rope. Same type might use for on a flagpole. EUREKA! I'll use IT!!!
Having the crank//WP pulley right next to one another made the job simple...just had to make sure to get rope as snug as possible since no way to otherwise remove slack. 1st go...started with 3in or so hanging loose then made 4-5 passes around the pulleys...square knotted them together then wrapped the excess around the strands then tie again. Fire it up then get out n check. I SEE SLACK! Turn off then retie. Checked...all is good...drive 2 miles (keeping speed to no more than 20mph) then pull over to check. Rope came undone. Okay...pulled the blackened mess off.
2nd attempt this time making a loop with one end of the rope then repeating the number of passes. This time when reaching the end run end of rope through loop then pull it as tight as can...wrap end once around the strands then tie as many half hitches as had free rope for. Start up and all looks good. Only see marginal slack since the rope has some give after all. Take off and get a couple more miles before seeing the other vehicle from home that would have towed me. Instead had them just follow while I kept going. Gradually over the course of miles gave it more throttle for speed while cars pass myself and the one behind (hazards on the whole time ofc). Since the car has an analogue temp gauge I kept an eye on that the entire time...stayed right around 180F. Pulled over only once to double check (all still good)...eventually got back up to highway speed to eventually make the side road home.
From now on after this going to be keeping a batch of rope on hand just in case as long as the vehicle uses V-belts. Couldn't have done this with serpentine.