Does anyone in Austin have a spare? Were parked next to a hotel at the 183 and 290 junction. Any help would be great.
I bet you will have a spare in the future .>>>Dan (seems to be a common problem with MCIs)
I replaced mine a few months ago. I think I had 15 years on it. Still good condition, but I figured I was playing with fire on the time.
I checked NAPA and while they could get it, and even had one at one of the local stores, it was about $20 more expensive ($85 if I recall correctly) than my regular bus parts source. Maybe check NAPA. They should be open today.
Napa told me they have a belt in San Antonio, and it could be delivered by 2 tomorrow. I think Ill have better luck at the truck supply store in the morning...
Quote from: brianzero on October 15, 2017, 12:25:35 PM
Napa told me they have a belt in San Antonio, and it could be delivered by 2 tomorrow. I think Ill have better luck at the truck supply store in the morning...
I would have NAPA get that one on the way, just in case. Typically doesn't cost anything to have it sent store to store even if you end up not buying it. They just put it back in stock. I think that size belt would be unusual on a semi. More of an AG application outside of buses, I think.
Hey Craig, how hard is that belt to install? Are there any tricks to it?
Pretty easy. Lower the pulley with the air release under it and it will drop down. Push the belt back through the hole you took it out of and up onto the pulley Make sure you first put it back into the correct groove on the lower pulley . Sometimes I have to use a pry bar to drop the pulley a little to get the belt over it or put it on one side and turn the pulley as it ride itself on to it. Turn your air valve for the upper pulley back on and it will raise the pulley back up. Check the adjustment of the air valve to make sure the belt doesn t come back off . Done HTH
Mine doesnt seem to have any kind of air release, just a few linkages with zerks on them. Is that what youre talking about?
That's a turnbuckle Brian. I have one on mine. Someone got rid of the air cylinder. Loosen the nuts a then put a wrench on the turn buckle body and loosen it. Spray it tonight with PB Blaster tho. Our belts are really long, you will not find that at a truck place
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What engine do you have? I might be able to figure out the belt length
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Quote from: brianzero on October 15, 2017, 02:10:13 PM
Mine doesnt seem to have any kind of air release, just a few linkages with zerks on them. Is that what youre talking about?
What Dave and Scott said. With the turnbuckle, you should have no problem, but may need to put a pry bar on the blower drive frame and pull it down to get the belt over the top of the pulley, although that turnbuckle might prevent that, in which case you might have to remove the knuckle bolt on the turn buckle. Make sure you don't over tighten that turnbuckle. The belt should have about 1" flap movement side to side when running.
Thanks Craig. I went out and sprayed oil all over that turnbuckle. Hopefully those jam nuts will cooperate when the time comes to move them.
Inland Truck Parts or Fleet Pride not far from you should have that belt or tell you where you can get one in hurry
Last time i was in Austin i had better luck with CarQuest. there was really good taco joint nearby too. :)
IPT, Freightliner and another indy truck store were closed today (Sunday).
Please note that I don't have an MC-9. I found some old posts on the forum that the blower belt is a C120. I suppose it could be different depending on if it came with a 6V92 or an 8V71.
Is it really okay to use a pry bar to put on a belt? My fan belts had a lot of cracks after ten years so I replaced. The belts on it were Gates B97 so I put on my spare set of belts that were also Gates B97. The old belts popped right off, but I spent hours putting the new belts on. I actually ordered Gates B98 belts as new spares because the tensioner has lots of adjustment left.
I suspect the truth is you're not going to find a belt that big in stock at an auto parts store. They can probably get it from the warehouse on Monday.
Quote from: belfert on October 15, 2017, 04:04:00 PM
Is it really okay to use a pry bar to put on a belt?
Not using the pry bar on the belt itself. Using it to pull the blower drive cradle downward to get the belt to slip over the pulley.
Quote
I suspect the truth is you're not going to find a belt that big in stock at an auto parts store. They can probably get it from the warehouse on Monday.
NAPA in Buffalo, MN had one in stock when I replaced mine. So, it think it depends on where you are, and what else it's used on.
This might not be appropriate right now but in the future would researching and obtaining the maximum high quality and strength proper blower belt be a good idea?
My old Crown Supercoach ran two, (2) big fat thick belts from the front crank pulley to that big fan sucking air through the side mounted huge radiator. Very spendy.
We found out that there are belts and there are belts. Some are for specific industrial applications. Some for HD dynamic installations like automotive use. All expensive.
The front pulleys on the crank and fan were specific also.
FYI, I just measured my old one. It's 124" inches long.
Quote from: gumpy on October 15, 2017, 04:08:13 PM
Not using the pry bar on the belt itself. Using it to pull the blower drive cradle downward to get the belt to slip over the pulley.
Ah. I don't have that option on my bus. I just bought a belt an inch longer for the next time.
Quote from: gumpy on October 15, 2017, 04:08:13 PM
Not using the pry bar on the belt itself. Using it to pull the blower drive cradle downward to get the belt to slip over the pulley.
Yep not on the belt itself.
Older MCI owners best be carrying a set of spare belts.
The ready availability of these is gone.
Depending on your region, there are precious few commercially running coaches with squirrel cage fans, and the 4 belt matched set alternator belts.
good used spares, you buy fresh ones for the coach, and set aside the take-offs as your spares. Then you know they fit, and you know their history.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
FWIW, if I have air pressure up in my MCI, if I turn the belt tensioner control knob to "off", the air cylinder reverses and the belt goes fully slack, all the way, under air pressure on the cylinder. If there is no air pressure, a heavy spring inside the cylinder keeps adequate tension on the belt. When I have air pressure and the switch is "on", the belt is properly tensioned. Now I need to make a note to buy a spare belt, even though the one on it is new. We went around 6 years on the board with nary a discussion of belts, or a plea for a source and size, now - once a week! What's up with that?
Brian
when I ordered a new belt for my mci it was 3 weeks before I got it and it came from mci
never needed it but glad I had it
dave
Update; belt installed, but I discovered a broken belt tensioner linkage. Im pointing to the shear or crack.
Opinions needed. I believe I can weld that joint directly below my finger. It will hold everything in the vertical position, and hold tension on the belt. I cleaned the metal, and Im ready to weld this.
Hi;
What happened to your old belt? Did it break, or did it just
stretched out and come off the pulley? If it just came off the
pulley, you can put it back and adjust the tensioner a little more.
If it broke just measure the outside length for a replacement belt.
Good luck, Merle.
i'm not convinced that's broken. It's too straight and uniform.
I just looked at mine, and that ring above your "crack" has two flats on it. The threaded rod is attached to the upper knuckle and screws down into the bottom knuckle and I'm thinking that's a spacer for the jamb nut. However, I'm not sure as I don't have a big gap like you're showing. Actually, I think that gap on yours is just a shadow line where the spacer overhangs the knuckle sleeve.
I think you should take the two knuckles off and apart and make sure it's not supposed to be like that before you go welding it together.
I'm with craig. I can't see anything broken there...I wish I were there I could help you. I've replaced several belts on my coaches and I also have turnbuckles on mine.
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Craig, mine is straight because I repositioned with a hammer and chisel. My wife held a prybar and forced the carriage upward. This was absolutely broken in two pieces, but now welded. It has to last 1700 miles.
Hmm. OK. The manual shows 3 pieces in the diagram. Two are labeled; the Uniball End - Female and Uniball End - Male, and shows a nut between the two. Maybe that piece is the threaded part of the female end. Interesting that it would break right there.
Well, anyway, glad you got it figured out and got a new belt on.
I welded the lower ball, and the crack. It just needs to hold for the rest of my trip. The belt has the proper tension, so what could go wrong here?
Quote from: brianzero on October 16, 2017, 05:25:56 PM
I... so what could go wrong here?
Well, you just jinxed yourself!
I'd like to see a photo of your repair, if you can.
Here are the welds. I welded that lower joint, because that forces that part of the linkage in the right orientation. Otherwise, because of that crack, that linkage ball can move and tension on the belt is lost. I know this is only a bandaid.
Well, I guess I don't understand where the break was because I don't see any welds on the upper part where I thought you were referring. Looks like you welded the jamb nut to the threaded rod as well as to the lower female end.
Well, if it gets you home, that's the goal, and then you can address it properly.
Good luck on the remainder of the trip.
That joint is supposed to pivot not be welded??? I'm missing something...
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Quote from: Scott & Heather on October 16, 2017, 09:32:31 PM
That joint is supposed to pivot not be welded??? I'm missing something...
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which begs the question...why did they waste a grease fitting ? :)
The grease fitting was already wasted, actually a few of them were. And yes, that joint provides a pivot for adjusting the belt.
Ok so you temp welded to get home I see now. Ok.
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