Broken down in Austin. Need blower belt.

belfert · October 15, 2017, 04:04:00 PM

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.

gumpy · October 15, 2017, 04:08:13 PM

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.

HB of CJ · October 15, 2017, 04:17:02 PM

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.

gumpy · October 15, 2017, 04:23:42 PM

FYI, I just measured my old one. It's 124" inches long.

belfert · October 15, 2017, 04:56:51 PM

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.

Dave5Cs · October 16, 2017, 07:57:22 AM

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.

buswarrior · October 16, 2017, 08:12:14 AM

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

bevans6 · October 16, 2017, 08:42:52 AM

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

sledhead · October 16, 2017, 02:30:00 PM

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

brianzero · October 16, 2017, 04:36:00 PM

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.

ol713 · October 16, 2017, 04:40:38 PM

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.

gumpy · October 16, 2017, 04:49:12 PM

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.

Scott & Heather · October 16, 2017, 04:51:27 PM

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.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

brianzero · October 16, 2017, 05:02:41 PM

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.

gumpy · October 16, 2017, 05:17:40 PM

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.