Trev Good Posted October 5 Report Share Posted October 5 Those who came over to the IoM Best of British will know that my TR6 had two mishaps on the Island but was still running....just. It got me home to Pembrokeshire and is now being worked on by yours truly. This has meant that the 3A has become my prime vehicle and at long last, I am driving it with the hood up in inclement weather, sans sidescreens though. Four days ago, the frayed and battered fanbelt that had been on the car eventually decided that it would split into two parts - the belt and the V ridges. New belt ordered from Rimmers which arrived yesterday and this morning I started fitting it. Firstly, don't believe people or the workshop manual, who tell you to remove the cross brace or the radiator...this old bodger knows that it is just a question of wriggling it around with the car on axle stands and steering turned to one side. Secondly, removing the old belt. I disconnected the dynamo adjustment bracket and eased the dynamo against the engine block with a long crowbar. The old belt slipped off the dynamo and water pump, then down and under the cross brace, up again and over the fan blades. Down again between fan and radiator and it was off. New belt in hands and started. First problem - it wouldn't go past the fan bolts by the radiator. Cured by twisting sideways, difficult but not impossible! Then over the top of the fan blades and down and under the cross bar and up to the water pump pulley. Second problem - no way was it going to fit over the dynamo pulley...it was short by half an inch and even using a short narrow easing bar wouldn't ease onto the pulley. Check that dynamo was up against the block....Yes! Ring Rimmers to see if there were different lengths of belt....No! I took the belt off and compared it to the old one, both were the same external diameter. My engineers brain then clicked into gear and told me that the V ridges were causing the problem. Now, was this excess length, badly manufactured or just too rigid. I decided to heat the belt to make it more pliable. I then refitted it - better, but still not quite there. While in place, I then heated the belt more around the top and offside with my heat gun and tried again with the short easing bar - wahoo, it slipped on! But, it was on it's side on the dynamo. By pushing the starter in short spurts, the belt righted itself.....Success! Dynamo reset and tightened and all completed. Only two bloody arms where I was twisting the belt around for the fan blades/radiator and reaching down infront of the engine both sides. Reminded me of my youth! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Richardtr3a Posted October 5 Report Share Posted October 5 Well done Trev. It was a good clear description. We need more posts like this on the forum so that we can repair problems at home more easily. Thanks Richard & B Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted October 5 Report Share Posted October 5 Right, now you know how to do it run the car for a week and order another fan belt. When the replacement arrives in about a week and you have been running the car/ stretching the newly fitted belt go to the job of removing the now stretched fan belt to carry as a spare for the future and fit the new item using your method above. The tears that are shed when the belt goes and you have a new one in the boot will be eliminated if you have a pre stretched belt as a spare. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trev Good Posted October 5 Author Report Share Posted October 5 Already on to it Peter. A spare belt is winging it's way as I jot this down! I've already learned on the IoM the need to carry a spare injector in a TR6! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted October 5 Report Share Posted October 5 Now you know why so many of us change to narrow belt ! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted October 5 Report Share Posted October 5 No problem with a toothed Flennor 900x20. But indeed, „each“ type 20 x 900 mm from different production charges can have different effective length due to the production process. I do not expect to need a spare belt for my Flennor belt, but to help others I carry a type 17 power twist belt in my boot. Not cheap, but I had to opportunity to buy 1 m for 10 GBP! Ciao, Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TimG Posted October 6 Report Share Posted October 6 I could not read the number of my belt & even if I could I cannot get it past the starter dog & steering rack so like Marco I now carry a Power Twist belt https://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Link-Belting/PowerTwist-Plus-B-Section-Link-V-Belt-17mm-Top-Width-x-1m-97396-p Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted October 6 Report Share Posted October 6 54 minutes ago, TimG said: I could not read the number of my belt & even if I could I cannot get it past the starter dog & steering rack so like Marco I now carry a Power Twist belt https://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Link-Belting/PowerTwist-Plus-B-Section-Link-V-Belt-17mm-Top-Width-x-1m-97396-p I have fitted power twist belts to my lathe. Saved me stripping the entire headstock to renew the belt. The new belt runs very smoothly and has eliminated all the previous vibrations that the old delaminating belt gave. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roy53 Posted October 6 Report Share Posted October 6 19 hours ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said: Right, now you know how to do it run the car for a week and order another fan belt. When the replacement arrives in about a week and you have been running the car/ stretching the newly fitted belt go to the job of removing the now stretched fan belt to carry as a spare for the future and fit the new item using your method above. The tears that are shed when the belt goes and you have a new one in the boot will be eliminated if you have a pre stretched belt as a spare. What a sensible idea Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted October 6 Report Share Posted October 6 Hi, for me without doubt, the "typ 20" belt on our TR 4 cylinders is too solid / stiff and not suitable for what it used in our TRs. For example: from the industy recommended smallest pulley diameter for a "typ 20" is 160 mm! This is why no shorter belt than 900 mm is aviable (160mm x 3,14 + 2 x (160 + ca. 20-30) mm = about 900) But photos 1992 show my TR4As engine already with the Flennor belt and it got poor attention from the previous owner. So I'm pretty shure it is 34 years old now (now in 2024). And I'm willing to run it until it fails, just to see when this will be. Ciao, Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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