So today, the UPS guy dropped off my matched set of V belts. After a bunch of searching the internet and getting no responses, I finally got a call back from a place and they were able to get me a matched set to my specs. As you can see below in the pics, the NAPA belts were way too long. Way longer than they should have been and then kept stretching too boot. The alternator was almost against the apron. So the belts I ordered were 3.5" shorter, which should have been perfect, but I ordered 1/2" wide belt as that's what the NAPA specs were, at least I thought, but in reality these belts are 3/8" or 7/16" wide at most. So the belts didn't fit perfectly, well, not at all, but undaunted, I studied the problem and moved forward. I removed the 5/16" bolt that holds the heater hose support and the bracket to the alternator. I removed the distributor cap so the alternator could come in towards the water pump as far as possible. This allowed me to barely get the belts onto the alternator pulley. I then tensioned it, put the bolt back in, and adjusted it using the longest pry bar I own. I tightened everything down, and started it up. I turned on the a/c just for grins, and damned if it didn't blow out cool air. I went out and sure enough the expansion valve was damp with condensation. It wasn't as cold as it was before it leaked, but it was still semi functioning. This means the leak only happens at higher pressures. I have that part coming thanks to a member on here, and can't thank him enough. Can't wait to get it on and the system up to snuff. Since I have to crack it open anyway, I am going through all the connections and putting in the new green O rings.
So the next pic shows the new belts, you can see the alternator is in a much better spot now. The belts hang up out of the pulleys, but as rusty as these pulleys are, no belt is going to last long. I need to take a scotchlock to them and polish the rust off.
I found this chunk of rubber stuck in the pulley and had to use my knife to dig it out. What a pain, this is probably why one belt was stretched more than the other. I got it out and both belts tensioned perfectly.
I had driven it up the street after checking all the lug nuts for proper tightness, and noticed the 1 2 shift happened like right away after I started moving. I took the time to adjust the kick down linkage after the belts were all installed. I lengthened it a bit and then went on a victory drive! I pulled out and first gear wound out a bit, then second hit and it felt a bit firmer than before, which I like. I went up to the gas station turned around and got up to about 30 and floored it, it kicked into first gear, and pulled kinda, well meh, but when it shifted into second gear, it chirped the tires! nice! Then it proceeded to die. I coasted into my driveway, down the drive and into the shop. I got out, opened the hood and the suction side fuel filter had very little fuel in it. I cranked on it a minute or two and it finally started. I think it's time to pull the tank and either clean it out or replace it. Either way I need to repair the gas gauge anyway.
I had a friend way back, Frank Mitchell, he once told me that on an old car if you drive it, sometimes they'd fix themselves. Lol. But damned if the temp gauge and the dash lights, and even the 4 way flashers all started working, LOL!! There's a ground or poor connection somewhere that needs addressed, I'll find it. The wiring diagrams are lacking, but I plan on pulling the cluster out anyway to change out bulbs and send out the AC switch to get redone. Thanks for looking.
