Fan belt problem?

[brighton_4wd]

Hi

 

I replaced the fan belt on the car, when removing the old one I noticed it was down to two bits of thread from a belt of 5-6 strands. So I took the old one off and replaced it with a new one. At this stage I noticed the power steering pulley looks like it is a few milimetres out of line with the alternator pulley & water pump. I removed the power steering pulley to see wether it was put on incorrectly but it was not. After boxing it all back up and driving the car around I noticed that the few milimetres it was out was causing the belt to cause a weird vibration over 3k revs. My brother was driving the car around today and the belt broke, it looks like it has shredded to peices. Anyone had any problems with this or know of any fixes etc?

 

The only other thing I can think of is, is that someone changed the power steering pump, and the one they used is very slightly different and the pulley does not line up properly. I would love some advice of this, I have been very impressed with this forum so far, very helpful.

 

thanks

[Platinum_Racing]

I just typed a novel, as usual, but I clicked the back button on my mouse and accidentally deleted it all. Needless to say, I'm bull-shit right now after loosing all that information, so here's the short version.....

 

I'd like to start off by saying that I've had a couple to drink tonight.

 

 

I've also never done pulley's on a Subaru, but I have done them on other cars and trucks.

 

Also, a "Fan Belt" is a belt that transfers power from the crankshaft to a fan clutch, which spins a cooling fan mounted behind the radiator. The Legacy has electric fans, so the belt should be called a "Serpentine Belt." A "Fan Belt" is usually used on older vehicles, usually on trucks or older American RWD cars.

 

That's just a technicality, however. On to your repair...

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Take the power steering pump off if you dare. The repair becomes much easier.

 

2) Remove the pulley from the pump.

 

3) Get a torch. If you don't have access to one, you can probably get a SMALL bottle of propane at a convenience store. A hardware/home improvement store can sell you a torch that screws onto the small propane tank, turning it into a small torch. If you have access to an acetylene torch you're better off.

 

4) Use the torch to super heat the pulley. Make it nice and hot. The hotter it is, the more the metal expands. The more the metal expands, the easier it will go on the shaft of the power steering pump. REMEMBER TO USE HEAVY LEATHER GLOVES WHEN HANDLING THE HEATED PULLEY!!!!!! Welding gloves work best. Try to get the pulley onto the pump quickly. The hotter it is, the easier it will go onto the shaft.

 

5) Slide the hot pulley onto the pump. As the pulley cools it will return to its original dimensions. It will squeeze the shaft as it cools and become snug.

 

6) Bolt the pulley down.

 

7) Properly re-install the pump.

 

 

 

 

This is a fairly common issue with all cars (Well, cars with press fit pulley's at least). Getting pulley's off of cars is easy if you have a $15-20 pulley puller, but getting them back on can be a pain. Its hard because the shaft will spin when tightening the nut that secures it to the shaft, making it hard to really torque down on the nut. Heating the pulley (Mostly just the center hub of the pulley) should expand the material enough so that it will slide all the way onto the shaft in one shot. You're not looking for much expansion here, maybe 0.001" - 0.0015" at most. This might not seem like a lot, but when you're dealing with tolerances that are within 0.0005", it might as well be a mile. Working at a machine shop, I can tell you that this is a fact. A human hair might not seem like much, but in a machine shop something the size of a human hair can seem as large as a football field.

[brighton_4wd]

I just typed a novel, as usual, but I clicked the back button on my mouse and accidentally deleted it all. Needless to say, I'm bull-shit right now after loosing all that information, so here's the short version.....

 

I'd like to start off by saying that I've had a couple to drink tonight.

 

 

I've also never done pulley's on a Subaru, but I have done them on other cars and trucks.

 

Also, a "Fan Belt" is a belt that transfers power from the crankshaft to a fan clutch, which spins a cooling fan mounted behind the radiator. The Legacy has electric fans, so the belt should be called a "Serpentine Belt." A "Fan Belt" is usually used on older vehicles, usually on trucks or older American RWD cars.

 

That's just a technicality, however. On to your repair...

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Take the power steering pump off if you dare. The repair becomes much easier.

 

2) Remove the pulley from the pump.

 

3) Get a torch. If you don't have access to one, you can probably get a SMALL bottle of propane at a convenience store. A hardware/home improvement store can sell you a torch that screws onto the small propane tank, turning it into a small torch. If you have access to an acetylene torch you're better off.

 

4) Use the torch to super heat the pulley. Make it nice and hot. The hotter it is, the more the metal expands. The more the metal expands, the easier it will go on the shaft of the power steering pump. REMEMBER TO USE HEAVY LEATHER GLOVES WHEN HANDLING THE HEATED PULLEY!!!!!! Welding gloves work best. Try to get the pulley onto the pump quickly. The hotter it is, the easier it will go onto the shaft.

 

5) Slide the hot pulley onto the pump. As the pulley cools it will return to its original dimensions. It will squeeze the shaft as it cools and become snug.

 

6) Bolt the pulley down.

 

7) Properly re-install the pump.

 

 

 

 

This is a fairly common issue with all cars (Well, cars with press fit pulley's at least). Getting pulley's off of cars is easy if you have a $15-20 pulley puller, but getting them back on can be a pain. Its hard because the shaft will spin when tightening the nut that secures it to the shaft, making it hard to really torque down on the nut. Heating the pulley (Mostly just the center hub of the pulley) should expand the material enough so that it will slide all the way onto the shaft in one shot. You're not looking for much expansion here, maybe 0.001" - 0.0015" at most. This might not seem like a lot, but when you're dealing with tolerances that are within 0.0005", it might as well be a mile. Working at a machine shop, I can tell you that this is a fact. A human hair might not seem like much, but in a machine shop something the size of a human hair can seem as large as a football field.

 

Thats sounds like the one! I was discussing with my brother to use a drill bit and make the hole on the pulley bigger. But after we opened it all up again that option did not seem plausible and the teeth would get mashed up etc. What you say about heating the pulley is the only proper solution I have heard and god dam it has to be best answer out of the bunch!

 

So far people have told me "its the wrong pulley", "the car must have had the PAS changed for incorrect unit" etc etc.

 

Platinum Racer your are a intergalatic genuis, why did I not think of that before!!! Will keep you updated once we get this pulley & serpentine belt sorted out.