grumpy the 7th Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 I'm off to Europe for a month in the car and along with all the spare bits I've a new alternator belt.Has anybody done it?I'll describe how I *think* it could be done at the road side.Looking at it with the two oil pipes through the belt it looks a bit like a Chinese puzzle. But I guess I can remove the Apollo top breather and it's top oil feed and pull this from the 'wrong' side of the metal radiator pipe to the Apollo. Then slacken the Apollo jubilee clip and lift the Apollo and slide the new belt over the lot and refix everything in reverse before adjusting the tension on the belt?I wouldn't want to find I've missed a procedure whereby more pipe work has to come off as I'm not carrying 7.5 litres of spare oil (unless I remove her kit bag from the boot) Have I assumed anything that's not achievableCheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted June 12, 2019 Member Share Posted June 12, 2019 Would you consider an emergency belt that would get you to somewhere more suitable for playing with the plumbing?Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 I think it is common practice for those with Apollo or other oil pipes though the belt to fit a new belt around the pipes in advance and cable tie it safely out of the way so that if a roadside replacement is required it's just a case of slipping on to the pulleys without having to disturb the oil pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 Jonathan, do you know if anyone who has managed to use one of those emergency belts on a Caterham? I would have thought that it would be unsuitable as a replacement for a modern flat poly-vee belt, I can just imagine it flying off, although I may be completely wrong there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted June 12, 2019 Member Share Posted June 12, 2019 No. Only time I've ever used one was on a Morris Minor.JonathanPS: Amongst the things I'll always regret is never having replaced a belt with a pair of tights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 Sounds more fun to replace a pair of tights with a belt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 You can do it without removing the top oil hose. See post #1 here.But why not rig up the belt in a convenient position in advance of your trip? You can hook it up out of the way with cable ties, ready for use should the need arise.ETA: Must learn to type faster!JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 Why not simply fit the new belt before the trip?Touch wood, I've not had one fail, but I have changed it once or twice as a precaution over the last 18 yrs.I never had muuch luck with the emergency belts back in the dim and distant past - simply pulled apart under load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted June 12, 2019 Share Posted June 12, 2019 Am I the only one that didn't have to route the Apollo hoses through the alternator belt ? Extra space of an SV .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I think it is common practice for those with Apollo or other oil pipes though the belt to fit a new belt around the pipes in advance and cable tie it safely out of the way so that if a roadside replacement is required it's just a case of slipping on to the pulleys without having to disturb the oil pipes.yes exactly so - and repeated by John V. Pre-fit the spare and tie it back out of the way and relax. Those oil pipes are a real B when in the garage never mind at the road side, AND you need two large spanners, that fit. Fit and forget. oh and make certain it's the right size.Fitting a new belt before (every?) trip? Mine's never failed, so that would have been 15 years of un-necessary belt changes. Each to his own of course. I do replace whenever the pipes come off for other reasons.anthony - note to self, refit my spare belt! what's an SV ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy the 7th Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 Hi all, thanks for the replies. I'll have another look and tie the replacement belt over the pipes out of the way. (also a good idea as I can check the belt is the right size :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 Make sure the belt in use is not being touched by the oil hoses, slicing a hole in to them and keep an eye on the clearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 If you have deep pockets you could plumb in dry break couplings. that will make it really easy to replace the alternator belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevehS3 Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I have a spare belt tie wrapped ready to be fitted at the roadside but isn’t it just a case of lifting the Apollo off its bracket and passing a new belt over the Apollo and oil pipes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageyH Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 What do you do about the pipe at the top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevehS3 Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 True that needs disconnecting but that is very easy to access and unscrew from the top of the Apollo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I tried all that some years ago, which is why I prefit one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now