Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote
> I've had whipping and early failures from standard Gates
> belts, but the "green stripe" versions seem better. Better
> than OEM? I dunno.... In any event, if a visual inspection
> of the belt at idle and with the throttle gradually opened
> shows whipping of more than the amount of deflection the
> belt has when stopped you really don't want that belt.
> I've found increasing tension won't make a belt stop
> whipping.

Okay. Thanks for the tip.

I took my Honda on the highway for a couple hours total
today. At first startup the new belt was a little squeaky,
but it made no initial squeal (as in loose belt), and is
certainly quieter than the old belt. I thought maybe it was
the belt dressing, breaking in, etc. After driving for a
couple hours, the car sounds back to normal.

'Course, I don't have much by way of splash protectors on
the bottom of the car anymore, and with the snowy weather
where I am, and slightly crazy driving due to a dearth of
snow plows, I think some crud may have jumped up in there
and been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

> I've started using belt dressing regularly on new belts,
> but I can't say how much it has helped - if at all.

Okie-doke. Somehow it is hard to imagine too many problems
from a poorly designed or even installed PS belt. I would be
more concerned about the alternator belt and will go OEM
when it's due next.

Found a site today advising replacement about every 3-4
years or 36k-48k miles. They're cheap enough that this
sounds reasonable. Those interested should see
http://autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repa...ques040_2.html

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cybertrails.com> wrote
> I've had whipping and early failures from standard Gates
> belts, but the "green stripe" versions seem better. Better
> than OEM? I dunno.... In any event, if a visual inspection
> of the belt at idle and with the throttle gradually opened
> shows whipping of more than the amount of deflection the
> belt has when stopped you really don't want that belt.
> I've found increasing tension won't make a belt stop
> whipping.

Okay. Thanks for the tip.

I took my Honda on the highway for a couple hours total
today. At first startup the new belt was a little squeaky,
but it made no initial squeal (as in loose belt), and is
certainly quieter than the old belt. I thought maybe it was
the belt dressing, breaking in, etc. After driving for a
couple hours, the car sounds back to normal.

'Course, I don't have much by way of splash protectors on
the bottom of the car anymore, and with the snowy weather
where I am, and slightly crazy driving due to a dearth of
snow plows, I think some crud may have jumped up in there
and been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

> I've started using belt dressing regularly on new belts,
> but I can't say how much it has helped - if at all.

Okie-doke. Somehow it is hard to imagine too many problems
from a poorly designed or even installed PS belt. I would be
more concerned about the alternator belt and will go OEM
when it's due next.

Found a site today advising replacement about every 3-4
years or 36k-48k miles. They're cheap enough that this
sounds reasonable. Those interested should see
http://autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repa...ques040_2.html

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

correction

rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold

ref

handbook of chemistry and physics


Elliot Richmond wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:29:26 GMT, "Elle"
> <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >We had some extreme cold (for where I live, out West) for a
> >couple weeks, whence I noticed that my car's engine was
> >making a light but quite noticeable squeaky-squealy sound
> >under all operating conditions.
>
> Just for reference, unlike the majority of substances, rubber and
> rubber-like compounds expand when cold and actually shrink when warmed
> up. I would guess that is why you first noticed the belt slipping
> when the car was cold.
>
>
> Elliot Richmond
> Itinerant astronomy teacher

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

correction

rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold

ref

handbook of chemistry and physics


Elliot Richmond wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:29:26 GMT, "Elle"
> <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >We had some extreme cold (for where I live, out West) for a
> >couple weeks, whence I noticed that my car's engine was
> >making a light but quite noticeable squeaky-squealy sound
> >under all operating conditions.
>
> Just for reference, unlike the majority of substances, rubber and
> rubber-like compounds expand when cold and actually shrink when warmed
> up. I would guess that is why you first noticed the belt slipping
> when the car was cold.
>
>
> Elliot Richmond
> Itinerant astronomy teacher

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

correction

rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold

ref

handbook of chemistry and physics


Elliot Richmond wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:29:26 GMT, "Elle"
> <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >We had some extreme cold (for where I live, out West) for a
> >couple weeks, whence I noticed that my car's engine was
> >making a light but quite noticeable squeaky-squealy sound
> >under all operating conditions.
>
> Just for reference, unlike the majority of substances, rubber and
> rubber-like compounds expand when cold and actually shrink when warmed
> up. I would guess that is why you first noticed the belt slipping
> when the car was cold.
>
>
> Elliot Richmond
> Itinerant astronomy teacher

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

correction

rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold

ref

handbook of chemistry and physics


Elliot Richmond wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:29:26 GMT, "Elle"
> <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >We had some extreme cold (for where I live, out West) for a
> >couple weeks, whence I noticed that my car's engine was
> >making a light but quite noticeable squeaky-squealy sound
> >under all operating conditions.
>
> Just for reference, unlike the majority of substances, rubber and
> rubber-like compounds expand when cold and actually shrink when warmed
> up. I would guess that is why you first noticed the belt slipping
> when the car was cold.
>
>
> Elliot Richmond
> Itinerant astronomy teacher

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

On 15 Jan 2007 05:00:06 -0800, "wp51" <wp51dos@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>correction
>
>rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold
>
>ref
>
>handbook of chemistry and physics

I am not sure what you mean by very cold. If a polymer, such as
rubber, is in its elastic range, then it behaves as I described. The
belts in cars are well within their elastic range. They must be to
function properly.

On the other hand, if a polymer is cooled to a very low temperature
(which depends on the polymer) then it becomes brittle and glass-like.
In this temperature range, it would behave as you describe. But for
rubber, the temperature range for this kind of behavior would be far
below any normal operating temperature under the hood of a car. This
behavior can be demonstrated by cooling a rubber ball in liquid
nitrogen. It will become very brittle.and shatter like a piece of
glass when struck with a hammer.


Elliot Richmond
Itinerant astronomy teacher

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

On 15 Jan 2007 05:00:06 -0800, "wp51" <wp51dos@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>correction
>
>rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold
>
>ref
>
>handbook of chemistry and physics

I am not sure what you mean by very cold. If a polymer, such as
rubber, is in its elastic range, then it behaves as I described. The
belts in cars are well within their elastic range. They must be to
function properly.

On the other hand, if a polymer is cooled to a very low temperature
(which depends on the polymer) then it becomes brittle and glass-like.
In this temperature range, it would behave as you describe. But for
rubber, the temperature range for this kind of behavior would be far
below any normal operating temperature under the hood of a car. This
behavior can be demonstrated by cooling a rubber ball in liquid
nitrogen. It will become very brittle.and shatter like a piece of
glass when struck with a hammer.


Elliot Richmond
Itinerant astronomy teacher

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

On 15 Jan 2007 05:00:06 -0800, "wp51" <wp51dos@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>correction
>
>rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold
>
>ref
>
>handbook of chemistry and physics

I am not sure what you mean by very cold. If a polymer, such as
rubber, is in its elastic range, then it behaves as I described. The
belts in cars are well within their elastic range. They must be to
function properly.

On the other hand, if a polymer is cooled to a very low temperature
(which depends on the polymer) then it becomes brittle and glass-like.
In this temperature range, it would behave as you describe. But for
rubber, the temperature range for this kind of behavior would be far
below any normal operating temperature under the hood of a car. This
behavior can be demonstrated by cooling a rubber ball in liquid
nitrogen. It will become very brittle.and shatter like a piece of
glass when struck with a hammer.


Elliot Richmond
Itinerant astronomy teacher

Re: Power Steering Belt Job
 

On 15 Jan 2007 05:00:06 -0800, "wp51" <wp51dos@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>correction
>
>rubber based compounds shrink like everything but water when very cold
>
>ref
>
>handbook of chemistry and physics

I am not sure what you mean by very cold. If a polymer, such as
rubber, is in its elastic range, then it behaves as I described. The
belts in cars are well within their elastic range. They must be to
function properly.

On the other hand, if a polymer is cooled to a very low temperature
(which depends on the polymer) then it becomes brittle and glass-like.
In this temperature range, it would behave as you describe. But for
rubber, the temperature range for this kind of behavior would be far
below any normal operating temperature under the hood of a car. This
behavior can be demonstrated by cooling a rubber ball in liquid
nitrogen. It will become very brittle.and shatter like a piece of
glass when struck with a hammer.


Elliot Richmond
Itinerant astronomy teacher