Serpentine Belt CAT 3126 - OK To Drive?

[wilburn]

After leaving Naples FL and IRMA behind, we hit the road for a 2,000 mile "vacation". On return to Naples, after we pulled into a Sarasota RV park, I happened to notice that the serpentine belt was nicely shredded and wrapped around the ball hitch.

I restarted the engine with no problems and drove it a dozen miles or so with all gauges at normal (except for perhaps the slightly lower voltage reading). If I am correct, the side radiator DutchStar's serpentine belt spins the alternator and the dash A/C compressor. Neither appear to be critical if the chassis batteries stay charged.

Am I correct in this? Leave off all electrical in and around the coach, drive it 100 miles or so, get home and get a real fix.

Or am I missing something critical?

[strongcity]

From reading your post I understand your MH is a side radiator. If this is correct it is not a big job to replace the belt. For safety sake I word replace it there rather than taking a chance of a break down on the road. If you do not feel like you can do the replace yourself. I would call a mobile mechanic.

[gatorcq]

are you sure it does not spin the water pump?

Maybe call Cummins and talk to them, first before I would drive even 10 miles.

[wilburn]

Originally Posted by strongcity

From reading your post I understand your MH is a side radiator. If this is correct it is not a big job to replace the belt. For safety sake I word replace it there rather than taking a chance of a break down on the road. If you do not feel like you can do the replace yourself. I would call a mobile mechanic.

It will take two to easily install the belt, one to hold the top of the belt and the other to attach it to its lowest points of contact. So a mobile mechanic is a given.

Outside of the inconvenience on an on-the-road breakdown, I can't see anything particularly unsafe about driving it "as is". Of course, I could be wrong which is why I started this thread.

[wilburn]

Originally Posted by gatorcq

are you sure it does not spin the water pump?

Maybe call Cummins and talk to them, first before I would drive even 10 miles.

Water pump has a separate V- belt and Cummins won't talk to me about a Caterpillar/Freightliner product.

[TonyDi]

Six years ago my serpentine belt broke. My alarms went of very soon thereafter.

[twinboat]

As long as your sure the belt only spins the alt and A/C compressor and your house battery system charges your chassis battery when the generator is running, start that to keep the chassis batteries up. Then your good to go.

[gatorcq]

CAT, I did not see the engine mentioned in your post, which you should have posted.
Foa a CAT, it is a one man job, which you can to from on top. Takes about 15 minutes or less, leastways when I did our 2003 alfa and friends CAT.

Yes you can drive it, but you HAVE NO FAN, so your engine will over-temp within a few miles. I know, this happen to me. I needed to get 1 mile to get onto the side of the road. This 1 mile took be 30 minutes, I even open my compartment and used a utility fan for aa little air.

So, as you can see/read adding the engine makes a different response

All you need is a 1/2 ratchet or breaker bar.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by gatorcq

Yes you can drive it, but you HAVE NO FAN, so your engine will over-temp within a few miles. I know, this happen to me. I needed to get 1 mile to get onto the side of the road. This 1 mile took be 30 minutes, I even open my compartment and used a utility fan for aa little air.

.

Seems you missed the " side radiator " mentioned in the post too.
Hydraulic pump on the back of the gear driven air compressor drives the side rad fan .

[guardrail53]

Originally Posted by gatorcq

CAT, I did not see the engine mentioned in your post, which you should have posted.
Foa a CAT, it is a one man job, which you can to from on top. Takes about 15 minutes or less, leastways when I did our 2003 alfa and friends CAT.

Yes you can drive it, but you HAVE NO FAN, so your engine will over-temp within a few miles. I know, this happen to me. I needed to get 1 mile to get onto the side of the road. This 1 mile took be 30 minutes, I even open my compartment and used a utility fan for aa little air.

So, as you can see/read adding the engine makes a different response

All you need is a 1/2 ratchet or breaker bar.

Dang, did you not read anything correctly?

This was the orig. heading to the post= Serpentine Belt CAT 3126 - OK To Drive?




And as Skip426 said,, Seems you missed the " side radiator " mentioned in the post too.
Hydraulic pump on the back of the gear driven air compressor drives the side rad fan .

And, twinboat
As long as your sure the belt only spins the alt and A/C compressor and your house battery system charges your chassis battery when the generator is running, start that to keep the chassis batteries up. Then your good to go.

So it pays to read all of the post correctly, before answering! Rail!

[gatorcq]

Yep missed side. Dang better get new glasses

[wilburn]

Originally Posted by Skip426

Seems you missed the " side radiator " mentioned in the post too.
Hydraulic pump on the back of the gear driven air compressor drives the side rad fan .

Not an electric fan?

[wilburn]

The CAT 3126B is a two belted system, a serpentine belt which spins the alternator, the dash A/C compressor. A separate V-belt spins the water pump so I found I could drive the rig just fine, I did not rig the boost control "with a beer tab top" so I cannot report on this feature.

Once the chassis batteries fire the 3126B, I don't see a critical need for them but I did install a new serpentine belt (and replaced the V-belt) which was easily accessible due to the side rad configuration. Recommend highly that you get a 2nd person to help in the install.

Any questions or comments, leave them here and much thanks to all who assisted in my research.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by wilburn

Not an electric fan?

Only electric fan on my 99 XC chassis , is the dash A/C condenser fan , just in front of the front axle behind the gen set.