[Vwdiesel] Update: 1982 caddy a/c and alternator v-belt adjustments.

[Roger Brown]

I had a broken pivot bolt on my '81 A/C compressor, fix documented below:
	http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/CheapTricks/index.shtml#ACbracket

And the way I did my belts was a 2x4 across the engine bay, one end on the passenger strut 
mount, other end on a HiLift jack in front of the vehicle.  Then wrap a strap around the 
2x4 and loop under the alternator.  Loosen both tension brackets then lift the jack up a 
few inches to get a good tension on both belts.  Then tighten first the A/C then alt. 
tensioners and remove the strap and 2x4.


ken1 wrote:
> ken1 wrote:
>  I have tried three (3) times to tighten the belts on my 1.6l NA. Each time, the a/c belt still flaps a lot. I do not have OEM belts installed at this time, but do have them on hand. First I will state how I have tried to do it, then what I think happens and then need to know what to do to solve the problem.
> 
>  What I do; remove alternator, put on belts, tighten a/c compressor belt.
>  Then replace alternator and tighten the belt. Appears  that by following my steps, when I tighten the alternator belt, the geometry changes and the a/c compressor is moved and the belt gets loose. I can tell that the PO had used a pry-bar to apply tension to the alternator belt, because he wound up bending the top of the front apron in front of the alternator. After performing the same process three (3) times and getting the same results, decided to ask for assistance.
>  What am I doing wrong???/
>  Help! Summer has arrived in north Texas, got to have access to cooler air.
> 
>  OEM belts are Conti AVX10x643 and Conti AVX13x960.
>  TIA,
>  ken
> ******
> Update for A/C compressor and Alternator v belt adjustment for my 1982 caddy.
> Practice makes perfect;; as long as the process that you are practicing is correct. 
> When I started my quest, I had already performed the work three (3) times, of course imperfectly. After receiving suggestions from my fellow board members, I finally got it almost right on the fifth try. I used a modified version suggested by Roger.  Yet, there was one little oversight; the alternator pulley was not inline with the inside compressor pulley, and had been out of alignment all along. So, this morning, I embarked on practice run number 5.5.
> I only had to remove the alternator to remove the spacers and put it back and re-tighten the belt.
> I have even tried to document my method with a couple of pictures. I will clean up my V-belt Adjustment kit for future adjustments. Will monitor the belts for looseness and being too tight daily for a while.
> Once again, I wish to thank everyone for your unselfish aid.
> First test yielded about 60 degree Fahrenheit air being output by the A/Cin the MAX a/c position, about 70 degrees on lower A/C setting. I have installed R-134 into the system. Need to double-check to see if I need to add some more to the system 
> P.S. some of the small obstacles encountered: 
> 1) Crankshaft/waterpump/compressor belt never got tight enough through steps 1-3.
> 2) Suction a/c line rotated at the compressor and caused water pump pulley (inside edge) to contact the inside edge of the compressor pulley, resulting in sparks and a nearly razor sharp edge on both. Solution, emery cloth by hand to burnish the edges. steps 4-5.
> 3) Finally got it right? at step 5.5, after removing the spacers on the alternator shaft.
> 4) Discovered that radiator fan wires were installed bacKwards, so fan had been "blowing"? air out of the engine compartment instead of sucking cool air into the compartment. 
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-- 

   Roger