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The mystery of the power steering belt

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Old Jan 2nd, 2019, 14:11   #11
lnparry
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Originally Posted by Laird Scooby View Post
Spray on belt dressing is safer than soap on your fingers!
Good point.

I should have made clear that I meant a block of hand-soap just held lightly against the side of the belt as it rotates.

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Old Jan 2nd, 2019, 18:19   #12
360beast
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The coolant leak is dribbling out so isn't going on the power steering belt luckily.

Weirdly on the way home tonight for the first time in ages it didn't make a noise! However I'm sure tomorrow it will be back.

I do believe the alignment is out slightly, this only started after I did the cambelt, I have made sure the waterpump pulley is on square so I think from what has been said and looking at the car I think it might be a combination of a worn out adjuster and a the pump not sitting flush with the waterpump.

I will be sorting the leak in the coming weeks as it needs topping up once a week and my boss may start to notice the coolant in the stores is going down

I will have a go at getting it to sit flush too and then if it still happens I will swap the adjuster over from the car I'm breaking.
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Old Jan 8th, 2019, 13:36   #13
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Default Leaking

I have a slightly wheeping top waterpump gasket and need to top up coolant regularly, though not weekly. Although it is not a serious loss of coolant, it certainly has an effect on the power steering belt. With a cold engine it will sometimes slip for a few minutes, making the power steering juddery when driving off and noisy when cornering. I guess the heat from the slipping dries out the belt as it disappears after half a mile or so.
The belt is probably soaked with coolant over time, as replacing the belt last time cured this problem for over a year.
Replacing the waterpump is still on my list, but I hesitate what to do: just replacing the top gasket or the complete waterpump. The leaking is severe though getting slightly worse, especially when driving in heavy traffic.
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Old Jan 9th, 2019, 20:42   #14
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I have a slightly wheeping top waterpump gasket and need to top up coolant regularly, though not weekly. Although it is not a serious loss of coolant, it certainly has an effect on the power steering belt. With a cold engine it will sometimes slip for a few minutes, making the power steering juddery when driving off and noisy when cornering. I guess the heat from the slipping dries out the belt as it disappears after half a mile or so.
The belt is probably soaked with coolant over time, as replacing the belt last time cured this problem for over a year.
Replacing the waterpump is still on my list, but I hesitate what to do: just replacing the top gasket or the complete waterpump. The leaking is severe though getting slightly worse, especially when driving in heavy traffic.
Don't hold off dealing with it for too long ... as you well know!!

The top joint on my 745 was weeping very sightly for a year or so and only needed a slight top-up every twice a year .... BUT, when I needed the car for my daughter when she was over from NZ for her to drive to Harry Potter World it was early January. However, I struggled out in the cold to check tyres etc etc. Then, I popped the bonnet and !!!! the header tank was drained to virtually the bottom!! Needless to say that required alternative transport. These things creep up on you - Bob
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Old Jan 9th, 2019, 23:42   #15
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Default Continued.

If you do the water pump I'd advise an oem gasket set. I bought an aftermarket pump in a hurry, and used the aftermarket supplied gaskets/seals. Two weeks later they leaked- upper seal. Refitted it with oem and now sorted. The oem seal/s were much more flexible! (I appreciate that the pump needs upward pressure when refitting).
Elsewhere on this forum I've seen pictures of steering pump brackets where the mounting holes have gone oval...

Last edited by arctan; Jan 9th, 2019 at 23:46. Reason: Additions
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Old Jan 9th, 2019, 23:57   #16
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If you do the water pump I'd advise an oem gasket set. I bought an aftermarket pump in a hurry, and used the aftermarket supplied gaskets/seals. Two weeks later they leaked- upper seal. Refitted it with oem and now sorted. The oem seal/s were much more flexible! (I appreciate that the pump needs upward pressure when refitting).
Elsewhere on this forum I've seen pictures of steering pump brackets where the mounting holes have gone oval...
I seem to recall seeing a suggestion at one point of using RTV sealant on the seal. Run a bead onto the pump where the seal sits, a bead on the seal where it meets the head and wait a few minutes for it to "flash off" the first of the solvents before actually assembling then fit with the upward pressure on the pump and leave it overnight before adding coolant.

Whether that will work or not i don't know but similar methods have worked on other "problem areas" on different engines to the red-block so no reason to assume it won't work. Never had cause to fix this particular leak on any of my red-blocks but it should work, even with a pattern "hard" seal.
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Old Jan 10th, 2019, 01:39   #17
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......Water on a belt, even a tight one, will cause it to squeal. .........
That's a good point. It happened on my dad's old BMW and made the water pump belt slip so much the engine overheated going up a hill. I had to go into the hotel up the road and get some bottled water to sort it out. It's even worse when there's anti freeze in there, as that seems to be even more slippery.
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Old Jan 20th, 2019, 17:57   #18
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Right then, I did the waterpump gaskets today.

The O-rings were crumbling and covered in crystalised coolant.

I started it up and it squealed it's head off straight away, I thought ah well let's just see if it leaks then. I forgot to dry the water off the waterpump so I doused it in brake cleaner and and the squealing disappeared! I then washed the coolant from around the header tank and some went on the waterpump which made it squeal. I brake cleanered it down again and it went quiet.

I had a fiddle with the power steering belt tensioner and I have managed to get it sitting much nicer and tensioned correctly.

So the answer to the squeak is a waterpump pulley that doesn't like being wet at all!

I did forget to put the top timing belt cover on before the waterpump pulley so it has to come off again to fit it!

While I was there I fitted the new rotor arm and cap too.
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Old Jan 20th, 2019, 19:00   #19
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Glad you got it sorted Luke!
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