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Anon
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Our trip to Lisdoonvarna

So about a month ago we dropped the old girl into the gargae for an engineers report (similar to a MOT) which she passed with flying colours.

We decided to take her out for a good spin to a campsite in Clare near Lisdoonvarna for the annual matchmaking festival :-). We fueled up and I added the usual lead additive plus a bottle of fuel system cleaner to the tank as I suspect it has a blocked or partially blocked acceleration jet in the carb. It's my last ditched attempt to clear the blockage before I resort to a full stripdown and clean.

I brought her out onto the motorway and got to a healthy speed of 50-55mph cruise. About 30 miles into the trip the engine developed a new rattle. It didn't sound too serious at the time so I continued on backing the spped off to an even 50. While passing under the Limerick tunnel there was a sound of peeling metal and sometine falling off and bouncing around under the van before eventually breaking off altogether and being left behind on the road lol.

At this point the temperature needle started to go through the roof and also the battery warning light came on. So I had to go into neutral and coast up to the toll barriers ahead to avoid overheating. We then limped a further mile or so up the road where I found a safe-ish place to pull in and have a look.


[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_o_neill/6124156603/]IMG_1026[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/mike_o_neill/]Mike O'Neill, Tipp[/url], on Flickr

The pressure valve on the radiator cap had blown and sprayed water all over the engine so that was boiling off as I was looking. I noticed that the fanbelt looked loose so I got on my back for a look underneath and lone behold! The fanbelt tensioner bracket had snapped and taken the bolt that held it to the engine block with it.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_o_neill/6124157107/][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_o_neill/6124157107/]IMG_1027[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/mike_o_neill/]Mike O'Neill, Tipp[/url], on Flickr

The fan belt had survived the ordeal and was dangling from the fan pulley. It's amazing how such a small piece of metal can bring a 3.5 ton vehicle to its knees :-). Needless to say, we didn't get to Lisdoonvarna and ended up on the back of a breakdown truck headding home.

The next day I went investigating further. With a bit of help from good old WD-40 I got what was left of the bracket off of the alternator.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_o_neill/6124158001/][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_o_neill/6124158001/]IMG_1032[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/mike_o_neill/]Mike O'Neill, Tipp[/url], on Flickr

One of the breaks was clean where it had sheared off and the other one was dirty and greasy suggesting that it had been cracked for quite some time. But all in all I'm lucky that no major damage was done in the end. I replaced 2.5 liters of water back into the radiator and thanks to [url=http://www.roverland.eu]Adrian Bailey Classics[/url] I have a new bracket in the post on the way to me.

I hate these close callls!!

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Wed 07 Sep 2011 @ 19:42 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Wow, that's the second story on this forum now involving a snapped alternator bracket, isn't it? Is it an epidemic???!!?

Good thing you at least found somewhere to stop before everything boiled up.
Sat 10 Sep 2011 @ 21:05 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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All fixed again! New bracket installed and back on the road

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Mon 12 Sep 2011 @ 14:12 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
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