Lancia Beta Forum

10 days ago I set off to a music festival in the coupe early in the morning. 15 miles up the road in the dark and rain there were burning smells and the car wouldn't pull or rev so I turned for home to change cars.

On my return I have investigated a bit and the fan belt is very second hand. I think that the substitute I made up for the bush in the bracket has fallen apart and so the belt was not tensioned. That, together with the load of wipers headlights etc, is the source of the problem.

So the question this time is what people are using between the two parts of the bracket? Is it necessary for there to be a bush at all or will a rigid joint be fine?

I imagine that some will still be using the polyurethane bush with a steel sleeve and cup washers that was fitted originally. If anyone has replaced this or worked round, please tell me what you used.

Thanks.

Doug

I've never had any problems with this bush. A photo might help us see what your problem is?

We'll try that again.

This is rather in the form of photographing something that is missing.

The bracket on the head has an M8, 25 mm bolt welded in. Fitting on there is the first of a pair of cup washers with 8mm hole and 19 mm maximum size for the bush. The missing bush is normally polyurethane and deformable to fit into the 17mm hole in the other part of the tensioning bracket. When the bush is fitted you can then insert the 11 long, 11 od , 8mm id tube that prevents the bush escaping. There is then the other cup washer and the retaining nut.

I'm thinking a small stack of nylon washers or a piece of nylon rod suitably drilled if I can find some. I tend to the view that they didn't put a bush in there for fun and so it probably does need something other than a rigid joint.

But I will , as always, be happy to hear any other views.

Doug