Cat Scales
(Listen To Your Truck- continued from p. 17)
Got a spare?
It's one thing to spot stretched belts, but you are between a rock and a hard place if you don't have the parts. Finding the right replacement belts on the road can be challenging, so plan ahead and have spare belts on hand.
their engine is overheating and shuts down in busy rush-hour traffic.
Accessories, brackets
and alignment Once in a while, it's a good idea to stand alongside your truck with the hood open and look at the belts and pulleys to be sure they are properly aligned. If the belt doesn't look straight between the pulleys it's on, correct it. Most often the cause is a bracket that was improperly installed and/or the mounting bolts are loose. Brackets also break
Pulleys and bearings
Pulleys are often neglected until a sealed (permanently lubed) bearing comes apart or on the rare occasion that the mounting bolt snaps off. A periodic inspection of the pulleys (e.g., every six months) may help you catch a bad bearing. Bearings that are sealed can lose their lubrication over time, which can be seen by oil streaks extending outward inside the pulley. If you're lucky, bearings will announce their impending demise with a high-pitched squeal. Checking the pulleys on the tensioners, idlers, and all belt-driven accessories is relatively easy. Just remove the belts, turn each pulley with a bare hand, and note any roughness in the rotation. If they don't turn quietly and smoothly, it's an obvious sign that the bearing is going south. The same procedure can be used to check the idler bearing in your A/C compressor clutch as well as the fan shaft and idler bearings in the fan clutch assembly. Don't forget about that alternator. The rotor shaft has bearings at both ends that can cause serious internal damage. Unfortunately, too many people find it easier to ignore the sound by cranking up the stereo and not worrying about it until they notice that their cab air conditioner isn't cooling, their alternator isn't charging, or even that
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