On Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:41:31 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 06 Jun 2010 20:54:18 -0400, DT
wrote the following:

In article ,
says..


Belts are fine when it is easy to change them out.


I remember when they first appeared. Ford of England used them on the BDA
engine (Belt Drive series A). My first one was on a Pinto 1600 engine.

The belt could be changed in 10 minutes. First, the engine was not sideways,
so you could get at it. Second, it wasn't even under a cover. Third, you did
not even have to remove the crank pulley.

Then they added a belt retainer under the bottom of the belt, so you had to
remove the crank pulley to slide the belt out. Then added complex dust
covers. Then they made the belt drive other things, like water pumps. Then
they put them on front wheel drive cars where you had to remove all kinds of
things, including the two or three piece front engine mount, which uses 4"
long bolts and there is only 3 7/8" of clearance between the engine and
inner fender.

I just did the one on my Kia Sedona, and the basic job was going fine, it was
as straightforward as any I have done. Then I removed the four 4" long motor
mount bolts. And the mount didn't budge. Nada. After searching on online
forums, I discovered there is a fifth motor mount bolt that comes from the
front, sideways to the rest of the bolts. It is not mentioned in the
repair manual. This requires that you remove the alternator. Which requires
the radiator to be moved forward. Which requires the upper front cross member
removal and part of the intake air duct and loosening the air condioner lines
and stretching them to the max to allow the passage of one alternator bolt.

That one stupid extra motor mount bolt doubled the time required to do the
job, and no other car I have done has had a bolt needed in that location.

You often wonder if the suits forced the engineering team to futz one
up so the dealerships remained busier, don't you?
From 1996 -
The Designer

The designer sat at his drafting board,
A wealth of knowledge in his head was stored.
Like "What can be done on a radial drill,
Or a turret lathe or a vertical mill?"
But above all things a knack he had,
For driving gentle machinists mad.
So he mused as he thoughtfully scratched his bean,
Just how can I make this thing hard to machine?
If I make this perfect body straight,
The job had ought to come out first rate.
But it would be so easy to turn and bore,
That it would never make the machinist sore.
So I'll put a compound taper there,
And a couple of angles to make them swear.
And brass would work for this little gear,
But it's too damned easy to work I fear.
So just to make the machinist squeal,
I'll have him mill it from tungsten steel.
And I'll put these holes that hold the cap,
Down underneath where they can't be tapped.
Now if they can make this, it'll just be luck,
Cause it can't be held by dog or chuck,
And it can't be planed and it can't be ground,
So I feel my design is unusually sound.
Then he shouted with glee, "Success at last!
This goddam thing can't even be cast!"
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada