Shredding Belts & Mileage Drop

[PLP6400]

For about the last month the tempurature as been in the tripple didgets In Reno, NV. I have been having to drive a lot more due to work and I love my Air Conditioning. I am running the AC constantly. About a 1,000 miles ago my AC / Alternator belt broke. I had about 7,000 mile on the belt and did not give it much thought and just replaced it. 500 miles later the new belt was toast. I replaced it again, hoping it was just a bad belt. Today with about 500 miles on this belt it broke. I have a Sanden S-8 compressor and a 200 amp alternator driven by this belt which also goes around the water pump and crank pulley. The pulleys are lined up and the same width and depth for the belt I am running.

As far as the Mileage goes, before I was running the AC it was a little over 25 MPG. Now it is just over 19 MPG using the AC. Of course the engine tempurature is running much warmer than when I wasn't using the AC and the alternator is probably working harder with the compressor running.

I think a single V belt is not enough for what it has to turn, so I will live with it untill the weather cools down. I can put a new belt on in 15 minutes.

But if anyone knows of Fan Belts that are stronger or better quallity than what NAPA sells, I would appreciate the information.

 

[XFlow_Fairlane]

are you tensioning properly?

 

[Anonymous]

Are you using a NAPA automotive belt or industrial belt? Industrial belt is more heavy duty.

Got any pictures of how your belts are run?

Later,

Doug

 

[mustang6]

Extra drag on the engine and breaking belts makes me think you've got a seizing compressor or obstruction in the system somewhere. Maybe an A/C shop has a test for this?

 

[CobraSix]

I'd say the same thing...your compressor may be part of the problem or you are over tensioning the belt.

Slade

 

[MustangSix]

Alternator and AC on a single V-belt is a pretty big load even if it's all working properly. That load plus the added heat could make for short belt life. A double belt would help a lot.

 

[PLP6400]

I wish I could have double belts, but to do that I would have to give up my power steering.

The shop that originally charged my system were was a bunch of smart a$$s. They told me that the the AC wasn't going to work because the condensor was too small for R134A and that I was going to have leaks because my evaporator had flarred ends on the hoses instead of "O" rings. I did take it to a different AC shop today and he said they had put too much Freon in. He said he took about 1/2 lb out. It still blows just as cold, so hopefully my belts will last a little longer now.

 

[Anonymous]

Th over-charging may be part of the problem. A few years ago, a sevice man overcharged the system on my house. It was having problems starting due to the high pressure. They put starting capacitors on it to give the motor a boost. Then they claimed it was too old and may need replacement. Eventually a different technician was sent out and bled off some of the charge and I got several more years of use out of the unit.
Doug

 

[65coupei6]

This can also be caused by a misaligned or bent pulley.

 

[PLP6400]

I do hope my belts last longer now. I know I don't over tighten my belts, I always make sure I have that flex to it and if I quickly rev the engine I hear a slight squeal with the AC on. One thing I did do when I set up my AC compressor was to set it so I have the same belt for both the power steering and AC.

But now back to the second part of my question. Does a milage drop of almost 6 MPG sound about right for running the AC? I guess I will have to wait until Fall to find out. Becauser being I have AC, I am going to use it untill the weather is cool enough to where I don't need it.

 

[XFlow_Fairlane]

yeah that seems reasonable...esp in city traffic. you said that you set up your own pulley arangement?

 

[Anonymous]

On a small six the AC will cause a very noticeable difference in MPG, also in power. On my Powerstroke Ford it makes zero noticable diff in MPG and power but wife had a 4cyl car for awhile that i would turn off the ac when getting into traffic as it slowed it down so much.

 

[WhitePony]

One thing that you may also consider is to switch to an electric fan. While you will have a slightly higher drag on the alternator, it should be alot less than the drag that a mechanical fan provides.

 

[PLP6400]

Well I lost another belt today with only about 300 miles on it. I am tired of the AC shops around here, so I bought a set of guages. My inlet side or low pressure is 110 psi. and my outlet side or high pressure is 220. The only manual I have for R134A air conditioning is for my 99 Durango. And it says that at 100 degrees outside tempurature the low side should be between 31 to 41 psi and the high side should be 210 to 225 psi. So I looked at the trouble shooting section of my Durango manual and it said that the cause was either a slipping belt or bad compressor. I know the belt isn't slipping because I had the engine at 2500 RPM's while I had the guages on. The compressor is a brand new Sanden 508 with about 6,000 miles on it and only about 1,500 with the AC on. Everything else on the AC system is NOS Ford for 1965 vehicles.

Any opinions or advice out there?

 

[grocery getter]

it still could be overcharged or have a bad expansion valve

put a garden hose on your condenser and see if your pressures drop

 

[PLP6400]

You were right grocery getter. Expansion valve stuck open

Thanks

 

[PLP6400]

I guess I am going to go to the dark side and put a V-8 in My Ranchero. Three weeks ago I was on my way back from Los Angeles and was just approaching Mohave, CA when I lost another belt. This time the broken belt got caught in the fan and slashed the radiator. Mohave is just a wide spot in the road on highway 14. But they do have an Auto Parts Store that had a radiator for a 65 V-8 Mustang. I was 400 miles from home, so I decided to buy it and jerry rig it in. 5 hours and almost $400. later, working in the sun at 115 degree tempurature I was good to go. Of course I couldn't run the belt for the alternator, because of the V-8 lower radiator hose location, so I bought another battery for a spare. About the time I got to Lone Pine, CA it was starting to get dark. So I got a motel room, another $100.00. The next morning I left at daylight and made it to Bridgeport, CA, where I had to change the battery because the volt guage was showing 10 volts and I didn't want to burn out the ignition. I finally made it home to Reno, NV a day late and about $500.00 poorer.

I have really thought about this for 3 weeks now, and the deciding factor was my nieghbor. He put a fuel injected 5.0 with a AOD trans in his 62 Ranchero and he is getting about 27 MPG. I didn't believe him, so he let me use it for a couple of weeks. Well it runs circles around my Ranchero and I got 26.6 MPG.

There just isn't enough room in a 65 Ranchero with a six to have a 3 core radiator, power steering and air conditioning and at my age, I want them.

I probably won't be able to switch engines untill this November. When I do, I will be selling the T-5 with bellhousing and also the engine with about 9,000 mile on it.

 

[Anonymous]

he is getting about 27 MPG. I didn't believe him, so he let me use it for a couple of weeks. Well it runs circles around my Ranchero and I got 26.6 MPG.

How do people do that?

I have a pretty much all stock EFI 5.0 in my '93 Ranger with a Tremec 3550 manual OD trans, and the best I have ever got on the highway was 23 MPG.

I would love to be able to get 26-27.

 

[Anonymous]

How do people do that?

I have a pretty much all stock EFI 5.0 in my '93 Ranger with a Tremec 3550 manual OD trans, and the best I have ever got on the highway was 23 MPG.

I would love to be able to get 26-27.

Easy. Don't drive up hills! I used to easily get 23-25 mpg with a mix of city/highway driving in Las Vegas. Now, here in Hawaii, I'm lucky if I get over 21 mpg with mostly freeway driving and that's with my engine tuned much better.