Hi folks, I've just come in from an exhausting fan belt change. Or should I say 'water pump and alternator belt' change?

My second Skyline, a 1990 model, has been in use with my stepson and his wife. When they arrived in Brisbane this week, I noted that the fanbelt was squarking. Looking at it all, there tucked in behind the other belts, I thought it was a good idea to go for the old soap trick. It worked, basically, except for on startup, when there's most drag on the alternator.

I should mention that the adjuster is at full extension, hard up against the end. There ain't no more!

But they're off back to the Southern Highlands tomorrow, so I got the lad to bolt down to Super Cheap and get a replacement. I'd bite the bullet and work my way through the other belts to change it.

A nightmare!

But these are kids... if they toss or break the belt, then my motor is history, isn't it?

Having got him to ensure that the part number, Bosch 4PK875, is indeed the one for this car, I set to work.

Imagine how I felt when I compared them on removal and found they were so close it wasn't true. Any stretch in the original was matched, apparently, by the stretch the fresh one got hanging on the display hook at Super Cheap.

With some trepidation I did a trial fitup... it seemed to be looser than the original, so I looked at ways to get more out of the adjuster. Out came the angle grinder and a little came off the block that the adjuster screws into so it could come harder up against the end of the arm. Unconvinced, I looked harder.

I took the arm off, the one that's held on by two water pump bolts. I got out a rat tail file and elongated the holes by over 2mm... as far as I could without turning them into slots. Then I elongated the slot in the bar a little and ground the corner off that block.

It went on okay, but there's only a tiny bit of adjustment still available to cope with wear and stretch.

So is this really the right belt?

Not much interest here, but I'll tell you anyway...

I just checked my other car, it has belt 4PK855 and it's in the right adjustment area. Went back to Super Cheap and confirmed that the Bosch recommendation list they use has 4PK0875, so it's the culprit.

As the previous owner of the '90 model fitted the 875 belt, and it was a Bosch, we have to assume that they fitted it believing it to be right because they found it in the Bosch catalogue.

Making moves to get Bosch to fix their list and to give us the right belt...

Sorry for the lack of interest. My procedure involves sifting through 1.4 metric tonnes of accumulated spare fan belts until I find one that fits. I need to wreck some more cars, though, I'm getting low on CV joints and power steering belts.

Bosch phoned today, they thanked me for correcting them, they're sending a replacement belt gratis...

And most importantly, they're changing their parts book so people will get the right one first try!

We had a win.

Yay well done Ray, a win for datto owners

_________________
1971 Datsun P510 SR20DET 276 rwkW
2005 Mercedes AMG E55 350 kW
1969 Datsun P510 L20B EFI 95 rwkW
1975 Ford XB Fairmont GS Wagon 179rwhp
1980 Escort Van SR20DET unfinished
2002 Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa 185hp

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

it's better with a beer company or a spirits, you get freebies from them.

but a fan belt is good, because in 40,000 k's time you have one ready!

_________________
120Y Coupe- longest build ever!