Keep Losing Belts on my 3208

[Andy Coleman]

Fellow Wanderlodgers:

When I bought my 83' FC-35 last March, I lost a belt on my ride home
to NJ from Ohio. The belt actually popped out of the pulley and lay
loose in the engine. I had to cut what was left of the belt to
remove it.

I just took my FC for its first roadtrip (to Florida) last week. I
lost the same belt two more times (in the same way) on the 3,000
mile trip. Its always fun opening up the front of the bus, swinging
back the radiator, and changing belts on the side of the road!

The belt causing me trouble is the one that goes from the crank
pulley to the fan pulley. On my 250 HP 3208 Cat, it is the smallest
belt on the engine.

The other belt on my fan pulley goes to a slack adjuster and the AC
compresser. It too is now loose. Its the longest belt on the
engine.

My friend (a professional mechanic) and I just removed the fan
pulley to see if the bearings are shot. I have a new one on order
from Cat - for the whopping price of $490! Upon inspection, the
fan, the clutch and the pulley all seem to be spinning just fine.
We are both very perplexed.

Has anybody else had this problem before? And if so, is there
something I am missing to explain what is happening?

Thanks everyone - I leave at the end of the month for cross country
road trip, and hope to not change belts all the way!

Andy Coleman
83' FC-35, 250 HP 3208
Spring Lake Heights, NJ