100% Road Princess

Having just changed the PAS and Alternator drive belts I noted the manual is quite specific about the required tension. It quotes a mm deflection range at a force of 10kg, something you just can't achieve without a special tool of some sort.
So I got bored and made one using the luggage scales (won't need it for some time) and some scrap steel tube and bar I had in the workshop.



You simply push down on the belt until the required 10kg load, the grommet on the shaft records the deflection, simple.

Yes I could have used the twist belt method or just done it up tight, but these don't satisfy my slight OCD and the need to know it's within spec. I can sleep again tonight.

D'oh !
No one spotted the mistake?
The rubber grommet is not a measure of belt deflection, it's just another measurement of load applied. Luckily my brain kicked in before I used it to tighten the belts. Still works well enough to apply the correct load, but you need two high visable marks on a suitable stick at the side of the belt to see the deflection.
It surprised me how tight the belts actually are compared to the old style fan belts of yesteryear. Being old and not use to this "modern stuff", my calibrated thumb would have never gone tight enough.
Mike

Serendipity and serpentine belts.....all good fun and pleased to see the cuppa! proper!!

Say hello to the latest member of our family.
It's a 1984 Eriba Pan caravan collected today after a 400 mile round trip. It's called Matilda by the previous owners and this name appears to have stuck, especially with the better half.It's going to replace our Micro teardrop caravan, something I had wanted to do, but was reluctant due to only having a Jimny as a tow vehicle.
Let's be honest, the standard 1.3 Jimny is ok naked, but to me it never felt like it would cope very well with a full size caravan hanging off the back.
However Lambert tows a twin axle with a moving fluffy load (Baa), and BGBrit (Tony) has just set off on an epic road trip with the largest caravan he could fit attached, or was it just camera perspective?
So I decided it was just me putting the Jimny down and purchased Matilda. I should have done it ages ago, the Jimny tows the caravan brilliantly, no fuss, no problems. It's never going to win tow car of the year, but it will happily pull the van along at 50 -60 all day and actually feels stable even with the heavy load.
So that's my accommodation sorted for the Jimny meet, just need to tell the wife I am taking it.

Thanks Lambert.
No you are safe from a van restoration thread as it's 100% original and damp free. The Germans know how to make a dry caravan that will last.
It's a bad picture, but it's as it left the factory.

Looks very tidy for it's age, looks like it's hardly been used?