nic55kel
Nic55kel
Crossed into North Dakota yesterday (New Years Eve) to pick up a Turbo for my truck.
It was an actual - 36C (-33F) with wind.
Most of the 80 mile each way trip was in wide open deserted farm Land.
Picked up the Turbo In Neche and crossed back into Canada.
Driving a 1995 Olds 98 (wife's car).
About 10 minutes into Canada hear a pop like we had hit chunk of ice or something.
About a minute later the dash starts to flash red and the message center reports low coolant?
I calmly encourage the wife loudly to PULL OVER NOW!
Conveniently we were just passing through the only small town on the road and there was a restaurant driveway
to pull into.
Open the hood and see tensioner pulley has collapsed and belt running down side of tensioner and still slowly moving.
I politely request wife to SHUT IT OFF!
No tools and no parts, I just know this is going to be very inconvenient and cold.
Wife foolishly wants to see if there is a garage close by that can help us.
I know this is impossible because it is almost noon on New Years eve and parts will not be available.
Wife flags down a truck just leaving the restaurant and asks if there is an open garage nearby -
"right across the street" replies the driver and offers us a lift.
I sensibly argue with the wife that it is hopeless and we should just get a tow
(wife has auto club membership as I know I will never need it).
Two minute drive to the garage and I attempt to convince the owner that he cannot help us,
(I am anticipating a $300 bill at least).
Wife attempts to contact auto club but it is apparent we will be waiting for hours for help.
We talk and he offers me tools to take the tensioner pulley off and his daughter who is doing nothing
takes me out to an idling minivan and drives me back to the vehicle.
The idler comes off surprisingly easily (luckily I knew left hand thread) and we take it back.
The garage owner rummages around and finds me a new idler and changes the bolt to my LH one.
His daughter takes me back, I install idler and belt remarkably has no serious damage.
Start it up and we are good to go.
Bill = $40 so wife encourages me to give him $50 which I do.
We continue our journey and get home safely.
Probably a few lessons to be learned here.
1. Remain calm in tense situations.
2. Be willing to listen to all suggestions no matter how foolish
3. The strengths of a wife can compensate for the weaknesses of a husband, opposite may or may not be true.
I don't know what the odds of breaking down right in front of probably the only source of immediate help
on a three hour journey are, but The Lord or dumb luck was really looking out for us.
Happy New Year to all from Canada.
It was an actual - 36C (-33F) with wind.
Most of the 80 mile each way trip was in wide open deserted farm Land.
Picked up the Turbo In Neche and crossed back into Canada.
Driving a 1995 Olds 98 (wife's car).
About 10 minutes into Canada hear a pop like we had hit chunk of ice or something.
About a minute later the dash starts to flash red and the message center reports low coolant?
I calmly encourage the wife loudly to PULL OVER NOW!
Conveniently we were just passing through the only small town on the road and there was a restaurant driveway
to pull into.
Open the hood and see tensioner pulley has collapsed and belt running down side of tensioner and still slowly moving.
I politely request wife to SHUT IT OFF!
No tools and no parts, I just know this is going to be very inconvenient and cold.
Wife foolishly wants to see if there is a garage close by that can help us.
I know this is impossible because it is almost noon on New Years eve and parts will not be available.
Wife flags down a truck just leaving the restaurant and asks if there is an open garage nearby -
"right across the street" replies the driver and offers us a lift.
I sensibly argue with the wife that it is hopeless and we should just get a tow
(wife has auto club membership as I know I will never need it).
Two minute drive to the garage and I attempt to convince the owner that he cannot help us,
(I am anticipating a $300 bill at least).
Wife attempts to contact auto club but it is apparent we will be waiting for hours for help.
We talk and he offers me tools to take the tensioner pulley off and his daughter who is doing nothing
takes me out to an idling minivan and drives me back to the vehicle.
The idler comes off surprisingly easily (luckily I knew left hand thread) and we take it back.
The garage owner rummages around and finds me a new idler and changes the bolt to my LH one.
His daughter takes me back, I install idler and belt remarkably has no serious damage.
Start it up and we are good to go.
Bill = $40 so wife encourages me to give him $50 which I do.
We continue our journey and get home safely.
Probably a few lessons to be learned here.
1. Remain calm in tense situations.
2. Be willing to listen to all suggestions no matter how foolish
3. The strengths of a wife can compensate for the weaknesses of a husband, opposite may or may not be true.
I don't know what the odds of breaking down right in front of probably the only source of immediate help
on a three hour journey are, but The Lord or dumb luck was really looking out for us.
Happy New Year to all from Canada.
I just had to tease.. Really sounds like someone gave you your hat in this instance from this side of the computer. Funny how things work out when we see the exact situation as hopeless. Many times my wife has solved my worldly problems because I could not see the easy way to repair or act when something really complex happens. Many years ago I was under our Wellcraft bost installing a seawater pickup for the new bait tank I was installing. Daughter was under there watching my every move when she saw I was having trouble with the thru bolts. She simply said.. "Try the longer one Dad"... 
