I have just fitted the fan belt on a 1929 engine and find that it is very tight and there is no adjustment to slacken it off any further.
Has anyone else encountered this problem?; are there variations in fan belts or could I just have the wrong one

Regards
Brian Hutchings

I believe the correct belt is a Ferodo F-11, which has an outside circumference of 22". I assume you're aware that the fan is on an eccentric spindle for adjustment purposes (although often seized solid!)

Regards
John

Brian , there are only two fan belts available. one for coli engines and one for mag. Other than the mag. fan pully which very different it is possible to fit three alternative pulleys to a coil engine. The earlier ones are aluminium (one has alonger neck)and the later ruby one is steel. this has a slightly larger dia.May be the answer.

Thanks for the replies John & Mac. I remembered that I had a spare fanbelt that was obtained from an Austin Seven supplier. I fitted this on and it is fine. The slight slackness could be taken up on the top swivel, which was not siezed as it has been rebuilt, along with the rest of the engine. The tight fan belt was the one that was on the car when purchased and is very slightly shorter than the "new" one.I have changed the pully due to the old one being cracked and the pulleys must have been slightly different.
The old belt has the number F11 342 printed on and the good one has SW0044 002, just in case it helps someone else

The important thing to remember is, the fan belt ONLY has to turn the fan, not a water pump or anything else, it can be looooose, certainly not tight, also as I seem to recall Malcolm down there in Cornwall saying at Longbridge last year "....under most circumstances the fan is only required when the car is staionary, once on the move at a decent pace, the air flow is enough to keep the rad cool".

Mind you, reading the latest Cornwall Club Mag (Dec 07), it seems he floor's the pedal a bit on motorways............

Algie

With my original belt snapping, on fitting the replacement I was helpfully told to think of those old belt driven factory machines with the looping belts. Providing there is friction the fan will turn, tight and you will ruin the bearings. Mine is now looser than a......well...a very loose thing

.....and of course in an emergency, a ladies stocking could be used to get one out of trouble..or into it!!!!

Chris