Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

[Lon_H]

3rd week of my new job. I'm using my Nissan truck to run deliveries because the other guy wrecked the company van (which is how I got the job). I'm at a medical clinic dropping off supplies, when I start the truck the belt is HOWLING, so I drive over to another parking lot (cant work on a truck in front of a clinic) and find the upper alternator bolt is broke. So I take the alt. off to see if I can get the bolt out, I even tried drilling it but my drill batteries were too low and I didnt have a new bolt anyway.

Plan B, I called some friends, they were either working or getting ready to work. But one friend works 5 miles away at a tire store, if I can get there maybe I can fix the truck. Alt. goes back on, the same belt drives the water pump so got to try and get the belt to stay on. Inspiration strikes. I get the ratchet strap from the back, and wrap it around the alt. hook the ends to a bracket on the fender well and other than some squealing the belt stays. I get to the tire store, refill the radiator and hit the interstate to get back to the office. I've gone about 20 miles total so far and will try to limp home later.


Morals of the story: Motorheads dont call AAA. Always carry tools, and if all else fails get creative.

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

WIN!

[Barry Donovan]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

easy repairs great.

snap some timing or cam or what have you.
AAA is not a bad idea. I used it for the first time ever, last year, simply a broken t-belt, which led to a water pump, oil pump, headgasket, front main seal and four steel sleeves in the plug holes. (It is like I got bombed.)

ingenuity till the end of time..I was not getting out of that one.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

Morals of the story: Motorheads dont call AAA. Always carry tools, and if all else fails get creative.

congrats on your ingenuity... and thank you for reminding me why I have a car payment ;D

[Lon_H]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

Morals of the story: Motorheads dont call AAA. Always carry tools, and if all else fails get creative.

congrats on your ingenuity... and thank you for reminding me why I have a car payment ;D

Carpayments!?!?!?!? I like adventure and excitement. Besides this truck is a family heirloom, I'll just keep fixing it.
When I was reinstalling the alt. I busted the upper radiator hose neck off the radiator. I just spent 90 minutes in front of my parent's house swapping in a new radiator. Now I can home where I have proper tools and light and try and fix the alt.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

Morals of the story: Motorheads dont call AAA. Always carry tools, and if all else fails get creative.

congrats on your ingenuity... and thank you for reminding me why I have a car payment ;D

Carpayments!?!?!?!? I like adventure and excitement. Besides this truck is a family heirloom, I'll just keep fixing it.
When I was reinstalling the alt. I busted the upper radiator hose neck off the radiator. I just spent 90 minutes in front of my parent's house swapping in a new radiator. Now I can home where I have proper tools and light and try and fix the alt.

trust me, I've been there - my 1st car blew head gaskets so often that I could change both heads in 4 hours flat....

[Lon_H]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

I carry tools because of my last truck, a 90 Silverado. I also carried a breaker bar with a 5/8 socket so I could loosen the idler pulley.

My record for repairs in places other than the shop. A Chic Fil A parking lot, 84 GMC, starter: WalMart parking lot 93 Astro van, starter: and a bail bonds parking lot, 95 Nissan alternator(on my way to grandad's funeral). Now I can add an upscale shopping center to the list.

There arent any tools in the new van yet, but I dont want to fix that thing on the side of the road.

[daved931]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

Good work on your MacGyver fix. Ingenuity like that can save money and hassle.

I need to find pics from when one of my fraternity brothers did a head gasket on the 6.5 diesel in his Suburban in a hotel parking lot several hundred miles from home. It's one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.

[Lon_H]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

Last year on the way to the Good Guys event in Bowling Green my friend and I hooked up his heater hoses, in his 68 Nova at a truck stop. The night before he swapped in a new heater core and for some reason unknown to me he did not hook up the hoses. We stopped for breakfast in Nashville and he decided that was the place to hook up the heater. After driving for a hundred miles in 30 degree rainy weather with no heater.



Here is the fix. I'm still driving it, because I got home late last night. So far it has held up. My wife is bringing my the van after she runs her errands, I dont want to chance running deliveries with the ratchet strap. Yes the alt. is buried under a mess of hoses.

[DanStokes]

Re: Emergency repair. Ratchet strap to the rescue.

Good goin', Lon! And I'm super happy to hear that you got a gig. I hope they learn to appreciate you.

Dan