[Gallagher]

Hi guys,

Took my car for about an hour spin today, somewhat spirited, most around town. Turned it off and left for five minutes. When I got in and fired it up the dashboard brake light was on as if the parking brake was not fully disengaged. Noticed that there was no power assist to the brakes. Headed cautiously home and the car started to run hot (110 degree)...

I left it for 1/2 hour or so checked the fluids and then limped it home while stopping to let it cool a few times. (Happened a mile away from home, didn't let it go over 100 degrees.

Oil level normal, coolant level normal, no steam...car runs fine.

What is the connection between brake assist and overheating? Can't just be coincidence....

What went wrong....any ideas????

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

 

[Gallagher]

Coolant is clear green, no foam, no oil. Oil is normal amber and does not smell burnt.

 

[Gallagher]

Does the same accessory belt drive water pump and vacuum pump???

How about I just go look at my manual...please hold.

 

[sailorbob]

Sounds like you've just hit upon the problem, the belt's gone AWOL.

 

[Gallagher]

This is interesting....jacked the car up and the vacuum pump is sitting in the belly pan.

Didn't take a look yet, gotta be dad for a little while (not a bad job!).

Anybody ever have their vacuum pump fall off????

 

[Vulcan Grey]

Usually the vacuum pump bracket breaks, and the pump falls out of the car taking the water pump belt with it.

 

[Vulcan Grey]

Oops, you beat me answering your question.

It actually has happened several times, that I know of.

 

[Gallagher]

It'll be interesting to see if it's a broken bracket or just loosened and fell off. I didn't see anything broken on my first glance... I will update once I have dug a little deeper.

 

[mieczkow]

A few years ago this happened to me. The vacuum pump didn't fall off, the the very hard to access Allen bolt did. Not a difficult fix but I did need to choose down an Allen wrench in order to be able to tighten the bolt. The belt even survived OK.

 

[Gallagher]

Looks like all the bolts fell out....

 

[esprit888]

Looks like all the bolts fell out....

All of them ? do you mean the bolts holding the vacuum pump to the bracket, or the bracket to the engine block? these typically don't get disturbed unless someone has taken off the vacuum pump for repair, I even leave mine on when doing a timing belt, just loosen the adjustment bolt. I did read some old emails where Sam was doing something on the pump re: the exhaust from the rear of the housing (also read where he replaced a snapped throttle cable-didn't you just have that pop off ?)

 

[Gallagher]

All of them ? do you mean the bolts holding the vacuum pump to the bracket, or the bracket to the engine block? these typically don't get disturbed unless someone has taken off the vacuum pump for repair, I even leave mine on when doing a timing belt, just loosen the adjustment bolt. I did read some old emails where Sam was doing something on the pump re: the exhaust from the rear of the housing (also read where he replaced a snapped throttle cable-didn't you just have that pop off ?)

Yup, throttle cable jumped off the quadrant.....no comment on previous owner's treatment of the car (as you we'll know 888!)

Just took a quick look, appears that there is a cast bracket that is still attached to the engine and a stamped steel one (qdjustable portion) bolted to the vac pump. Bolts fell off so that the stamped steel unit is still attached to the pump.

 

[esprit888]

Yup, throttle cable jumped off the quadrant.....no comment on previous owner's treatment of the car (as you we'll know 888!)

Just took a quick look, appears that there is a cast bracket that is still attached to the engine and a stamped steel one (qdjustable portion) bolted to the vac pump. Bolts fell off so that the stamped steel unit is still attached to the pump.

May not feel like it but you likely dodged a 50 cal bullet. If you were at speed when it happened and the belt came off it could so easily have wrapped itself around another belt, worse yet the timing belt

 

[lotusdriver2001]

After multiple removals of the vacuum pump I found that the pump can be removed from the bracket by removing the three hex bolts that attach the pump to the bracket. If the adjuster is loose then the pump can rotate enough that a long extension can be used from the rear and each of the three screws can be accessed individually. The bracket to engine bolts are much easier this way. It can be a bear to align the screws to the pump to get everything started but once the first one is in the rest is easy.