My firebird: the tank

[defrag]

Last nite my power steering cut out, I didnt have time nor patience to figure out what was wrong.

Cut to this morning. Im already running late for work, jump in my car and remember that the power steering was out.

No time to check wtf was going on I hit the road, 15 mile drive to work.

As I start to awake I start to ponder what exactly would be causing this problem, I look at my gauges. Voltage Low, Temp High, No power steering.

It dawns on me that im driving my car at 90mph with no belt and I have been for at least 10 mins.

No time to stop though! I must get to work, i was 30 minutes late yesterday and thats not going to fly again.

Another 5 mins later, temp is pegged at 260, voltage is dropping more! Almost there little girl you can do it!

Car starts cutting out, lights dim. But shes still running! I roll into the parking lot at work, pop the hood and jump out.

Steam comes rollin out, Yup no belt is there. Tensioner pully looks like it got in a fight with a bear.

Time will tell if any major damage was done by my idiocy. But the old girl has yet to leave me stranded and I have faith that she'll be up and running once I get that pulley replaced and the batt recharged

108K and still trucking!

[howardf]

Yup. I had the EXACT same thing happen to me in rush hour

The belt snapped off. the temp shot up like an arrow and the volt meter went to like 5 volts.

I pulled into Firestone where a buddy works and got it fixed.

Radiator fluid was boiling within a matter of minutes, from the time it happened to when I got to the shop.

I got 132k and the car still pulls nicely.

[Rob Bell]

When my cavalier started eating belts (293K miles) once it ate the belt and I drove for miles by shutting off the engine and coasting downhill and shutting it off at lights. I would run it until the temp got to about 3/4, and shutting it off while moving enabled it to cool quickly. I did this for about an hour or so. That was the last straw. A couple weeks later I traded it for the Bird.

[3.4 slow to go]

Originally posted by defrag:

Another 5 mins later, temp is pegged at 260, voltage is dropping more! Almost there little girl you can do it!

Car starts cutting out, lights dim. But shes still running! I roll into the parking lot at work, pop the hood and jump out.

Steam comes rollin out, Yup no belt is there. Tensioner pully looks like it got in a fight with a bear.

you try that shizz inan alloy motor, and you fudge it up real good. I'd keep an eye on coolant/oil color in the next few weeks, tranny oil color, and for any billowy white smoke.

[defrag]

forgot to update this thing:

went to autozone and got the replacement pulley, like $10. replaced it, found the belt was actually still under the hood, so i just re-used it. cranked it right up! didnt even need to recharge the batt. and one month later i notice no problems at all.

damn fine engine

[AZ3.8Camaro]

Knowing your temp is that high and continuing to drive the car = shame on you = potentially bad motor.
You got lucky.
If your temp ever gets even close to pegged. Shut it off immmeadiately.

[fast 3.4]

nad I thought the 3.4 was a tank....damn.