Kenny Brown Cars-Help!

[John F. Russo]

SUMMARY: Can anyone give me the part number for the serpentine belt for my car (Vortech supercharger installed by Kenny Brown)?
(I called Reinhart and he could not give me the exact information I needed.)

CASE HISTORY:How I almost destroyed my engine.
I was highway driving for about 15 miles and then went on a secondary road for about 5 minutes. Idecided to stop my car to check my map. Then I noticed blue smoke coming out from under the car. Then I noticed I had no oil pressure! I shut off the engine and opened the hood. Oil was all over the engine. I checked the oil level with my dipstick and almost had none. (I did notice that about 8 ounces of oil leaked from the hose during the time the car was waiting for a tow. I haven' t checked the level in my oil pan yet.) I just happened to have stopped at a gas station. I put the car up on the lift and noticed that the red oil hose from the oil pan with fittings (pressurized) was attached to a metal tube (return to the oil pan) with nylon tie wraps was twisted around that metal tube going back to the oil pan). The oil was leaking from the red hose that was being worn away by rubbing against the rotating wheel on the lower front end of the engine. The front edge of the serpentine belt was shredded. The belt I used was 110.5 in. long. I was told by the guy who installed this belt that it is too short. Is this correct?
He installed a NAPA Micro V AT, P/N 061099 about a 1/2 in away was the number 25.} I have never changed the serpentivne belt in 87k miles. (As I have learned this is not good since others change it about every 25k miles)

How did it happen? I'm quite sure it was caused by the new serpentine belt that was installed two days before. The mechanic noticed that belt started at 10 o'clock then went to 1 o'clock on the tensioner, but it did not relax back to 11-12 o'clock as it should have said the mechanic. This may be an issue too. (I'm not familiar with the tensioner/belt issue. This is how it was explained to me on the phone.)

LESSONS:
1. I've decided to get some sort of alarm or light for my oil pressure gauge. (Suggestions?)
If I had been driving on the highway, I think that the consequences could have been much more serious. I know that I would not have noticed the oil smoke at my highway speed but I would have noticed metal ticking sounds from my engine when the oil level was low enough. Then I would have pulled over very fast---maybe not fast enough--to prevent some permanent damage to my engine, Am I correct? If my wife drove this car it would have seized up before she would have stopped. This where the light would have been very important.

2. It shows again that once you get a good shop to work with don't change even though it SEEMS like a simple job.

Thank you for your help.

My cell 781 389 6879 at anytime.

[Donny Carlson]

Datcon offers "smart" gauges that will trigger an alarm or even initiate an engine shut down if oil pressure drops to zero.

Read about them here:

http://www.datcon.com/products/4smart.htm

[John F. Russo]

Datcon offers "smart" gauges that will trigger an alarm or even initiate an engine shut down if oil pressure drops to zero.

Read about them here:

http://www.datcon.com/products/4smart.htm


I'll check out the gauges.

Thank you very much.

My cell 781 389 6879 at anytime.

[N40GL]

Kenny put Spa-Technique in my car, since those are dual gauges with configurable alarms (blinking lights). I've got engine oil temp and trans oil temp in one gauge, and volts and true oil pressure in another, all in the center console pod. I can confirm that when Steve Babcock said the oilpressure sender was too active, and that's why Ford dumbed down the gauge, he's absolutely right. The oil sender hooked to a Spa-Technique gauge reports pressures all over the place, which don't make sense unless I set that particular gauge to average the readings over 2 seconds and then display that readout. It seems to settle down, then.

In general: http://www.spatechnique.com/
Dual Gauges: http://www.spatechnique.com/product_pages/page.cfm?cat=2

[John F. Russo]

Kenny put Spa-Technique in my car, since those are dual gauges with configurable alarms (blinking lights). I've got engine oil temp and trans oil temp in one gauge, and volts and true oil pressure in another, all in the center console pod. I can confirm that when Steve Babcock said the oilpressure sender was too active, and that's why Ford dumbed down the gauge, he's absolutely right. The oil sender hooked to a Spa-Technique gauge reports pressures all over the place, which don't make sense unless I set that particular gauge to average the readings over 2 seconds and then display that readout. It seems to settle down, then.

In general: http://www.spatechnique.com/
Dual Gauges: http://www.spatechnique.com/product_pages/page.cfm?cat=2

This is very helpful new information about the "active" oil pressure gauge.
I think you are suggesting that the oil pressure gauge needle jumped around too much. Is this correct?

[N40GL]

This is very helpful new information about the "active" oil pressure gauge.
I think you are suggesting that the oil pressure gauge needle jumped around too much. Is this correct?

That's exactly right - it looks like tail of a very happy dog. The averaging can be set for any time period in tenths of a second up to 15 seconds. I picked 2 whole seconds (i.e., no tenths) and it displays like it has some sanity.

[John F. Russo]

That's exactly right - it looks like tail of a very happy dog. The averaging can be set for any time period in tenths of a second up to 15 seconds. I picked 2 whole seconds (i.e., no tenths) and it displays like it has some sanity.

Thank you for the response.

[John F. Russo]

I spoke to Mike (KB-Marauder-S) who owns #15 Kenny Brown car S-version(formerly Big Joe P's car) that has a Vortech supercharger.

His serpentine belt is: Goodyear Gatorback 6 rib p/n 4061115, 112.25 in. long. This information is from the original Kenny Brown owner's manual for his car.

When I first started I was told by a marauder specialist that 110.5 inch long belt was the spec. However, this is the belt that caused me the near-disasterous failure.

Now the question is which length is correct?

Was the 110.5 a defective belt or was it too short or both? My non-regular mechanic who installed this belt nows says that it was too short. He was suspicious of the length when he installed it (read my original thread above) but he still used it and test drove the car; obviously not long enough as you can see from my near-disasterous results.

I'd like one other MM owner to confirm the 112.25 that is now more likely to be correct.

N40GL said that he was checking his own records.

If anyone has any better idea please chime in.

[KB-Marauder-S]

John-

We can meet up when we get some better weather.
Like I mentioned prior awesome car meet at the Bass Pro Shop on rt1 Foxboro MA on every other Thursday from 4pm till 9pm.

Every Saturday night 4pm -on at The Hot Rod Cafe (Riley RoastBeef) Framingham off rt9.

Good luck with belt, should work fine.. mine does :burnout:

Mike

[John F. Russo]

John-

We can meet up when we get some better weather.
Like I mentioned prior awesome car meet at the Bass Pro Shop on rt1 Foxboro MA on every other Thursday from 4pm till 9pm.

Every Saturday night 4pm -on at The Hot Rod Cafe (Riley RoastBeef) Framingham off rt9.

Good luck with belt, should work fine.. mine does :burnout:

Mike

I definitely need some local Marauder friends. And I would really like to see the next Kenny Brown version that came after my #6 car. I should have waited for it.

Seeing other cars is is sometimes very important.

Business is terrible! My four employees depend on me and I on them.

I go down to that area periodically for sales calls. What is best for me is to plan a sales call in that area in the next month. Maybe even have dinner in a local restaurant on me for your help.

Mike, thank you very much for you help.

[N40GL]

John,

My Kenny Brown "recommended maintenance" sheet (scanned & below) shows a "Goodyear Gatorback 4061110" for the belt. This was the stock setup.

Mark

[John F. Russo]

John,

My Kenny Brown "recommended maintenance" sheet (scanned & below) shows a "Goodyear Gatorback 4061110" for the belt. This was the stock setup.

Mark

As you can see from my response in this same thread (the fourth one above this), Mike reported from his Kenney Brown owner's manual that his said Goodyear Gatorback p/n 4061115. Mike's car was #15 (My car was #6) while your car is #10. I wonder why his has a "5" digit at the end of the part mnumber and yours has a "0". It's probably a minor issue. But I'll try to find out.

Was the length of your belt the same as Mike's at 112.25 in.?

Thank you very much for the help.

[Rocknthehawk]

As you can see from my response in this same thread (the fourth one above this), Mike reported from his Kenney Brown owner's manual that his said Goodyear Gatorback p/n 4061115. Mike's car was #15 (My car was #6) while your car is #10. I wonder why his has a "5" digit at the end of the part mnumber and yours has a "0". It's probably a minor issue. But I'll try to find out.

Was the length of your belt the same as Mike's at 112.25 in.?

Thank you very much for the help.


A quick search tells me:

Goodyear Gatorback 4061110 = 111.0"

found here:http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GTR-4061110/

Goodyear Gatorback 4061115= 111.5"

found here: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GTR-4061115/

[N40GL]

John,

Perhaps the length of the belt was related to the requested pulley size in the Vortech. My car originally had a Vortech T-1 SQ at about 9 PSI on the original pulley (3.2"? I don't remember). If any car owner-to-be specified a different boost, then that would account for the size difference, because the pulley was different.

FWIW, I ran mine on that belt for 40K miles with no trouble.

Mark

[John F. Russo]

A quick search tells me:

Goodyear Gatorback 4061110 = 111.0"

found here:http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GTR-4061110/

Goodyear Gatorback 4061115= 111.5"

found here: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GTR-4061115/

Aaron,

That was fast--even though I'm slow.

Thank you for the help.

I have good news in my next post on this thread.

[John F. Russo]

Eureka!

After N40GL sent me his owner's manual (one sheet) on his Kenny Brown car, I said to myself, "Why don't I have that sheet"?

Well, I do!

The spec for my KB car #6 for the serpentine belt was a Dayco Poly Cog, 6 rib, p/n 5061115 at a 115.5 in length.

Notice the similairity of this number's last four digits to the Goodyear belt used by N40GL and Mike (Mass.). It is obvious that the last four digits indicate length.

Conclusion
1. I have ordered the Dayco brand which lasted for 87k. I know its embarrassing to admit that I was lucky that it didn't break sooner. It will not happen again. I'll change the next one at about 20,000 miles.

Last Question
I still don't know why such a short difference between the 110.5 in belt that failed and the 111.5 could make that much difference.


THANK YOU ALL!
As usual there are many helpful MM members. In fact I will be meeting with Rocknthehawk and Mike (Dedham) at Bass Pro Shop in Foxboro, MA sometime.

[Rocknthehawk]

glad you got it straightened out!

I'd love to make it out to foxboro sometime, I just need a heads up (ie, more than a days notice)

[N40GL]

John,

Two thoughts:

1. Order a Goodyear Gatorback in that size (P/N 4061115), so it doesn't squeal.

2. Order TWO belts. Toss one in the trunk.

Mark

[John F. Russo]

glad you got it straightened out!

I'd love to make it out to foxboro sometime, I just need a heads up (ie, more than a days notice)



I understand.

[RF Overlord]

2. Order TWO belts. Toss one in the trunk.Very good advice, whether you have a hair-dryer or an Eaton.

The 8-rib blower belt for the Trilogy setup is not common and needed to be ordered at my FLAPS...so I got 2.

John, also check all your pulleys, especially the grooved ones, for build-up and/or debris...that can cause a belt to have reduced life s well.

[John F. Russo]

Very good advice, whether you have a hair-dryer or an Eaton.

The 8-rib blower belt for the Trilogy setup is not common and needed to be ordered at my FLAPS...so I got 2.

John, also check all your pulleys, especially the grooved ones, for build-up and/or debris...that can cause a belt to have reduced life s well.


Thank you for the suggestion.

[GAMike]

Just an FYI I recently replaced my drive belt (not the Trilogy belt) and was told that the Goodyear Gatorback that fits the Marauder has been discontinued....... Was told this by a Goodyear Shop Service Mgr.

he said there may be some left in individual shop inventories, but Goodyear is no longer making that belt. he said the replacement is a cheaper to produce product, and cost less.

(The Gator I purchased was $78.00) I felt the price was way high, but I was in no position to argue. in the end it was the wrong belt anyways, so I got it refunded while puchasing a belt Scott Levine (Master Tech- Team Toyland) could install from NAPA.

[John F. Russo]

Just an FYI I recently replaced my drive belt (not the Trilogy belt) and was told that the Goodyear Gatorback that fits the Marauder has been discontinued....... Was told this by a Goodyear Shop Service Mgr.

he said there may be some left in individual shop inventories, but Goodyear is no longer making that belt. he said the replacement is a cheaper to produce product, and cost less.

(The Gator I purchased was $78.00) I felt the price was way high, but I was in no position to argue. in the end it was the wrong belt anyways, so I got it refunded while puchasing a belt Scott Levine (Master Tech- Team Toyland) could install from NAPA.

GA Mike
A local supplier in Wilmington had 14 (Goodyear Gatorback p/n 4061115, 111.5 in long) in stock according to my mechanic. So he is gettting it tomorrow for installation.

N40GL
I took N40Gl suggestion that the Goodyear doesn't squeal. So I 'm having it installed tomorrow.


Mark
I have owned this car since it was new. I have not changed any pulley.


Thank you all for your coments.
Thank you both for your help.