• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Water pump

Britter

Freshman Member
Country flag
Offline
How far can I drive my TR3A without a fan belt? Went to change fan belt and found all nuts and bolts holding alternator gone. Too old and very limited garage space for DIY repair. Revotec electric fan. Am about six miles from a good repair shop. Can I drive that far without damaging anything? Thanks, Britter
 
If you have an electric fan, the "fan belt" is really just a drive belt for the alternator (generator?). When you drive without a working charging system, you are running on the battery. If it's fully charged, and you don't turn on lights or use anything else electrical, you should be able to go for a few hours before it goes flat.
 
If you have an electric fan, the "fan belt" is really just a drive belt for the alternator (generator?). When you drive without a working charging system, you are running on the battery. If it's fully charged, and you don't turn on lights or use anything else electrical, you should be able to go for a few hours before it goes flat.
Electrical isn't the worry. Overheating is.
I once drove my TR3A over 150 miles when my generator quit. Then about 20 miles when my belt broke on another trip.
So it depends on the weather. But 6 miles is doable.
Charley
 
Doability and desirability are not the same thing. Time, not distance, is the limiting factor. I would avoid if possible a ten or 15 minute run without cooling. If you do it, consider breaking it up into several legs with cooling waits between as dictated by the temp gauge.
Bob
 
Last edited:
Electrical isn't the worry. Overheating is.
Yes, of course!

Sorry, I shouldn't reply to questions before I've had my coffee.
 
Back
Top