JACK RABBITz

Hey Guys,

greetings from germany.
Excuse me please little mistakes in my lenguage


Ive a problem. Today i drive on the autobahn and sometimes (like everyone) i check the gauges and all ist fine. Then, after around 3 Minutes i look at the gauges and see the red "CHECK GAUGES" lamp. I see, that the GAUGE for the Alternator is 12V. I know, that aything must happend to it. Then i check all the other gauges and see, that the watertemp is in the red area (over 300 deg F and over 125 deg Celsius).
In this moment i switch the transmission to N, cutoff the engine and roll out to the brakedown lane... I think the overheating time was aroung 2 minutes at around 3000 - 4000rpm.
I ask my friend and he have said, that he take a look to the gauge too, 2 minutes ago and at this moment was the gauge NOT in the red line. But he think, it was a little bit higher then the middle. Not realy to say.

Ok, so far. Ive open the bonnet and see, that the belt is jumping off from the pulleys. We wait 1 hour to let the engine cool down and reinstall the belt.
Before we do it, i drive with my hand all the pulleys and all ones are going good. The upper belt pulley with the spring works fine too. Mutch handpower need with a wrench to clamp. I change that belt every year, so i know how it works and i feel there is no power loosed. We dont find a reason, why the belt is jumping off.

After that hour we drive to our destination. All fine, nothing happend.
BUT ONLY:
The oilpressure was not the same like before that accident. It is ca. 1/5 lower.

Ive checked the coolingwater, there i cant see oil in it. I think it must be ok. Then ive checked the oil-dipstick, there i cant see any white foam. It smells not like coolingwater. Smeels like "just" oil. So think its fine too.
Wikipedia tells me, that every 10 degrees more then the working-temperature means the oil-lifetime is going to the half. So i think my oil is bad now.

Now im worrie, that anything can be happend to my engine. The overheatingtime was not so long but im still nervous. I dont know nothing about overheating, never ever i have a problem like this before. No one of my friends too.
What can happend? Any rules how long an LS1 can overheat? Any experience? In the next i day i must check anything (without changing oil). In the next 1000km the head gasket can be blown?

Have anything an opinion about it?
I fear, that my engine is going bad

Zitty'sZ

As long as you did not run the engine too long when it was overheating and it is not making any knocking sounds I think you should be fine . I would change the oil as soon as possible because oil does breakdown when it has been overheated . I would keep an eye on that belt because it should not have come off that easy . Make sure all the pulleys are lined up and the bearings in the alternator and waterpump spin smoothly . Good luck .

NukeFPE

Change your oil. I had Fan relay #3 go on my 2000 SS (which will take both fans out)and I over heated sitting in traffic to the point steam came out of my overflow. I fixed the relay & next day my water pump started leaking. I changed it & added an SLP manual fan switch & a simple switch directly between the battery & right side fan. So far (keep fingers crossed) all is fine. I don't know if you know this but the Temp. gage is "dummied" to sit at 210F ~ GM made this change in 98 because people complained it moves too much. Check your idler pully & look at the "sticky" (at the top of LS1 page)on greasing your pulleys ~ mine needed it bad. Also, get yourself a Goodyear Gaterback belt.

JACK RABBITz

Hi and thanks for answeres.
I hope i write not to mutch. But lonely in germany, no one can help

@Zitty'sZ:
When i remove the belt, then i can absolutely easy drive the pulleys with my fingers. The Alternator and the waterpump i can drive fine too. It rolls smooth.

The whole time i think why it falls of. Maybe a little stone or something fall into a pulley and takeoff the belt, but its not verry logic. When a bearing will be crushed, then i thin i will feel it but the pullys drive fine.

And the maximal time witch can be possible is 3 minutes from not overheat to overheat. I think i drive overheat around 2 minutes at 3000-4000rpm before i noticed it.
Engine runs good and sounds not knocking.


@NukeFPE:
I dont know if its there a difference between the camaro-versions. My camaro has the california-cooler (ive read its bigger). But the cooler cant work, when the belt fall of the pump. So my situation is a little bit different.
So when you say, that your fans wont start and in traffic your engine is overheating, then its the question how mutch is the block overheated and how mutch increase the pressure in the block when the boiling water was moved to the cooler.
In my situation the boiling water will be in the block.
When i open the bonnet after that accident i dont hear annything and i dont see anything. It smeels only "hot". But i think the reason is, that the pump was stopped and so the hot water will be in the block. But im not shure if the water will circle a little bit, when its be expandet.

You write, that the gauge will be dummied.You mean that it will be move faster then normal and it will show not realy the correct value?

The tip with the greasing i will made soon. Ill check hat.

At the end of my mutch word, i must ask a little bit stupid: Where i can get a "Goodyear Gaterback belt"? Here in germany i cant buy any stuff for the camaro. I must import or order at special dealers. If you have a part-number or something? It will be fine


If its out there any topic (and i search verry long) where its written "the rules" values or experiance, how long an LS1 can overheat? Or temperatures or times how long the overheating must be, that it crack the head-gaskets or the block?
I dont find anything. At boat-topics many people write sutch valus but for V8 engine with alublock i dont find anything.
I think it must be out there any exerience about that. Thinks like "The overheating must be around 10 minutes before crack the head-gaskets" or the block can overheat 5 minutes before the pistons grinding the cylinders.
Or before the pistons grinding the cylinders, the head-gaskets crashed...
Only guideline-values without special ascendancies around the drivers situation.

Thanks again!

NukeFPE

Jack,

Here is the belt most of us use here:
http://www.goodyearep.com/ProductsDetail.aspx?id=3128

The main belt is:4060790 6PK2005
The bottom belt is:4040410 4PK1040
You should be able to order them over the Internet (Try Auto Zone or Summit Racing)

The "California Cooler" I'm guessing you are talking about is option "YF5" which was for emmissions (polution). I don't think that will matter.

Something made the belt jump. (I never buy the "Magic stone theory) Either something is out of alignment, or the idler (tensioner) spring is weak. I'm guessing it would be the idler. I'd grease the bearings on the pulleys, check the idler real close (& change it if I had suspisions) and put the Gatorback belts on.

The Temperature guages post 1998 are F_ _ _ up! On my car, with the Snap-on Scanner connected, as the temperature rises to about 190F, my gage reads 210F. It will stay on 210F until about 230F when it will start to move to the red. It gives you no time to react!!! Mine went from 210 to RED (with the "Check Gages" light coming on in < 2 min.) Its just a **** poor design GM did to stop people from asking "Why" the gage moves so much.

AL SS590 M6

In the model year 2000 there was a technical service bulletin out for our cars that was about pulley alignment and throwing belts. Maybe your car was built late in the 99 model run and has this problem. Check very carefully with a straight edge to see if all the pulleys and accessories are lined up.
As far as there being a specific amount of time that an LS1 can take being overheated there isn't any set time. Either it survives or it doesn't. If it runs fine and there's no oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil then I'd say it's fine.
You really do need to change the oil as soon as possible.

JACK RABBITz

Thanks again for your answeres.
The oil ill change tomorow.

The reason, why i change every year my belt is, that it squeak (a problem i think every camaro-driver has).

Today after the night i drive a half hour around. The cold-start was fine, no knocking sound or something other different. After that, ive checked the Water under the screw on the cooler and the oil dipstick and no problem so far. I only have a silly feeling in my stomach...
I love my camaro

EDIT: Oh, and i dont find a sticky thread with the theme "grease the pulleys"

In the next days i will grease my pulleys and check if its realy ok. The spring in the idler i moved last years verry often, to change the belt, but i "feel" its not softer or other. Mutch handpower is needed to move that thing. But any reason must be out there. Thanks for the tips.

EDIT 2:

Is this realy the right belt? There is only written "fit to firebird". Yes, the same LS1 but it will be the right one?
http://store.summitracing.com/egnsea...DS=1&N=700+115
Its 79inch long.

I search witch make and model an find this one:
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku
Its 42inch long.

Any tipps to change pulleys that better run as the stock ones?

NukeFPE

Here is the link on the pulleys:
https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=461523

Yes, that is the correct belt ~ Remember there are 2 belts.

I think you will be fine.Good luck.

JACK RABBITz

THX again for reply. I post a message in the other thread to find out, if i can change the pulleys to better ones with a boarder right and left side.

Ill order at summit some different parts for my camaro.

Z28luvr

Who sells the Goodyear belts?

NukeFPE

Auto Zone

Marc 85Z28

If the belt throwing problem continues, you may want to get rid of the spring loaded tensioner that is currently on the car. Many people switch over to an adjustable belt tensioner to prevent future belt problems. The aftermarket tensioners allow you set the belt tension, and they have a higher end rib on them to help retain the belt.

Katech makes a very nice, but pricey tensioner: http://www.katechengines.com/street_...etail.php?id=1

JACK RABBITz

Oh, thx for this Info.

Ive found out another thing. Last days ive greased my 4 pulleys and so ive sized the lenght with my old (original GM-Belt) (ive compared this two). The actual one is 3cm shorter then the GM one. If i install the original the Position of this tensioner is the middle marker. If i install the actual one, the position is the last marker.
Can be this a reason? But ive buyd the actual belt last year same way like the year before!? Hm, thats curious.
But by the way, to greasing the bearings was a verry good tip because all was dry and one bearing was not realy closed installed with the screw. It was not casual, i only need to put on the wrench and hop it was slack.

Hope my english is not to bad and you understand what i mean.
The tensioner spring i think is not more weak like in the years before but it can be, so i think if i buy a new one. I must sleep a night about that.