fan belt needed due to dead cat...

bambam

Managed to kill a cat this morning when I started my engine. Not what you need on a monday morning... The fan (alternator) belt has snapped.

Could anyone tell me how much a new fan belt would cost for a ford focus. Is it easy to fit yourself or do you need a mechanic. How much would a garage cost

thanks, Bam

mike65

:eek: Poor cat, not that uncommen esp in certain parts of the world where a warm engine bay is desired...dunno about the price of a belt but they're easy to replace as a rule requiring a couple of spanners/sockets and something to lever the pulley so the belt is tight when the bolt is tightened. Buy a Haynes manual (as I always say at this point!).

Mike

Interceptor

Cars 1:Cats 0 More threads like this please.

The belt from an auto factors will cost €12-€18, double it if you buy the same thing from Ford. To fit it you need a set of metric sockets, spanners and a large screwdriver to wedge against the alternator when tightening the belt. When the bolts are tight, check the tension by twisting the belt and making sure it can't be twisted more than 90 degrees. As Mike65 says - get a Haynes (is there one for the Focus?) or other manual and drive OVER cats in future.

I find that smearing kitty-kat on the white lines on the road outside my house is much more effective..... :-P

'c

Ave

bambam wrote:

Managed to kill a cat this morning when I started my engine. Not what you need on a monday morning... The fan (alternator) belt has snapped.

Could anyone tell me how much a new fan belt would cost for a ford focus. Is it easy to fit yourself or do you need a mechanic. How much would a garage cost

thanks, Bam

Poor little kitty

Our man in Havana

bambam wrote:

Managed to kill a cat this morning when I started my engine. Not what you need on a monday morning... The fan (alternator) belt has snapped.

Could anyone tell me how much a new fan belt would cost for a ford focus. Is it easy to fit yourself or do you need a mechanic. How much would a garage cost

thanks, Bam

I shall be reporting you to the Cats Liberation Front otherwise known as the CLF!

Verdammt

That's a novel way to kill a cat.

Got any pic's ???

bambam

cheers, folks. Reckon I'll get the local garage around the corner to do it. As for pictures, eh... no. Must say, extracting a still warm mangled cat from your car's fan belt at 8 in the morning - not the most pleasant of starts to the week. There's still bloody cat fur everywhere...

impr0v

My ma did the same to one of ours, about three cats ago. Cat didn't die though, it cost over a grand to fix, wires in jaw etc, eye socket permanently shut, basically got half it's head rebuilt by a vet from the ground up. Lasted another year or so until the rebuilt tear duct got infected and slowly killed it.

I blame the car manufacturers for not making the engine bay cat-proof.

alias no.9

The belt should cost about a tenner if you act like you know what your talking about when you go in to a motor factors. Fitting is easy. Most alternators have an adjustment screw on the bracket that you can use to tension them up, levering with a screwdriver is a thing of the past. Anyone with any mechanical aptitude will do it in half an hour. You'll know it's not quite tight if you hear a terrible screach on startup, a little more tension and it will be fine. Beware that you will end up with a flat battery if you drive it too far without the belt.

Hagar

impr0v wrote:

My ma did the same to one of ours, about three cats ago.

I'm so upset, I would have loved to come up with that line. It's a classic.

fletch

Yes they do a Haynes Manual for Ford Focus....here
Should be able to get one/order one in any motor factors....Motorway, Blanchardstown

Canis Lupus

lol.... my cat always sleeps in the engine but after a close one once upon a time he doesnt hang around once the car door opens.... usually i get into the car to see a ball of hair shoot off down the garden. Conversely tho when the weather is hot he sleeps on the roof and has to be pushed off. Once I got into the car drove off up my driveway (i live in kerry driveway is loooong) and braked at the main road to have Tiger slide off the roof and down the bonnet claws extends and legs moving like roadrunner.... my bonnet was a little scratched but was too funny to be angry with the cat

he lived by the way. personally my tally so far involves 2 rabbits and a suicidal dog but he escaped with a headache (i think).