[Infinitrium]

I've got a 98 Escort wagon that has a problem with snapping serpentine belts, and currently is stuck about 75 miles from home. i don't want to put another belt on it right now as it would probably break again, so I was wondering how far I would make it without the belt. I've got 2 spare batteries so I should be alright for electrical power.

 

[97DragScort]

sounds like your a/c compressor may be siezed - should be fine, no power steering , but beyond that, with the spare batteries, 75 miles should be ok.

 

[pextor]

yes you should be fine. the water pump is driven by the timing belt, so it won't over heat.

 

[Infinitrium]

Ok, good. I'll post again when I get the car home.

 

[Infinitrium]

Well, I got the car home. I had to make a stop about halfway for some fuel so I switched batteries there. Other than the lack of power steering, the car ran great. Exhaust is tight and quiet, steering and brakes are smooth (but the handbrake doesn't work). The clutch feels a bit soft and the shift lever is floppy but I can overlook those for a while. It runs nice and it's plenty peppy on the highway, and no OBD2 codes show up.

 

[thebeans]

If Jeff is right and your AC compressor is indeed seized up you can bypass it with a shorter belt.

My AC compressor seized up (the AC stopped working, a clicking noise I couldn't find and finally smoke pouring out from under the hood ((I couldn't find the source of the smoke either because it was coming from my belt)) and I just went to checker and got the belt for the escorts with no AC.
I would like to have AC again though.... It's getting hot.

 

[97DragScort]

If Jeff is right

My name is Matt.

 

[thebeans]

For some reason I thought that Jeffscort replied originally. I was, of course, assuming that Jeffscort's name is Jeff which might be overreaching.

 

[97DragScort]

Jeffscort = Jeff

dragscort = Matt.

 

[djdan]

If Jeff is right and your AC compressor is indeed seized up you can bypass it with a shorter belt.

My AC compressor seized up (the AC stopped working, a clicking noise I couldn't find and finally smoke pouring out from under the hood ((I couldn't find the source of the smoke either because it was coming from my belt)) and I just went to checker and got the belt for the escorts with no AC.
I would like to have AC again though.... It's getting hot.

this happened to me about two weeks ago. it was a nice hot sunny day, i decided to turn on the ac, which amazingly worked last time i tried it (which was also the first time i tried it). I noticed it wasn't cooling quickly at all like the first time (and i was on a highway). i moved the selector to max ac, and it cooled down, but then i smelt some terrible burning, had to open windows i couldnt breathe.

from what my dad (mechanic) figured, the clutch or something had broken, and though it sitll spun, it wobbled back and forth. i simply got a bypass belt, and the car seems to have a bit more horsepower ever since!

 

[EscortLX97]

My A/C Comp got stuck to the point it damage the key way on the harmonic balancer and crankshaft. Fix it but no A/C I have the new comp but haven't install it yet.