<VV> Houston - we have a problem!!! Corvair related

[Roger Gault]

Roger,
As others have said, you're probably OK, just drive it and see.

One possible reason for throwing belts is a failing harmonic balancer.  The
Corvair "crank pulley" is a two-piece assembly with a ring of rubber bonding
the hub to the pulley ring.  The rubber's there to damp torsional vibration
in the crankshaft.  Eventually, the rubber dies and the ring starts to slip
on the hub.  If the ring starts to walk toward the rear of the car, it
misalligns the belt as it enters the pully and causes it to come off (or it
cuts a hole in the oil filter and sprays all your oil out in a very short
time).
If you look down in the dark hole where this assembly lives, check to see if
the rear edge of the pully is lined up with the rear edge of the hub.  There
may be an 1/8" wide rubber ring sticking out a little bit between them - or,
it may be pretty much worn/chipped away, but the metal parts should line up.
While you're there, check for a sort of chisel mark across the rubber ring.
It's there to show that the two parts have not slipped.

Roger Gault
Austin, TX
the other Roger on the list ;-)