Halfords

[mayalld]

Last night, I went to Halfords.

 

I almost feel that I should have opened with "Bless me Father, for I have sinned", and that I should now be saying my "Hail Marys"

 

I knew before I ventured there that once you remove the bit that sells bikes, and the bit that sells car audio systems and the camping section and (well you get the picture), there is very little of Halfords that actually concentrates upon what I vaguely hoped was its core business.

 

However, due to a busy day at work, I needed somewhere that would be open a little later, so I entered the unholy temple, and wandered over to the unloved back corner.

 

There, not quite arrayed in front of me, were a paltry few air filters, an unimpressive selection of oil filters, and really not much else.

 

I looked, and looked again, nowhere could I see the fan belt that I was looking for. In fact, more to the point, nowhere could I see any fan belts.

 

Clearly, coming shopping at 7pm after a long day at work had addled the brain, and I simply couldn't see for looking.

 

So, I enquired of the nearest employee "please could you direct me to the fan belts"

 

"We don't stock fan belts any more"

 

"That seems rather odd for a car spares shop"

 

"no call for them. if you give me your registration number, I can order one for tomorrow"

 

"I would like a 1050mm belt, Z section"

 

"We can't do that, we need the registration number"

 

"this isn't going to work"

 

"yes it will, our system knows every registration number"

 

"77774"

 

"I can't find that, what make and model is it"

 

"BMC 1.5"

 

"Can't find that, sorry"

 

Exit stage left without a fanbelt!

 

So, I will just go to a proper shop instead!

 

As an aside, can anybody confirm that Z section is the correct belt for a BMC 1.5?

 

It has a heavy duty alternator and is going through belts. Either they slip or you get it tight enough to not slip and it snaps a belt. My thoughts are that usung a XPZ or SPZ belt may offer better grip without getting it too tight, or that an A section belt may prove a bit more resistant to a bit more tension than a Z section

[RLWP]

http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/index.php?cPath=4747_5228

 

Our local Halfords is actually very good. I've been there three times recently in trepidation and found the staff to be genuinely helpful

 

Richard

[carlt]

Halfords appears to be returning to its original core business of selling bikes and accessories.

[Laurie Booth]

I know exactly how you feel about Halfords.

I wanted an oil filter.

They insisted on having the Make Model Number and year of manufacture.

 

I replied "Springer Tug 1989"

 

Guess what it wasn't in their book that has everything.

I was also advised to scrap it as obviously no oil filters were available.

[IanM]

Just looked online on the Halford's website and found the same thing.

 

Thought I'd enter the reg of my Triumph Spitfire...

 

"Sorry we can't find this registration"

 

Pick Triumph from the drop down list and Spitfire is not an option.

[Naughty Cal]

We have taken to ordering belts online from Gates's Ebay shop.

 

If you know the belt code it takes all of the hassle out of buying plus their prices are very reasonable.

 

Our last set cost £45 for the four compared with Volvo Penta price of £130.

[nicknorman]

I think it's just a facet of the fact that fewer and fewer folk do their own car maintenance these days. In part it seems to be because they are scared of the computerisation whereas in reality, for the want of a code reader, modern cars are much easier to work on. No ignition to adjust, no carburettors to adjust, no tappets to adjust on many models. In fact apart from changing the fluids and filters there isn't much to do. Plenty of cars don't have fan belts either. But still, folk will take their cars to dealers and pay a fortune for lots of things to be "inspected".

[bizzard]

Just looked online on the Halford's website and found the same thing.

 

Thought I'd enter the reg of my Triumph Spitfire...

 

"Sorry we can't find this registration"

 

Pick Triumph from the drop down list and Spitfire is not an option.

Maybe the Hurricane is though, having the same engine.

[IanM]

Maybe the Hurricane is though, having the same engine.

 

Acclaim, Dolomite and TR7 are the only options. Even the Dolomite one won't fit. Think I'm going to have to get a few from elsewhere as it was convenient just to pop into Halfords.

[Delta9]

I had a similar experience. I wanted a new battery for my car, they insisted on taking my reg number and then refused to sell me the battery I wanted because they didn't have the exact one recommended by their computer system. They had plenty on the shelf that would have been fine.

[bizzard]

 

Acclaim, Dolomite and TR7 are the only options. Even the Dolomite one won't fit. Think I'm going to have to get a few from elsewhere as it was convenient just to pop into Halfords.

Any good 'trade' motor factors would sort that for you. Or online, ''In-line filters'' just put the details in their search, or phone them.

Dolomite Sprint and TR7 would be the same engine. The Acclaim is a Japanese 1300cc Honda design engine.

Edited June 3, 2015 by bizzard

[bassplayer]

I went in asking for a rotor arm, points and condenser for a Fieata Mk1 a few years back. The poor lad looked very confused and needless to say they didn't stock them. I tend to order on line now or go to GSF for my Skoda.

 

They are very expensive unless you're buying a bike. I also found that their own brand headlight bulbs blow within months.

[RLWP]

Spitfire is not an option.

 

Quite right too

 

Richard

 

(MG Midget)

[Laurie Booth]

Just looked online on the Halford's website and found the same thing.

 

Thought I'd enter the reg of my Triumph Spitfire...

 

"Sorry we can't find this registration"

 

Pick Triumph from the drop down list and Spitfire is not an option.

I hope you have scrapped the car

[dor]

I had a similar experience. I wanted a new battery for my car, they insisted on taking my reg number and then refused to sell me the battery I wanted because they didn't have the exact one recommended by their computer system. They had plenty on the shelf that would have been fine.

 

I went in a few months ago for a battery for an MGF. The one they listed was the wrong one, but they had the right one on the shelf. "That one won't fit sir, it's too big". "Want to bet - the car's outside". He came and had a look and reluctantly agreed that the one i was looking at was the right one. Still said that he wasn't sure if it would fit "properly" though.

[bassplayer]

 

I went in a few months ago for a battery for an MGF. The one they listed was the wrong one, but they had the right one on the shelf. "That one won't fit sir, it's too big". "Want to bet - the car's outside". He came and had a look and reluctantly agreed that the one i was looking at was the right one. Still said that he wasn't sure if it would fit "properly" though.

No common sense these computers....

 

I bet he didn't go back and request an amendment to their database either...

[mrsmelly]

Halfords appears to be returning to its original core business of selling bikes and accessories.

 

I agree. Halfords only sell bikes as far as I am concerned. I bought my push bike from them in 1966 ( never had one since ) there were no car spare stuff then.

 

Tim

[larkshall]

Funnily enough I went in yesterday to get a fresh air refill for the truck. I usually but them by the six or seven about once a year. Guess what couldn't get the ambi pure refills I use. Hmm bodes ill

[OldGoat]

Last night, I went to Halfords.

 

I almost feel that I should have opened with "Bless me Father, for I have sinned", and that I should now be saying my "Hail Marys"

 

I knew before I ventured there that once you remove the bit that sells bikes, and the bit that sells car audio systems and the camping section and (well you get the picture), there is very little of Halfords that actually concentrates upon what I vaguely hoped was its core business.

 

However, due to a busy day at work, I needed somewhere that would be open a little later, so I entered the unholy temple, and wandered over to the unloved back corner.

 

There, not quite arrayed in front of me, were a paltry few air filters, an unimpressive selection of oil filters, and really not much else.

 

I looked, and looked again, nowhere could I see the fan belt that I was looking for. In fact, more to the point, nowhere could I see any fan belts.

 

Clearly, coming shopping at 7pm after a long day at work had addled the brain, and I simply couldn't see for looking.

 

So, I enquired of the nearest employee "please could you direct me to the fan belts"

 

"We don't stock fan belts any more"

 

"That seems rather odd for a car spares shop"

 

"no call for them. if you give me your registration number, I can order one for tomorrow"

 

"I would like a 1050mm belt, Z section"

 

"We can't do that, we need the registration number"

 

"this isn't going to work"

 

"yes it will, our system knows every registration number"

 

"77774"

 

"I can't find that, what make and model is it"

 

"BMC 1.5"

 

"Can't find that, sorry"

 

Exit stage left without a fanbelt!

 

So, I will just go to a proper shop instead!

 

As an aside, can anybody confirm that Z section is the correct belt for a BMC 1.5?

 

It has a heavy duty alternator and is going through belts. Either they slip or you get it tight enough to not slip and it snaps a belt. My thoughts are that usung a XPZ or SPZ belt may offer better grip without getting it too tight, or that an A section belt may prove a bit more resistant to a bit more tension than a Z section

 

Nobody's really directed you to the real issue - and that was you 'need' a cogged / toothed belt. The Z section sis a thinner section entirely

Your secondary question was whether you needed an A or B section belt. My favourite site Bearing Boys calls them spAx or spBx -

 

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Wedge_Belts-3292-c

 

For a 'normal fan belt' SPAX would be normal - fan belt = waterpump and base engine alternator. If you've got an additional high power alternator then it ought to be a B section - depends on who marinised your engine and what power the alternator had.

Anywhichway the above site gives you the dimensions of the belts.

 

BBs do a postal service at not much cost - if that's of use (no good for CCers...)

 

Did that help?

[Delta9]

Funnily enough I went in yesterday to get a fresh air refill for the truck.

If you open the doors the truck will fill with fresh air for free.

[Naughty Cal]

I think it's just a facet of the fact that fewer and fewer folk do their own car maintenance these days. In part it seems to be because they are scared of the computerisation whereas in reality, for the want of a code reader, modern cars are much easier to work on. No ignition to adjust, no carburettors to adjust, no tappets to adjust on many models. In fact apart from changing the fluids and filters there isn't much to do. Plenty of cars don't have fan belts either. But still, folk will take their cars to dealers and pay a fortune for lots of things to be "inspected".

Sometimes it isn't a case of being scared but not having the equipment to do the repair.

 

My Nissan has developed an intermitent misfire. The only way to find out what it is a fault is to plug it in!

 

Luckily the garage where Liam works has the kit to do this, so it has been plugged in FOC. Mind you the fault code wasn't much use as it relates to pretty much all of the engines ignition system

 

Think we will start with the spark plugs and coil packs.

[mayalld]

 

Nobody's really directed you to the real issue - and that was you 'need' a cogged / toothed belt. The Z section sis a thinner section entirely

Your secondary question was whether you needed an A or B section belt. My favourite site Bearing Boys calls them spAx or spBx -

 

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Wedge_Belts-3292-c

 

For a 'normal fan belt' SPAX would be normal - fan belt = waterpump and base engine alternator. If you've got an additional high power alternator then it ought to be a B section - depends on who marinised your engine and what power the alternator had.

Anywhichway the above site gives you the dimensions of the belts.

 

BBs do a postal service at not much cost - if that's of use (no good for CCers...)

 

Did that help?

 

It did.

 

Having googled BMC 1.5 belts, I had concluded that they take a 9mm belt rather than a 13mm, which led me to conclude that I should look for Z section rather than A section (and surely B section is coing to be WAY too wide for the pulley isn't it?)

 

As I understand it;

A section is 13mm wide at the outside and 8mm deep with a 40 degree angle?

SPA is the same width at the outside, but 2mm deeper with the same angle?

XPA (or SPAX) is same dimensions as SPA but with a toothed inner edge?

 

My theory is that SPA will provide a greater friction surface for the belt in the groove but could be problematic on the smaller alternator pulley, which SPAX/XPA will provide the extra friction without the risk of binding in the small pulley.

 

Does that make sense?

 

I suppose that the question I need to answer is "how wide is each pulley groove" If one of them will only take 10mm, I will need to use SPZX/XPZ, otherwise SPAZ/XPA will be best.

[Guest]

 

Think we will start with the spark plugs and coil packs.

 

Yes - highly likely to be the culprit, particularly the coil packs.

[OldGoat]

I know 'nothing' about BMCs and even less about your boat set up. In my yoof I had Triumph Vitesses and The Management had Renault 4s. Both these had A section belts (IIRC) - so I suspect the BMC might be likewise.

 

The boat's Beta has A section for the 'fan belt' - again that's the sort of technology that you have? The easiest thing to do is to measure the top of the V on the pulley - then you'll know.

 

FWIW I had lots of problems with both the engine and extra alternator belts UNTIL I fitted toothed belts. Belts that lasted only part of a season, lasted two or more years. The last engine belt lasted 4 years - and that only because I replaced the engine (for other reasons).

 

If you've got slippage problems - fit a toothed belt

If you've got breakage problems - fit a toothed belt

If for nothing else - fit a toothed belt. They can last and last and last.

 

It's all about belt wrap - to get any power out of an alternator, it has to spin fast and that means a small alternator pulley.

[bizzard]

Lambda sensors can also cause a missfire, particularly if the car is only used for short runs and the engine doesn't warm through thoroughly. The plugs can get wet with petrol. Soot builds up on the sensor. A good thrashing in an intermediate gear will often clean the sensor and dry the plugs and so cure the missfire.

Edited June 3, 2015 by bizzard