so I took the air pump off the car finally.

Since installing the RB exhaust I'd noticed that the car backfired occasionally on deceleration after a hard throttle press. Removing the pump was supposed to solve this, according to RB.

Still have the occasional backfire, though not as bad. I put on the dual alternator belt pulley and got new belts. Now I notice the occasional rise in engine temp.

On my (metric) gauge I have:

1 thick mark for stone cold
1 thick mark a few millimeters into the sweep (min operating temperature?)
1 thin mark about 2/3 through the sweep (max desireable operating temp?)
1 holey **** it's hot mark
1 far right mark

typically the engine heats quickly to the min op temp mark, then swings calmly to about 1/2 way. Since I dumped the pump and put the pulley, I occasionally notice the needle creeping close to the thin mark 2/3 into the sweep, usually after accellerating onto the freeway. It soon goes away, but it still concerns me. Is this common after dumping the pump? I thought the whole point of twinning the alt belt was to avoid this?

 

Hmmm, my car decided to start to run a little on the hot side. Its started to concern me considering this is my only car, so i went through a coolant flush, and its back to about normal. I too have the air pump off, but i don't think thats what caused it. But i dunno.

 

I flushed my coolant just 4,000 kms ago

 

try the "yoohoo" belt like my car has. it doesnt look as pretty as the dual pulley, but it gives something like 5x more contact between the pulley and the belt. its worth a shot. that way you'd know for sure.

 

the dual pulley doesn't give waterpump pulley as much contact. Try getting a 3L220 or 3L218 and force it over main pulley and waterpump pulley. It give the pulley way for contact.