While driving the other day my serpentine belt snapped. Now when you look down in the front of the car at the fan, the pulley right behind it (the smooth one) is crooked. When you turn the fan it hits the pulleys to the left of it. But when you push/pull on the fan and pulley it is very stable, not loose at all. What happened?

89 300E w124

You have a bad fan clutch bearing bracket?

Is the pulley visably bent (has a wobble) or is it at an angle and straight
It is attached to the bearing bracket behind it (a small metal disk attached to the bearing - the other side of which is the bracket which bolts into the block)

Its hard for me to imagine that any part of that bearing bracket would go except for the bearing...

Have any work done lately?

I suppose its also possible to have a stripped thread - either on the pulley or two to the block - If the pulley itself is bent it might be possible that a broken belt at speed could torque it enough for that.

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-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

The pulley itself seems perfectly straight, but it is now at an angle. Is that pully right behind the fan supposed to spin? Mine doesnt budge.

pully the one that wont move? if so that is why you shed the belt. the idler is one mounted on a pivot. it is there to take up slack as the belt stretches. these are a common problem on mb's.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

If by 'behind' you mean below to the right [(facing engine from front) the crank pulley] - no that won't spin without turning the crank...

If by 'behind' you mean directly behind the the fan clutch (to which the fan is held by three bolts) yes that should spin freely with the belt removed.

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

Then it is the idler pulley (smaller and to left) that the fan blade is now hitting. And the pulley right behind the fan (the one it is mounted to) wont budge at all, wont spin either. Somehow it moved to become crooked but now it wont budge to become uncrooked. Guess I will just have to start taking things apart.

You have a bad bearing in your fan clutch bearing bracket.
A new one costs about $130.00-135.00 from this site.

The usuall problem removing it is holding the pulley still while you loosen the 8mm hex bolt at the center of the fan clutch... but it sounds like your particular type of failier has taken care of that for you

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__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

I had to reply. My W123 300D also does this but it does not hit the belts. Been in an accident before and it has left it like this. Same solution, fan bracket?

Or what specifically do I need to replace? Fan clutch on fan itself seems OK but I'm worried that the wobbling creates alot of stress on the shaft and might eventually weaken it, leading to a more bent one and cutting the belts (which are new). Thanks

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg