Serpentine Belt

[BeaVicross]

I am looking to replace my worn serpentine belt and was just wondering if there are any tricks or concerns that I might need to be aware of? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Neil

[JoFotoz]

Take a look at this thread...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...erpentine+belt




jo

[circmand]

Take a look at this thread...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...erpentine+belt




jo

Too bad it is old posts or I would have replied there. I did this myself last night. I bought the belt at Autozone and used their excellent lend a tool program for the tool mentioned. This is an excellent time too differentiate between a job that is easy based on knowhow required and easy based on level of difficulty. The serpentine belt replacement requires like zero know how but it does require patience. The job is not a fix on the side of the road with bare hands as suggested or your tensioner is shot. However due to the placement of the pulleys you can get the tensioner to move just barely enough to get the belt on. If doing by your self it can be frustrating not too mention big forearms can limit your movement. Doing it on a warm motor adds extra fun. But anyone can do it as even the strength needed is minimat with the tool

[blacksambo]

I find a 14mm socket on a15" breaker bar works well to move the tensioner. Just a suggestion.

[circmand]

I find a 14mm socket on a15" breaker bar works well to move the tensioner. Just a suggestion.

it would work if you have one handy. Autozone takes a deposit but refunds all of it and it is the correct tool. I had issues with it hitting the radiator hose just short of enough room to slip on the belt.

[JHarris1385]

This is a project I plan to do this week. How much was the belt? Should you do the water pump as well?

[etlsport]

j,

they are talking about the serpentine belt. you replace the water pump with the timing belt which is inside the engine. the serpentine belt is between the radiator and the engine block, i have removal and replacement down to about 15 min now.

i think my last belt was around 30-40

[JHarris1385]

Completely got confused here, I was not paying attention....I meant the serp. Dont want to mess with anything inside.

[MSHardeman]

Like blacksambo said; 14mm socket and a long "breaker bar" and you can have the belt off and on in just a couple of minutes. I think the hardest part of the whole swap is re-routing the belt. Have a diagram handy and you shouldn't have any problems.

[circmand]

This is a project I plan to do this week. How much was the belt? Should you do the water pump as well?

The belt was like $30 definately print out the attached link in the 1st post it has great diagrams. It was about 15 minutes and that was my 1st time. The only additional info is to get the spring to loosen you attached the 14mm socket to the pulley then pull it as if you were trying to tighten it. The other way just loosens the bolt on the pulley. And no water pump that as stated is with the timing belt.

[JNUVX]

I don't mean to change the subject but this is the closest thread I could find. Here's the story...
My serpentine belt started to shear off so I had it replaced the next day with no problems. The only changes since then have been that Today I had a shop replace my muffler w/the superturbo from dynomax and add a stainless exhaust tip. When I got back to work I disconnected the battery to reset the computer. When I went to reconnect the battery a buddy of mine noticed that two ridges of the serpentine belt were over the edge of the 'water pump wheel' closest to the engine block. We moved it back into place and started the engine; only to have it jump back on the bay edge of the water pump. We have replicated this process two or three times and taken it for a test drive. During te test drive two ridges sheared off the belt. It's at my mechanics shop and will be examined tomorrow morning...where I will watch them examine the vx. I hope things are ok and the belt was faulty or something of that nature.. Also, my mechanic pulled the diagram for the belt and it was routed correctly.. Any ideas guys?!

[Ldub]

Sounds like a mis-aligned/bent pulley...

[JNUVX]

Ldub to the rescue!! So, I attempted some online research and failed...epically. How do you remedy this problem if it is indeed the culprit? I'm also wondering what would cause this problem..thanx Ldub!

Thank goodness I have the State Farm Smart Car to drive around for the time being...

[Ldub]

Ldub to the rescue!! So, I attempted some online research and failed...epically. How do you remedy this problem if it is indeed the culprit? I'm also wondering what would cause this problem..thanx Ldub!

I dunno about all that... You aren't outta the woods quite yet. That was just a possible cause of the problem.

Look at all the pulleys that the serp belt travels with the motor running, see any runout/signs of a bent pulley?

With the motor off, do any of the pulleys seem "out of plane" when viewed from the side, visually lining up as many pulleys as possible with each other.

Think of all the pulley faces as one flat/straight line, no pulley should be out of this plane.

It's possible one of the pulleys has worked it's way loose, & has moved out on the shaft slightly, causing the belt to deflect from it's intended path.

Try putting the belt back on, then bump the starter (without starting the engine) while another person watches to see which pulley the belt comes off first.

Always keep fingers away from moving parts, especially fans, belts & pulleys...

[JNUVX]

I am going into the shop tomorrow...well...7hrs from now. I think that your recommendation will be the first order of business. On the initial examination we noticed the 'water pump wheel' was a little further towards the radiator than the rest...also...I can't fully express how nice it is to have someone here to talk to. Even at this late hour..when my mechanically inclined but mechanically uneducated brain is stressin ..I'll keep this thread updated...I'm wondering now how a pulley would work itself out of alignment now...