Best Way to Replace the Serpentine Belt?
 

Took me 2-1/2 hours & a couple BandAids to remove and reinstall a new belt today. Gawd! There must be an easier way/faster way to do it. Suggestions?

Re: Best Way to Replace the Serpentine Belt?
 

Paul, I was able to use a long handle, flex-head 1/2" drive ratchet.

First remove the air coupler from the air horn.

Then put the drive in the tensioner and start the handle on the drivers-side of the air horn then clock it passed the passenger-side of the air horn and hook the ratchet on the throttle body.

That will take the tension off the belt and will hold the tensioner in place.

Made the job much easier.

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

Yes, thank you. Actually, I DID that...sorta. But, realized (late in the game) that I needed to pull the tensioner waaaay back. Had to lasso the end of the ratchet and hog-tie it back soze I could use both hands.

Looking back, part of the problem was the way the new belt was packaged. It came folded in such a way as to make a Samurai (blacksmith) proud and wrapped tightly in a paper sleeve - the whole package would just about fit on palm of my open hand (ok, I have big hands?). When I first saw it, I said to myself, "Naw...That can't be the right belt!!" Can we say kinked??

Anyway... I got distracted and had to leave it and come back the next morning. Once the belt had a chance to relax (de-kink itself) AND I retracted the tensioner fully, it went on easy-peazy.

It's amazing how sometimes when you "hit a wall" with a mechanical installation how leaving it and coming back with a fresh look and how easy then the task just comes together! Funny now, yes. But, I thought some of us DIY guys would see the humor in my little folly!:-D:cheers:

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

My Method does not matter if belt is kinked and you do not have to use a lasso :D
Post 287 - Replacing the Serpentine Belt

I replaced my Steel Water Pump Pulley with a Billet Aluminum Water Pump Pulley.
The Billet Aluminum Water Pump Pulley does not have the ridge (larger diameter) on the front.
Place New Serpentine Belt on all pulleys except the water pump pulley.
Compress Belt Tensioner with hand so you can insert a stick of wood (1" x 2" x 24").....
or long handle 1/2" drive breaker bar to hold Belt Tensioner compressed.
Slide smooth backside of Serpentine Belt on Billet Aluminum Water Pump Pulley
(easy since it has no ridge on front edge of Billet Aluminum Water Pump Pulley).
Remove stick of wood or 1/2" drive breaker bar.
This applies to LT5s and L98s.

Now I know why I got the Billet Aliuminum Water Pump Pulley :p

LT5 Billet Aluminum Water Pump Pulley.....L98 Billet Aluminum Water Pump Pulley
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...8706df1068.jpghttps://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...00a1d069be.jpg

L98 with Air Pump Eliminated
Note the Power Steering Pulley rides on smooth back side of Serpentine Belt on L98
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a530c62677.jpg

Easy-Peazy :sign10:

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

I use a 1/2” drive breaker bar in the tensioner to pull it back, then slip a large flat blade screwdriver under belt and over alternator pulley.

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

There is a belt out there that is IMPOSSIBLE to install,I went through this the first time I replaced it years ago,it’s almost as if it was mis labeled from the factory. I can’t remember which brand,maybe Goodyear or OEM GM. after fighting with this for too long,went and got a GATES belt and had it on the car in the time it takes to loop it around all the pulleys and release the tension. This reminds me,I need to change out that belt.

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

I think the procedure in the manual was to install the belt over and behind the water pump pulley. After the belt is around all the other pulleys, you can pull the belt forward onto the water pump pulley while pulling back on the tensioner. This worked well when I removed and reinstalled the original belt.

Even with that procedure, some belts will not go on. I had a new belt with the exact same part number as the original belt that would not go on. I think the Goodyear belt went on easily without this procedure.

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

It all depends on the length of the belt. Been down that road. However shorter is better, but a bit harder to install.
H
:cheers:

http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread....erpentine+belt

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

Now that makes sense and with my aluminum pulleys with no larger front diameter is the same as you suggest :thumbsup:

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

That makes sense. I finally settled on something similar - pulled the belt over the PS pump while holding the tensioner ALL THE WAY back (important!).

THANKS 4 ALL THE RESPONSES! :dancing

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

On my car which I believe has stock pulleys, an 80" Dayco would not fit. I went and got an 80.5 inch it went on in 15 mins and my tensioner rides in the middle of its range.

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

I stretched the take-off belt and the new belt, looped between my index fingers. Perhaps not particularly accurate - at least not to a 1/2" tolerance. But, the new belt does fit. However, I'll go see how the tensioner is positioned. (That aspect never crossed my mind until you brought it up. Hmmmm....)

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

Take a tape measure and hold end on back side of belt on a mark on the belt.......Run the Belt and tape measure through your fingers as you pull the belt and tape measure through your fingers until you get back to the original mark.

That be your belt length.

Then if you get a smooth Aluminum Water Pump Pulley (Pete can get them), it becomes super easy to replace the serpentine belt slipping the belt onto the Aluminum Water Pump Pulley that has no larger diameter like the Stock Water Pump Pulley........or like trying to slip the belt on any of the other pulleys that all ride on the ribbed inside of the belt.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...8706df1068.jpg

Re: Replacing the serpentine belt: Best way?
 

Revisiting a somewhat older topic. I worked with a mechanic friend at the house the other day to install a new serpentine belt. It was relatively easy it seemed to me and I'm not much of a mechanic. The biggest issue that we ran into was the throttle body. There was not enough space between the throttle body and the top gear to get the old belt out or the new one in. So we lossened some of the torx screws holding the throttle body and were able to create enough space to get the belts through the opening. Hardest part was feeding the belts through the bottom area of the engine but that was overcome via a kind of tug-o-war effort over about 5 minutes. Whole job took about 20 minutes start to finish.