what not to do when you change your serpentine belt

[bodhi_tree777]

Y'know, sometimes you read instructions for how to do things on the internet and it seems to easy. I'm starting to doubt my confidence as a mechanic .So my buddy and I set out to change the serpentine belt on my GT. Seemed like an easy enough task, what with the mere 4 steps in the manual. I'd like to point out that as far as I know, we did everything right, we moved all the junk out of the way, got a 19mm breaker bar and released tension on the proper (molded) bolt on the tensioner and got the old belt off (pretty cracked, btw, at 65k miles). it was in getting the new belt on that we had issues. My friend Todd was bearing down on the breaker bar while I worked the belt on, and all of a sudden we hear a heart-sickening SNAP. Todd goes flying. We look in and see that we've completely sheared off the bolt from the tensioner. I feel gut sick.Ultimately, we took a crowbar with a cheater pipe on it, wedged it between the piston and another bolt, and applied the proper tension to get the belt on. it was actually easier that way. But lesson learned, and fair warning to others..this thing will break off pretty easily.

[keithvibe]

tell your friend to lay off the roids LOLHappy to hear you got the new one on anyways.

[kevera]

You'll have to follow Whelan's C-clamp trick from now on.

[bodhi_tree777]

Quote, originally posted by kevera »You'll have to follow Whelan's C-clamp trick from now on.we tried, wrong size clamps on hand same principle, though, with the crowbar, just not as easy.

[AZViking]

Did you break the 'bolt' that's cast into the bracket, or the bolt that holds the tensioner to the bracket?

[BlueCrush]

He broke the bolt that is "cast" into the bracket. The one circled in your pic. I use a 24" long 1" diameter pvc pipe for my cheater bar on the tensioner. It gives a little so there's less of a chance to shear the bolt off. Also, I pump the tensioner to get it moving. I also had a hard time getting a new belt on. It was a PITA trying to get it on the last pully (alternator).

[lovemyraffe]

Not trying to offend anyone, but I don't think I will be hiring you for my mechanic anytime soon. Maybe for a tattoo artist though.

[ned23]

Things always "come up" when you're working on cars. That's why labor charges are so high for commercial mechanics.

[bodhi_tree777]

I'm a much better tattoo artist than I am a mechanic, but I'm getting better I was thinking about it, and this tensioner design seems kind of, well, bad to me. Why not have a set-in place to stick your breaker bar, that way all of the torque isn't centered on that one little bolt? Ahwell, won't have to worry about it for another 60k or so, hopefully.

[trimovingxr]

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »He broke the bolt that is "cast" into the bracket. The one circled in your pic. I use a 24" long 1" diameter pvc pipe for my cheater bar on the tensioner. It gives a little so there's less of a chance to shear the bolt off. Also, I pump the tensioner to get it moving. I also had a hard time getting a new belt on. It was a PITA trying to get it on the last pully (alternator).X2 - that last piece of the new serpentine belt is a PITA to slip onto the last pulley, even with the tensioner fully compressed. What I found to really help is to crawl under the car with the tranny in neutral, while a friend compresses the tensioner, and grab the crank pulley with both hands and "rotate" the engine by hand. The belt slips on easily, that way.

[scherry2]

Quote, originally posted by bodhi_tree777 »I was thinking about it, and this tensioner design seems kind of, well, bad to me. Toyota design.GM's design on the trucks has a 3/8 square hole in the end of the tensioner pulley on the top of the engine. stick a breaker bar on it push down an wa-la easy removal and reinstall.

[Mark]

Did mine today. Tried for awhile to get it on from the top but just couldn't get it on those bottom pulleys. Just not enough room to work. Finally gave up and jacked it up, blocked it with some 2x4s and got underneath. All the pins were missing from the splash guard, so just had to take out the two screws and left it off for now. It was pretty easy to get it on from down there, then just pull on the tensioner and slip it over the alternator pulley.Advance Auto had a belt tensioner tool kit that they loan out. It had a 2' long flat bar and low-profile sockets, so no clearance issues and plenty of torque to move the tensioner.Saved $80 on a job I normally wouldn't have attempted myself, but as usual everything I needed to know was right here on Genvibe!

[Water boy]

Be sure to use a GatorBack belt.

[mntn-biker]

Quote, originally posted by kevera »You'll have to follow Whelan's C-clamp trick from now on.What is this c-clamp trick? Anyone have a link to this thread? I should probably replace my belt b4 the snow flies.

[bodhi_tree777]

Quote, originally posted by mntn-biker »What is this c-clamp trick? Anyone have a link to this thread? I should probably replace my belt b4 the snow flies.here ya go: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=28226

[wt2ga]

Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »Not trying to offend anyone, but I don't think I will be hiring you for my mechanic anytime soon.

[wrench]

Since acquiring my 2004 Vibe, I have found many good tips here at genvibe. While I see many assurances here that this isn't much of a chore, it's one of those jobs where one can save considerable time with some additional details ahead of the first try. I don't doubt anyone who says they did this in 15 minutes, but I'm sure it could go longer if unprepared. For the folks attempting this for the first time, I will post the tips and procedure that I just used. It's my way of giving back for the help I've gotten here. 1. COOL ENGINE! You will not finish this job until the engine is cool enough to touch with the inside of your forearm.2. Do the job from the top.3. You can do this yourself; you don't need a second person.4. The only tool needed is a breaker bar and a 19 mm 6-point socket. 12-point is playing with fire here because of possible damage to the nut cast into the tensioner arm.5. Don't look for the routing diagram under the hood because it isn't there. Don't look for it in the owners' manual because it isn't there either. Print the diagram from here http://forums.genvibe.com/zerofile/1436/belt.jpg.6. Procedure: a. Locate the 19mm cast nut on the tensioner arm and place the bar/socket on it. Pull forward to release tension with the right hand while removing the belt from the alternator with the left hand. b. Release the bar/socket, and remove the old belt by grasping it from the the top and to the left of the engine mount. Shake it to release it from the pulleys and pull it out the top. c. Verify the length of the replacement belt by comparing it to the old belt. Also verify the number of ribs match the ribs of the pulleys. d. Feed the belt with the right hand from the top and left of the engine mount. e. Use the left hand to wrap the belt around the power steering pulley, then guide the bottom section of the belt toward the idler pulley. f. Wrap the belt over the top of the idler pulley, and then down to the left side of the crankshaft pulley. g. Switch to the left hand to feed the belt, and use the right hand to guide the belt from the bottom of the crankshaft pulley to the bottom of the A/C compressor. h. Wrap the belt up the right side and over the top of the compressor pulley. i. Wrap the belt under the water pump, up the left side of the pulley, and over the top toward the alternator. j. Place the bar/socket on the 19mm cast nut of the tensioner. k. Pull forward with the right hand while placing the belt over the alternator pulley with the left hand. l. Remove the bar/socket, inspect for proper belt alignment with the ribbed pulleys, and proper belt alignment with the smooth pulleys.eeezy peeezy.

[onedb4u]

GREAT INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!I've never tried to change a serpentine belt, but these steps gave me confidence.Only other thing I would suggest is, give the tensioner a few test pulls to get used to the amount of pull you have to exert with one hand while threading the new belt over the alternator pulley. I had to start over with threading when I let the whole belt slip from my fingers at the alternator first time.Dave

[paulclassa]

thanks your step by step is the best if you did youtube alot you would be in the $ hey have you ever taken off a vibe cyl head ?

[cscce]

I read a number of comments on the web about people having trouble with the tensioner; one oven broke off the cast-on nut. So before I started I squirted some WD-40 onto the back side of the bolt that attaches the tensioner to the engine block (being careful not to get any on the cast-on nut. Came back 30 minutes later. Tensioner moved easily.

[flyboyron]

I replaced the belt in my wife's 04 Vibe and the only thing I noticed is that it is easier to put the belt on starting from the bottom (crankshaft) while you have someone(my wife) hold the top of the belt, and then keep it snug until you get it on everything (including the tensioner pulley) except the alternator pulley. Make sure the grooves are all aligned up, (then double check each pulley to be sure the grooves are aligned), and if your not positive, check it again, then pull on the tensioner pulley and slide the belt over the alternator and your done. You don't need to pull the tensioner very far to get the belt on the alternator. I have heard some say to jack up the car or put it on jack stands to get underneath. That doesn't need to be done. Once I got the system figured out, it was a piece of cake. The car had over 50,000 miles on the belt since it was changed last and I am sure it should go another 50,000 miles.

Good Luck with changing your belt.

[eiffingeri]

Thanks Wrench:

the step-by-step list is very clear.
I just have a question.
I am trying to change my 2003 base Vibe's serpentine belt.
However, I am a little confuse on the size of wrench I need have.
Some website said "15mm" wrench. I tried and it is too small.
I bought a 12-point 17-19mm wrench. 17-mm end can work but not tight enough to turn the bolt. (So I need 6-point 17mm wrench?)
You said 19-mm here but I am sure it is too big to my vibe. (even 12-point 17-mm a little big)
I try to google "serpentine belt tool"....most of them have only 13, 14 and 15mm that are too small.

So. Do I find a wrong bolt? (OH, NO) or Should I buy a 6-point 17mm wrench?
any one have a picture show which bolt is?

[sideshowalan]

The 5th post down on this page has a very clear picture of the welded on fake 'bolt'. It's absolutely 19mm.

[Chiadog]

I read a number of comments on the web about people having trouble with the tensioner; one oven broke off the cast-on nut. So before I started I squirted some WD-40 onto the back side of the bolt that attaches the tensioner to the engine block (being careful not to get any on the cast-on nut. Came back 30 minutes later. Tensioner moved easily.

Now I know why It was so hard to get my tensioner to move! I'll be Spraying the tensioner "anchor" bolt next time. thanks cscce!
Chiadog