How to install Serpentine belt?

[Jayn909]

Hello i was wondering if any body has info or DIYs on changing out a Serpentine belt, or suggestions on which brand to buy for longer life. If any info please let me know thanks everybody.

[.colin]

Its pretty simple. Just go to autozone and rent the serpentine belt tool, its just a big wrench that lets you get to the tensioner pulley. Put the wrench on the pulley and pull (forward or backward i forget) and it will take the tension off the belt and allow you to slide it off all the pulleys. Make a mental note or draw a picture of how the belt is routed. Put the new belt on all the pulleys with the last pulley being the tensioner while you have the wrench on it. Let go of the wrench to let the pulley tighten up and take up all the slack in the belt.

I have a goodyear gatorback, works just fine. When I did it I had the wheel off so I could hook the crank and a few of the other pulleys near the bottom.

[Jayn909]

That does sound pretty simple i will try this thank u for answering my question.

[flboricua101]

i need to change mines soon great diy

[POOPTOOTH]

You don't need to go to the store and rent anything, just throw an open ended wrench or socket (14mm?) on the tensioner as Colin said. After you do it once, its cake.

[02_epdriver]

Yeah, no need to waste money. Just throw on and open ended wrench just like pooptooth said and an easy tip is if you have a pipe throw it over the wrench and will give you some more torque on the wrench, thats how I've done it. Take like 5 minutes to change the belt and give yourself a few extra to check everything over and fire her up see how everything. Remember for safety disconnect your neg battery termainl so your car doesnt all of sudden start up on ya, LOL.

[BeaterEP]

Troof, pretty easy fix. I used the "dual-combo-wrench" trick when I did mine last year, just put the box end of wrench A on the belt tensioner, then you sorta connect the box end of wrench B to the open end of wrench A, and instant added length! :mbiggrin:
For those of us with just the simple tools, and a parking lot LOL. God, I'm glad I live in a house now!