Perfusion

I went and bought the "tool" at Sears - the long bar that comes with the shorter bar and the 6 attachments. I've heard anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes on this one... I'm just in after 45 minutes, with my wife's help, and nothing yet. The old belt came off with some persuasion, but it seems like the new belt is about 1/2" too short and it's just not gonna go - no matter how much I swear at it, pull on it, pry it, etc., and I'm pretty sure I've got the bar pulled as far as she'll go. It's squishing the lower weather stripping on the wheel well it's pulled over so damn far...

Here's what I did: I looped the new belt around the big (crank, I guess) pulley first, then under the tensioner, and then around all the other pulleys, but leaving it off the alternator. I then had my wife crank down on the bar so I could pop it over the alternator pulley (the smallest one, on top), but it's just not going... :mad

By now I'm really p.o.'d. What am I doing wrong?

Alchemist

PROBABLY you aren't doin' ANYTHING wrong! I had a similar experiance a couple years ago trying to wrestle a belt on the '94. Turned out that when the belt was measured, it was an inch too SHORT!!! Got the RIGHT size and had it on in 30 seconds!

Take it to NAPA...they'll measure it for free ;)

scofolo

push hard down on the tensioner. I had a hard time getting it back on once. It was just a little to tight. I pushed harder and enough slack was made to slip it back over the alternator. Good luck

85red_vette

I did mine the other day while doing some engine cleaning. I don't know if it will help but I saved the last pull for the bigger Air Pump Pully. Seems like
you can move the pully to let it slip on.
Good Luck.
:thumbs:

AGENT 86

There is probably a diagram for belt route on rad. If your doing it correct, your belt is probably too short. :smash:
Have you compared it to old belt ??
:cheers:

Perfusion

I just checked Goodyear's website, and I do have the right belt... BTW, I find it funny that GY has a belt for a 96 ZR1. I know it's probably the same belt for all years, but it's just comical (to me) when I call a parts store and they ask me for the year, I tell them, and then they say, "Is that the ZR1 or the LT1," and I get to say neither... LT4!!!!!

I've had a beer...calmed down some...am sure that I've got the right part, so I'm gonna go have another crack at it. If it can be done in 30 secs., I'm clearly f'ing something up. Thanks to all those that have replied so quickly.


[Modified by Perfusion, 9:28 PM 4/14/2004]

Alchemist

I had the ''right belt'' too. At least it was in the right sleeve...but it was still an inch short. :lol: Seriously....it IS a one man, 30 second job with the right belt...even without one of them fancy long-handled thingy-ma-jigs! :lol:

chriswtx

Heres a tip, dont try to slip the belt over a ribed pully, only try to slip it over a smooth pully like the tensioner or an idler.

steveb

:iagree:

Autozone gave me the right belt that turned out to be the wrong size. If you have to wrestle it on, then it is probably too short.

Mr Mojo

I sat on my belt tool(squishing down the weatherstripping and it took both hands, but I got it on),remember a new belt isn't going to stretch as easily as an old one.

Perfusion

I got it! Thanks to everyone for the awesome suggestions... I wish I'd have seen this one (below) earlier, and it might have been a 30 second job!

Possibly the belt was too short, but it sure as hell is on there now! What I ended up doing was giving up on saving the alternator pulley till last and decided I would save the one below til last. In the process of slipping it over that pulley, the belt came off the tensioner. As you can imagine, a slew of obscenities flew out of my mouth... I was almost ashamed of *myself*! Then it dawned on me - it's already on all the pulleys, just cram it back under than tensioner and let 'er rip! So I did, and to my surprise, it wasn't that hard afterall - I was just going about it the wrong way.

I fired 'er up, let it idle for a while and then popped the hood again. All seemed to be aligned and well, so I hopped back in (hood still up) and revved it up to around 3k or so and held it for a couple seconds. No problems yet, so as far as I see it, I'm all set!

THANK YOU FORUM MEMBERS! Although I spent $25 on the Gatorback and another $30 on the tool (didn't even think about AutoZone rentals - ridiculous, because that's where I bought the stinkin' belt), I'm still under by about $25 on what the lowest shop qouted me, and now I have the tool for future reference.

As a side note, you know what my wife said to me when all was said and done?!?!

"You got it?! That's great! Now you can do my car." (2001 VW Jetta)

Grrr.... :mad It's all good - I may just give it a whirl! What the heck - I'll just have to make sure to register at "VWForum" beforehand!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks again, all - this is what makes this place so great. :cheers: to you all.

chriswtx

Glad I could help. I do about 10 serpentine belts a week and know all the tricks. Fells good doing it yourself and saving$$ and getting a new tool at the same time. :cheers:

RestoVette

Save the old belt and carry it in the car for a spare.......you never know.

mitymek

my lt1 belt was a snap.used an end wrench on it.
i change alot of belts at work and realize its way easy to get the routing goofed up on these serpentine things.if it dont go on easy i take it right off completely,throw it on the floor,stomp on it once,then try it again afresh.
sometimes trying a different pulley for the final step does the trick.
when you put your thumbs into both the old and new belts the old one should have just a little arch to it compared to the new one.not much,maybe 1/8 inch top and bottom.1/4 max i would guess.seems most wear indicators i see only have like 1/2 inch from new area to wore out area.
looked for a diagram online but no luck :nonod:
good luck with it,sure feels comforting to have a new one on there when its over :yesnod:

StealDads67

Thats a must and makes life much easier! :iagree: