murray59

Man what a job just to change a belt! Couldn't get a socket on, no room for the ratchet, so I had to use an open end wrench with a homemade extension on it, working from the drivers side. I CAN"T get the new belt on. I've got the tension pulley cranked as far as I can get it, pretty well all the way and I can aaaallmost get the belt over the alternator pulley but not quite. I compared the two belts and the new one is barely shorter than the old one so I figured the old one must have stretched a bit. I guess I'll take the new belt back to the local parts chain and try a different brand.

STL94LT1

New belts are always tight. Use a screwdriver to massage the belt over the pulley.

runner140*

A couple tips.....1. Get the new belt warmed up (in the dryer when wife is not looking) or (lay out in the sun for an hour).

2. For under $20.00 go to Sears or Summit Racing, purchase a serpentine belt tool.

3. Fully depress the belt tensioner (as far as it will go).

4. If you have one, use a breaker bar.

Guess there's more than a couple.

dirtcheap74

I have a 96 LT4, had the same problem, figured it out and was able to put the new and correct belt on in about 8 mins.

The belt part number should be ending in 670 no matter what brand you get. 67.0 is the the actual length of the belt. Remember loose belts, even .2 or .4 will loosen up more as they wear and jump tracks, at best shearing off a rib or 2 or at worst complete belt failure. The belt is tight as hell for a reason.

An example would be the DAYCO brand:5060670 <---- this is for all 94 and up LT-1 and the LT-4 engines from this manufacturer and most other brands.

Now put a deep offset wrench on the bolt so you dont bust the temp sensor sticking out of the water pump ( I busted mine right off the first time as I was trying to wedge a socket in there and rig **** up like it sounds you are are doing as well) and stand on the drivers side of the car.

Route the belt around the bottom of the crankshaft pully and up around the ac and alt pullys. Now crank the tensioner toward you as far as it will go and slide the belt under the tensionor/above the crankshaft pully. You will have to wiggle it back and forth with one hand but it will go in as there is no lip to deal with on the tensioner.

You dont need any special tools or a screwdriver or anything, dont need to warm it up or soak it, you can do it one handed in about 5 mins once you get set up. Make sure everything is lined up (might crawl under the car with a flashlight to look at crankshaft pully) and your good to go!

Easy belt to install

RollaMo-LT4

Even though they are a little tight, there shouldn't be any issues in installing one in just a few minutes.
If you can't get the new belt on, make sure you have the correct belt.

The first time I changed mine, I had trouble also. There was no way it was going to slip over that last pulley. Then I realized I wasn't routing the belt correctly.

I believe your '94 is the same as this.

RRT vette

Make sure the parts store sold the correct lenght belt. I went through this on my 95. Autozone sold me a 67" belt and I sweated with it for a long time and never got it to fit. Went to Napa and theirs was a 67.5" belt that fit right on.

dirtcheap74

67.0 fits right on as well. 67.5 is to big according to FSM. (see my post above)

RRT vette

I haven't looked to see what the FSM said, but I know what I went throught.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-g...-me-again.html

dirtcheap74

Yea I thought the same thing, but then it dawned on me you can slip it over the tensioner with it pulled all the way back. SO easy. So the larger belts will go on easier as you have found out, but they will not last as long unless you putt around and drive it 3 months out of the year. Belt is not designed to go over the alt pully, it is designed to go over the tensioner, at least for lt1/4's.

murray59

I went and got a different brand belt. It might be a hair longer than the other, it's 67". What I'm trying to do is route it on everything and then over the alt pulley last. ( I'm routing it correctly per diagram shown) What you're saying is route it over everything EXCEPT the tension pulley- do it last, right? Where is the handle of your wrench pointing? I've got the handle pointing drivers side, travelling between the upper rad hose pulling down toward the a/c hoses. I'm getting full travel on the tensioner but barely.

dirtcheap74

Yes route it over everything except the top part of crankshaft pulley/ bottom of tensioner.

(standing on drivers side of car) Intake tubing and Maf are removed, all other hoses were still attached.
Ok If I remember right I started with the wrench strait up or even a little toward the passenger side and then used my RIGHT hand and pulled it back toward the driver side as far as that bugger would go, this was using a deep offset wrench, might be tougher with a strait wrench as you have to avoid that damn water temp sensor, then I used my left hand to jiggle the belt under the tensioner. It will get hung up some on the crank pulley but not a whole lot, that is why you use your Right hand to keep the wrench pulled TOWARD you and use your left hand to jiggle the belt till its fully seated over the crankshaft pully.

pcolt94

New belts are tight to get on.

The secret I found to getting the belt on the pulley was not having to hold or fight with the wrench at the same time. To concentrate on this, I can't put all my energy into holding the tensioner wrench or ratchet.

So I actually use an adjustable wrench and over the handle I put a long aluminum pipe. The pipe is actually an aluminum piece from a beach umbrella which I flattened the end to go over the wrench handle. This gives me a real long wrench (easy to pull) which I can actually rest my body on and have both hands free to work getting the belt on.

runner140*

So I actually use an adjustable wrench and over the handle I put a long aluminum pipe....

I love high tech.

What ever works!

383vett

For the C4s, the belt should go over the tensioner last. The lip is shallower than on the other pulleys and the belt slips over the idler easier.

pcolt94

Who said it was high tech…..just creative engineering.

Just trying to help.

Can't exactly remember what drove me to come up with that many years ago but it had something to do with not being able to get a socket on and being able to get full range of tensioner.

murray59

Well the belt's on. Amazing how easy it was when sliding it on the idler pulley last. Live and learn I guess. Hopefully others will read this before tackling their own and save some grief. Thanks guys, I love this forum!

RUU

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I used the steps in this thread when I did mine - couldn't have been easier.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...all-video.html

dirtcheap74

Hmm yea to bad it took me a day or so to figure it out after busting my temp sensor, that forum link needs to be sticky'd I think.