onedef92

I have to replace my belt BEFORE I can drive my 'Vette now. It's frayed and nearly broken. I have the belt removal tool and have located what appears to be the tensioner pulley.

Can anyone walk me through what I've heard is a very simple procedure? I searched in the TechTips portal, but didn't have any luck.

Thanks in advance! :cheers:

Rich_01659

it helps to have two people. while your holding the tensioner the other can be placing the belt. there is really no other tech advice to help. it's not so bad ... my wife and i can do it :lol:

PurpleC4

I agree that having two people helps. I normally use a box end wrench, having my helper stand on the passenger side of the engine and remove tension while I change the belt. The tensioner has a strong spring, so having a padded palm makes for a more comfortable job.
~ Purp :thumbs:

Goody

If you have the tool it really is a one person job. Just take off the tension from the belt and remove the old one any way you can. I usually start at the alternator. Install the new one looping it around everything except the alternator. This is where the second person could come in, but I have done it alone before. I bought the tool from Pepboys and it works just fine. Wish I had had it a few other times. Yeah, my belt went and nearly took a coolant hose with it while it was flailing around the pulleys.

VMAX451

On a related note...
I don't know if you already have a replacement belt, but if not, you will likely need to go to the dealer to get it, the double sided belt is hard to find and most parts stores will try to sell you the single sided belt.

C4Crazy787

Lot's of good tip's just one more thing, depending on how you apply the wrench to the tensioner pully, when the pully retracts (no belt) with the wrench inplace the wrench CAN hit the coolant sensor on the water pump and
break it. :smash: (LT1/LT4 only) I KNOW I've done it TWICE!! :mad
Good Luck.. :seeya :flag

onedef92

Thanks, all. Great info. especially the double-sided belt issue. I'll let you know how it goes! :cheers:

John Row

First time I replaced my belt, I spent 45 minutes straining and swearing then I check the map moved the belt to the other side of one of the pulleys and was done in about 2 minutes.

So if you find yourself working very hard you probably don't have it routed properly.

pwrful c4

I changed my belt with a Goodyear Gatorback.I used a box wrench with a pipe over it. I also broke my temp sensor. :steering:

VMAX451

I am now getting worried that the double ribbed belt has been discontinued. Anyone know if this is the case :confused: ? Can you run the single ribbed belt with the double ribbed setup without swapping the pulleys that run along the top of the belt (power steering, idler, and tensioner maybe, can't remember)? All this "discontinuing" of C4 parts by GM is starting to @#$%@$ me off.

SPD DMN

Unless they just discontinued it in the past 3-4 months it is still available from the GM dealer.

Mr Mojo

On both of mine, I removed the intake first and disconnected anything that appeared to be in the way.

Then I took the belt tool, placed it on teh tensioner, slid off the old belt.

Then slid on the new starting at the bottom pulley and winding it thru all except the alternator.

Then pull on the belt tool(at this point I had straddled the front wheel), then sit on the end of the tool and use both hands to get the belt over the alternator pulley. Then check teh belt, make sure everything is the way it's supposed to be and put everything back and you're done.

Ramrod92

Just got a new one from Jeff a week ago. GM part # 10186198 List price is $45.68... $26.27 from Jeff. :thumbs:

VMAX451

:thumbs: Thanks!

Wadoka

I did mine with a helper without any kind of tool at all.

I popped the hood, removed the snorkel, and straddled the left front wheel. I reached into the engine bay and grabbed the tensioner pulley with my right hand, and pulled up hard. The helper pulled the belt out.

Then I routed the new belt over everything except the idler pulley closest to the wheel. I heaved up on the tensioner again to get slack, and the helper popped it over the idler pulley.

I have the old belt in the car as a spare.

Like they said, watch out for the ECT sensor on the fornt of the water pump. It breaks off pretty easily.

HOMER308

Just had mine off to get the work done on my Opti - like everyone else says, get it threaded for everything except around the alternator pulley - then I use a 1/2" drive torque wrench w/socket on the tensioner - works great - lots of leverage - can hold it easily against the tensioner spring with one hand and get the belt on without a helper at all!

onedef92

I'm happy to report Theresa and I tackled this job in about 20 minutes Saturday. Thanks to all who replied with such outstanding tech support! You've again helped me master another vital C-4 maintenance item and ensured us safe passage to the CI-IV Event! :cheers:

MarkLT1

You were able to pull the tensioner pully up with your bare hand!?!?!?! Damn man.. Thats crazy!!!

onedef92

Matt Black's a hard-core ****... :cool:

John Row

Either that or he needs a new tensioner!