Serpentine Belt question - Page 2

CactusWill · 10-07-2009, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherrington17

well if you want to get specific about it!

You posted as I was posting, yours just made it through first

hok666 · 10-07-2009, 10:55 AM

there should be a how-to for this topic..

I have had the squeaking for 5+ years on my alero. I bought the new gator back belt and tensioner with the intention of replacing both, but the belt looks great and the squeaking goes away after the car is warm, or what I like to call "operating temperature" I always warm my alero up and if I have to be somewhere early some where I always give myself extra time to make sure the car is at its "operating Temperature"

So I guess I baby my alero, and you can continue to do the same. Unless what your saying is that the squeaking is constant, unlike mine....

Blktrax · 10-07-2009, 10:57 AM

Just throwin this out there, belt noise is rarely caused by the belt itself, its a result of the belt slipping due to the spring in the auto tensioner.

Diffrent belt length can make a diffrence, on the Top of the Tensioner there are marks that show in and out of adjustment. A longer belt will strech and can put the tensioner out of spec. Just as a belt thats too short wont strech enough. Also think of that spring in the tensioner, constantly under load, when you change the position of it, it has a hard time working in the new range after wearing a grove where it was. Thats bhy bot sets were great accept when people had to pay to adjust them.

When I replaced my Belt, with a Delco belt I also replaced the Tensioner and Ideler pully, no noise no problems.

zzyzzx · 10-07-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CactusWill

I think hes talking about a 3/8 drive ratchet, you put the 3/8 head into the tensioner without putting anything onto the ratchet.

Thats is how it works on my Escort.

zzyzzx · 10-07-2009, 11:04 AM

Given that the car is 10 years old and only 26K miles, the belt itself is probably the best first guess.

zzyzzx · 10-09-2009, 09:12 AM

I reviewed the factory service maual last night. It specifically states to use a 3/8" breaker bar. I wonder if that means that a ratchet won't fit or that it's better to use a ratchet with a long handle (which IO do already have).

What's alo interesting is that there are several pages on belt noise. Belt chirping, squealing, rumbling and one more section that I forget the name of. In every case the book blames it on belt alignment caused by bad tensioners, or bad tensioner mounts (cracked, bent, or loose bolts). Nowhere does it ever blame the belt, despite the overwheling evidence from user reports on the internet that the Goodyear Gatorback solves the problem just fine.

Besides needing the breaker bar, the service manual just says to remove the cruise control module, and talks about removing the mount, then tensioner and after that, it's just matter of routnign the belt.

Perhaps I should take some pics when I do mine and make a How To.

CactusWill · 10-09-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzyzzx

I reviewed the factory service maual last night. It specifically states to use a 3/8" breaker bar. I wonder if that means that a ratchet won't fit or that it's better to use a ratchet with a long handle (which IO do already have).

Besides needing the breaker bar, the service manual just says to remove the cruise control module, and talks about removing the mount, then tensioner and after that, it's just matter of routnign the belt.

You don't need a breaker bar. It just gives you a little more clearance to work getting it in and out because of no ratcheting head.

surreal_awakening · 10-09-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CactusWill

You don't need a breaker bar. It just gives you a little more clearance to work getting it in and out because of no ratcheting head.

Ditto what he said ^^ Breaker bars don't have the large head on them that a ratchet does. The tensioner really isn't that hard to move with just a breaker bar, but if you really want or need leverage, just stick a piece of pipe on the end of it (I have a 2-foot long section of 2" cast iron pipe I use for leverage), or you can use a large closed end wrench slipped over the end of the breaker to give you a little extra leverage.

zzyzzx · 10-09-2009, 11:17 AM

Is it that hard to do, I mean my regular ratchet is fairly short like most are, but my swivel head ratchet is actually about a foot long. Will I need something longer than that?

surreal_awakening · 10-09-2009, 11:25 AM

If you can get the head in there, then that should be fine. Like I said, it's really not that difficult. The tensioner doesn't have THAT much pressure on it.

CactusWill · 10-09-2009, 11:39 AM

The hardest part is getting the new one routed correctly, always be sure to locate the belt map under the hood of the car before removing a belt. Once I find the belt map under the hood, I can rip an old belt off by hand in about 5 seconds without any tools at all on engines with spring tensioners. Then route your new belt, and I can also use a 15mm wrench on the tensioner pulley bolt itself, just being mindful of the fact that you are further tightening the pulley bolt. Theres different ways you can do it, for someone that is mechanically inclined it is less work than doing an oil change or changing a flat tire.

zzyzzx · 10-13-2009, 09:27 AM

Am I going to have to jack up the car to do this? I would think so, just to to get the support for when I remove the motor mount.

I assume that leaving the tire won't get in the way as well?

The only other time I've evern removed a motor mount I drove (my Escort) into some 4" high (solid) cinder blocks than used a jack and a block of wood against the transmission casing to support the engine/transmission while I removed a transmission mount. I'm thinking I'd probably need to do it the same way for the Alero since I do have to support it while I remove the mount as well as give me some space to route the belt from underneath if necessary.

surreal_awakening · 10-13-2009, 09:37 AM

If you have a low profile floor jack, you don't have to lift the car at all, just slide the jack under the engine with a block of wood between it and the oil pan and gently lift the engine no more than an inch. Now, if you don't have a low profile jack, then just jack up the right front of the car a bit, not to the point that the tire is off the ground, but enough to slide support under the engine, such as a cinder block, etc., then let the car back down to the point where the engine is resting on the support, and then go an inch or so past that. Take the mount off, change the belt, then put it back together. An annoying process, but easy as pie.

zzyzzx · 10-13-2009, 11:05 AM

OK, so no reason to get under the car to help route the belt, and the tire won't get in the way.

surreal_awakening · 10-13-2009, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzyzzx

OK, so no reason to get under the car to help route the belt, and the tire won't get in the way.

Right

Redog · 10-13-2009, 12:58 PM

Here's what I did.

I routed the belt around everything except the alternator, then I used my 3/8" breaker bar, inserted into the hole in the tensioner and when I pushed it back slipped the belt over the alternator.

My breaker bar is too short to do this myself however. I had to take the tension off and have my wife slip the belt over the alternator pulley

A57 · 10-13-2009, 08:46 PM

ok here the fasted way to do this ...
Go rent the serp belt tool.. most auto parts store rent this.

get a jack place a block of wood 2x4 will do to place under the oil pan and jack lightly.. just enought to hold the motor in place. remove the 4 bolts that hold the plate that hold the mount to the motor. then use the belt tool and move the tensor to undo the belt ..then remove it passing the motor mount and then just reverse the steps. start routing the belt from the crank pully. if you need a hand have a buddy hold the belt inplace till you get the belt tool ready to reinstall.. for pictures refer to the hayanes repair manual.

A57 · 10-13-2009, 08:49 PM

oh ps you might want to replace the tensor pully too due to that this part gets week and could fail...ave cost is about 45 bucks.

alerogls001 · 10-14-2009, 10:23 PM

Blah i had a irritating squealing sound for a long time. Replaced belt and just about every pulley. Ended up being the flywheel.

zzyzzx · 10-15-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blktrax

Just throwin this out there, belt noise is rarely caused by the belt itself, its a result of the belt slipping due to the spring in the auto tensioner.

When I replaced my Belt, with a Delco belt I also replaced the Tensioner and Ideler pully, no noise no problems.

Is it possible to just replace the spring in the tensioner? I doubt many people do it, but in my case, given the age and mileage, the spring is more likely to be bad (from rust) than the bearings, and that's if it's bad. I haven't changed out the belt yet, I'm hoping to do that on Sunday.