Questions about Serpentine Belt/Tensioner replacement

[Elo]

So as I'm driving to work this morning, my 2000 Cat makes a sudden 'jolt,' for lack of a better word... The battery gauge needle goes down and the light comes on. I lose power steering, and my temp gauge is rapidly climbing. Gotta be the serpentine belt. Luckily, I was 1/10th of a mile from a gas station when this happens. I get out, pop the hood, and lo-and-behold the belt is shredded. I start pulling the remnant of the belt out, and find a broken ring with grooves in it for the belt. Looks like the belt tensioner pulley busted.

So my fiancee comes and picks me up, and I head to the auto parts store. Pick up a new tensioner pulley for $23, and I have to drive another 30 miles to get the belt for $25.

On to the questions...

First off, what tools are needed for removing the pulley?

Second, what's the best way to go about putting the new belt on? I've done plenty of v-belt replacements, but never a serpentine belt.

Thanks!
-Elo

[submariner409]

Your best bet is to remove the tensioner assembly and replace the pulley/bearing off the engine, then re-install. While the tensioner assembly is out you'll see a (? 3/8" ?) square hole in the arm for a socket wrench breaker bar tip. Use the diagram on the radiator sight shield or underhood or owner's manual for routing the belt. (Basically, the belt grooves wrap around grooved pulleys and the flat back wraps around flat pulleys.) Thread the belt around all but the tensioner pulley, using the breaker bar, torque the tensioner arm as far as it will go against the spring, and slip the belt under the pulley so that, when you release the arm tension, the pulley bears against the belt.

[Elo]

Got it done in about 2 hours on Saturday. Was a bit of a pain considering how little room there is in the front of that engine.

The pulley was easy to replace. Routing the belt was a different story. I had to undo a clamp/bracket that was holding the ERG line and one of the AC lines together. After that, I routed the belt through the slot that was left after the bracket was removed and over to the left side where the alternator and tensioner are.

Ended up routing the belt over every pulley except the water pump, then we released tension on the tensioner and slipped it over the water pump pulley.

Thanks for your help Submariner409.

-Elo

[bookie0116]

Wow this is exactly what happened to me, except i ended up right next to a mechanic shop who then fixed it for me. LOL I thought it ran hot for some other reason, silly me.