Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Serpentine belt replacement

I did mine last week. It took about 1/2 hour, including removing the tire and splash shield. It wasn't too difficult after that.
The Dayco belt was about $20.

What do we use to move the tensioner out of the way? I have a socket wrench that I have been told will do the trick, but I want something that is longer to provide more torque.....

Nikolas

You could use any of the following:
-3/8" (or 1/4" I forgot) drive T-bar (aka breaker bar, i.e. a ratchet that doesn't ratchet)
-ratchet with some sort of extension (pipe)
-dedicated belt replacement tool from auto parts store. These are generally long enough that you can do the whole thing from above the car.

my old craftsman ratchet was a bit too thick to fit in the space between the tensioner and upper mount. a breaker bar would probably work better, but all I used was a long screwdriver wedged in one of the pulleys.

I used my SnapOn 3/8" drive ratchet w/a pipe extension from the right of the motor mount. Slip the belt over the PS pump pulley last.

69 dollars for the belt!?!? You got taken. I bought mine for about $30.

That's exactly how I did it. 20 min.

Use the Sears 3/8" ratchet wrench that has the push button release. It is slim enough to get in there. I made a handle extension from a thin walled metal tube that was from a closet rod that i had left over from a a laundry room fix up. It was painted white and was about 3/4' in dia. Got it at Lowes or Home depot. About a foot long extension works well.