Just curious how hard of a fix it is to change engine belts and put a new one on my truck, I searched past threads and couldnt find anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all

 

Really not bad. Helps to have a second pair of hands, one to hold the tensioner, and the other to remove/re-route the new belt.

 

It's really very easy. Do you have the little diagram on the core support showing you the route of the belt? If not, take a couple pictures with a digital camera of the way the belt intertwines thru the pulley's. It can get confusing if you don't have any type of reference. you'll need a barring tool to take the tension off the belt, I forget the size, 11/16 maybe. If you can get an extra hand it would make it a little easier, when you take the tension off the belt, slip the belt off the water pump pulley, then slowly let the tensioner release. reroute the new belt on the same way, reload the tensioner, slip belt back on the easiest place. make sure the belt's lined up on all the pulley grooves, if so, start it up and see how it looks. Good Luck. I know you can do it

 

Look carefully at tensioner as they wear and cause missalignment of belt. Will have a 3/8 or 1/2 inch square hole for breakover bar to fit into. Less than 5 minute job if got your act together. New tensioner at AutoZone for about 65 dollars. Belt at Autozone for 18 or so. You can pay a lot more if you like.

 

If your belt routing decal is missing, just remember that the belt smooth side goes against smooth pullys while the grooved side goes to g eoved pulleys.

 

Easy job to do. I found getting to the tesioner was easier from the bottom.

 

Try this;
Put the new belt around the fan and put it around all of the pullys, (except the tensioner) and behind the old belt. Then insert your breaker bar into the tensioner and release tension just enough to loosen the belt. Slide the old belt out from under the new one and let the new one fall into it's place. Work from the bottom to the top as you go. This will eliminate all chances of mis-routing the belt and the old belt will help hold the new one in place. Reset tension last and then remove the old belt.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

While this thread is up, I wanted to know if you all thought I should go ahead and change my belt. As far as I know its the stock belt that came on the truck 129k ago. I even have the extra belt, as I bought it for the road trip from Ohio to Texas the truck went on as a safety precaution.

So, to change or not to change?

 

I would go ahead and change it. It is a lot easier to do at home than on the side of a freeway. Once you have done it, it is very easy.

You need to have a long 3/8" breaker bar, about 18" long is perfect. I use a long torque wrench. Insert the bar in the square hole on the tensioner( with the handle as far toward the drivers side as possible), and pull toward the passenger side. Slip the belt off and release the tension. Install the new belt on all the pulleys except the tensioner the pull the bar to the passenger side and slip the belt over the tensioner. One person, less than five minutes.

 

Sounds good. I'll do that while I'm putting on the new air filter.

 

They say "5 years on rubber products" but I change my belts when I see cracking on the inside of the belt.

 

I just had to change an alternator which required removing tension on the belt to get the old alternator off and put the new one on..... its TONS easier to remove tension from underneath the vehicle..... wasn't effective for changing the alternator, but DEFINITELY if your just changing belts.... remove the old one, route the new one and then work from underneath to finalize the placement of the belt.

And on the thought of NEW belts.... Autozone has an AWESOME replacement belt, has a cross-hatch, toothed design that really takes the belt squeal outa startup.....
From Dodgeram.org
There was a report in TDR #20 that a Goodyear Gatrorback belt #4080810 stopped the chirp in a 97 model.

-Tim

 

Yeah, this is a pretty easy one to change. Try doin some semi truck belts on the side of the road after the belt is shredded and gone. No diagram on most trucks, Mercedes engines are a real pain, along with 8.1L GMC med duty's.

If ya do it enough, it is nice to invest in one of those belt tensioner wrench kits.

We stock Gates belts at work never had a problem with any squeaks out of those, other than on some mid 90's Chevy P/U's

 

Yep, the Goodyear Gatorbacks are really good belts.

Here's a couple good bits of advice.

1- Don't throw out the old belt, unless it is in really bad shape (torn, shredded, etc). Hang on to it in the truck, under a seat or something. They don't take up much room and they are good to handy, in case the new one breaks.

2- When you remove the old belt, take some sandpaper or emory cloth and rough up the surfaces of all the pulleys, including the grooved ones. Belts only work by friction, and if you give them a better surface to work with, they will not slip and last longer.