how ong should it take to replace a serpentine belt? I just recently found an oill lleak comming from the air compessor in my car and i'm sure the belt is soaked (I say this because the bellt threw the oil in a line under the hood).

also should the tensioner be replaced also? this car has 93,ooo miles and still has the original belt it seems.

When I did mine it took 10 minutes to get it off and an hour to put a new one on. Why does it always take longer to put something on instead of taking it off? My PS pump went out and did the same thing. To buy some time, I sprayed the belt down with wheel cleaner and rinsed it off with a hose. All this time with the engine running. Had to cover the alternator with plastic. It doesn't like to get wet. You are right about the belt. Once they get oil soaked they don't last very long. As far as the tensioner yours should be all right. I've gone through 3 belts with the same tensioner and have had no problems with it. Whatever happened to A. Souphound? Haven't heard from him for a while. I hope he's all right. He certainly helped a lot of people with good advice. All the best to you. Dave

When I did mine it took 10 minutes to get it off and an hour to put a new one on. Why does it always take longer to put something on instead of taking it off? My PS pump went out and did the same thing. To buy some time, I sprayed the belt down with wheel cleaner and rinsed it off with a hose. All this time with the engine running. Had to cover the alternator with plastic. It doesn't like to get wet. You are right about the belt. Once they get oil soaked they don't last very long. As far as the tensioner yours should be all right. I've gone through 3 belts with the same tensioner and have had no problems with it. Whatever happened to A. Souphound? Haven't heard from him for a while. I hope he's all right. He certainly helped a lot of people with good advice. All the best to you. Dave

I dont know what happend to him I think he got tired of the negitive comments. BTW I havent reviewed the repair manual but do you have to loosen the tensioner bolt or do you just wrench (with a breaker bar) the tensioner a littlle to get it off the belt?

Yes, just wrench it with a 3/8 breaker bar or a ratchet. It's spring loaded so you don't have to loosen the bolt holding it to the engine.

Yes, just wrench it with a 3/8 breaker bar or a ratchet. It's spring loaded so you don't have to loosen the bolt holding it to the engine.

Thanks i did that. Didn't have a 3/8 drive breaker bar but used a 3/8 drive ratchet with a bar on the handle end and moved it toward the front of the car then wrapped a small bungie cord around the pipe and the hood pop rod to keep the tensioner out of the way. Getting the old belt off was easy because it had flex, getting it on wasn't as easy with the new stiffness of the belt. I found it not too easy to get the belt past the crank pulley so I got it on by removing the tire and plastic guard around the wheel well and it went like a breeze after that. Also while i was there took the time to clean off residual oil left over from the a/c leak I had. Then put it all back on.

I was wondering what sequence you used to put the new belt on? Did you start at the top with the alternator and work your way down to the crank pulley putting it on last?

I was wondering what sequence you used to put the new belt on? Did you start at the top with the alternator and work your way down to the crank pulley putting it on last?

This car has p/s a/c so it didnt look easy to go the way you mention, the hardest part to me looked like the crank pulley there is only a small space like 1/2 " from the crank pully to the fenderwell (not even enough room to get my finger inbetween) So thats when I desided to do the hard part first.

I was wondering what sequence you used to put the new belt on? Did you start at the top with the alternator and work your way down to the crank pulley putting it on last?

a little late on the draw, but i thoguht id toss this out in case anyone is browsing archives-

in my humble opinion, i have the most luck getting the serpentine belt on basically bottom to top. the first time i did it i mucked around for a long time, but found for the second couple times that threading the pulleys on the way up, and then last- yank the tensioner slack with a breaker bar and pop the belt over the top wheel. (this is with A/C, might be easier some other way without). now it only takes a few minutes, really.

a little late on the draw, but i thoguht id toss this out in case anyone is browsing archives-

in my humble opinion, i have the most luck getting the serpentine belt on basically bottom to top. the first time i did it i mucked around for a long time, but found for the second couple times that threading the pulleys on the way up, and then last- yank the tensioner slack with a breaker bar and pop the belt over the top wheel. (this is with A/C, might be easier some other way without). now it only takes a few minutes, really.

seems to be what most are saying no biggie though but no one mentioned how you get the belt past that wall and the pulley