1997 Gr Voyager Serp Belt slipping fix ?

[sadvoyagerowner]

I have a 97 Grand Voyager with a 3.8. I seem to have a fairly common problem with the serpentine belt slipping off in snow and/or water driving. I have changed the tensioner and belt, but to no avail. I've heard of the modified mount bracket, but has anyone heard of an alternative to this ? I had heard that there is a "kit" that can fix that using an oversized washer somewhere. I'm assuming this "washer" would help guide the belt on the tensioner (or any other pulley that has no edges. What are the opinions out there to this idea ? If I had a circular plate (or washer) fastened to the pulley so as to allow a lip to the pulley(s), do you think that would work? I'd like some opinions before I make this idea reality.

[cyclonicblade]

Originally Posted by sadvoyagerowner

I have a 97 Grand Voyager with a 3.8. I seem to have a fairly common problem with the serpentine belt slipping off in snow and/or water driving. I have changed the tensioner and belt, but to no avail. I've heard of the modified mount bracket, but has anyone heard of an alternative to this ? I had heard that there is a "kit" that can fix that using an oversized washer somewhere. I'm assuming this "washer" would help guide the belt on the tensioner (or any other pulley that has no edges. What are the opinions out there to this idea ? If I had a circular plate (or washer) fastened to the pulley so as to allow a lip to the pulley(s), do you think that would work? I'd like some opinions before I make this idea reality.

Dont know about the newer one but back in the 80's and early 90's they had a sheild for that on the 2.2 and 2.5 L for the timing belt my 95 3.0 has seen 3ft of snow a couple of feet of water and no prob.
good luck

[Mrbizness1]

Originally Posted by sadvoyagerowner

I have a 97 Grand Voyager with a 3.8. I seem to have a fairly common problem with the serpentine belt slipping off in snow and/or water driving. I have changed the tensioner and belt, but to no avail. I've heard of the modified mount bracket, but has anyone heard of an alternative to this ? I had heard that there is a "kit" that can fix that using an oversized washer somewhere. I'm assuming this "washer" would help guide the belt on the tensioner (or any other pulley that has no edges. What are the opinions out there to this idea ? If I had a circular plate (or washer) fastened to the pulley so as to allow a lip to the pulley(s), do you think that would work? I'd like some opinions before I make this idea reality.

I recently had the same problem with my 98 with a 3.3 after almost 100k with no problems. I had the dealer change the belt as part of a pm,
my 1st mistake. After then it didn't rain much but everytime it did off came the belt even in 2 inches of water around the block. The tensioner was good, but the pulleys looked worn slightly off center so I changed them, $20.00 each, but it didn't fix it. Took it back to the dealer they performed a TSB dating back to 7/99 for $235.00 which is suppossed to be a fix, it was a little better. Now the belt stayed on for 7 miles in the rain, had it towed back to the dealer. I had read somewhere that the newer Mopar belts have grooves that are closer together, causing them to trap water a bit longer. I bought a Dayco belt, it has cross groves every few inches, had the dealer put it on and it hasn't came off since. Today I drove through every slush puddle I could find with no problems.

A washer might work, but I think it would need to be shaped with a flair so it won't shred the belt.

[cyclonicblade]

Found this hope it helps
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=463958

[Vats]

Originally Posted by sadvoyagerowner

I have a 97 Grand Voyager with a 3.8. I seem to have a fairly common problem with the serpentine belt slipping off in snow and/or water driving. I have changed the tensioner and belt, but to no avail. I've heard of the modified mount bracket, but has anyone heard of an alternative to this ? I had heard that there is a "kit" that can fix that using an oversized washer somewhere. I'm assuming this "washer" would help guide the belt on the tensioner (or any other pulley that has no edges. What are the opinions out there to this idea ? If I had a circular plate (or washer) fastened to the pulley so as to allow a lip to the pulley(s), do you think that would work? I'd like some opinions before I make this idea reality.

After the same experience, I was at the wreckers yard looking at the idller pulley(the one on the tensioner) on the Caravan with the 3.0L engine. The pulley on that engine has a lip on either side to prevent the belt coming off. on my 3.8L when you turned the engine over you could watch the belt come off the pulley. i swapped the pulley for the one from the 3.0L, and it has been fine for over a year.

[jeanpierre1997]

I have had the same problem for sometime as well now. I read a post that a washer on the tensioner will solve the problem I have tried this and it doesn't seem to work. I have noted that the belt doesn't seem to line correctly on the tensioner pulley, it is usually one rib to the left as you compare it to the part of the belt that runs from the Alt to the idler. I sat and stared at the tensioner for some time and it seems that the bracket that the tensioner sits on is kinda off making the tensioner point downwards just ever so slightly. The problem isn't that the belt is comeing off the idler, but slipping off the tensioner pulley when water is introduced. I have not found a fix yet that works. I have just tried adding a waher between the pulley and the tensioner, I then added a little work to the AC side of the belt at idle no problem, once I increased the RPM's and added a bit of water away the belt goes.

[RIP]

I've never had that problem on my 96 but, it only rains 4 months of the year here. Somewhere on this forum someone said there was a kit you could get from Chrysler that included idler pullies with a lip on the outer edge to keep the belt from slipping off. There's also a ribbed Goodyear belt that helps. The details are there somewhere.

[Spit]

Dorman Products the people who make the Help! line of autoparts/accessories, make a shield kit. It is their part number 82570 They call it a power steering pulley shield. The name makes no sense, sinde the shield is mounted to the idler pulley.(I e-mailed them about this and they said it's because Chrysler uses that designation?). Autozone and Advance both stock this line, they may or may not have the part in stock. They can special order it.

You can see the part at www.rbcinc.com. search under dorman parts by item number 82570 and it will show you a picture and a description. Pretty easy to put on. You will have to remove the serpintine belt, and back the bolt out of the idler pulley. Put the shield in place and tighten down with the new longer bolt that comes with the shield.

My 97 CG threw the belt twice in one week last year, I put this part on and not a single problem since.

Chuck

[Spit]

Let me clarify..."idler pulley' I am refering to the idler pulley on the belt tensioner. the disk included in the kit creates an outside lip on the pulley so the belt can't just slide off.


Chuck

[appstech]

If you have a 96-2000 model, simply buy the Goodyear (49204K) or the Gates (38342K) belt kit and install it. It only takes about 1 hr and fixes this problem once and for all. The kit costs about $100.

[Spit]

You don't have to make a washer...read through the rest of the thread and get the info on the kit you can buy. it works fine.

Spit

[webbee]

Be aware that the Goodyear fix is only for the 3.0. The same kit hasn't been released for the 3.3/8 series yet.
3.3/8's have to either replace the idler/tensioner pulleys with either $tealer or NAPA pulleys and either Goodyear Gatorback, Dayco or Gates belts. It seems the latest $teeler belts are a bit to large in diameter. Sometimes this doesn't work because of alignment issues, or other bad pulley involvement (alternator, power steering, water, etc). Other replacement parts may work, the one's I mentioned are known to work.

[Spit]

The Dorman kit that I refered to in an earlier posting to this thread costs under $10. I believe that I ordered it from AutoZone..and had it in a day or 2. I haven't had the belt slip off the pulleys since I added it.

The basic design from Chrysler is a smooth tensioner pulley (no lip to hold the belt on...belt slides right off if something ties up, or as in our situations the belt gets wet) This design protect the belt from breaking if say your water pump freezes up. Not a bad idea if you don't have the water splashing the belt problem that these vans have. But when you do.. the nusance slipping of the belt becomse a much bigger problem than a potential broken belt.

With this kit you remove the bolt in the center of the pulley and installl a stamped sheet metal disc with a bolt hole in the center and a new longer bolt in it's place. This in effect ads a 1/8 of an inch lip to the outside edge of the pulley and keeps the belt from sliding off. It's Simple, Cheap and Effective.

Spit

[webbee]

Originally Posted by Spit

The Dorman kit that I refered to in an earlier posting to this thread costs under $10. I believe that I ordered it from AutoZone..and had it in a day or 2. I haven't had the belt slip off the pulleys since I added it.

The basic design from Chrysler is a smooth tensioner pulley (no lip to hold the belt on...belt slides right off if something ties up, or as in our situations the belt gets wet) This design protect the belt from breaking if say your water pump freezes up. Not a bad idea if you don't have the water splashing the belt problem that these vans have. But when you do.. the nusance slipping of the belt becomse a much bigger problem than a potential broken belt.

With this kit you remove the bolt in the center of the pulley and installl a stamped sheet metal disc with a bolt hole in the center and a new longer bolt in it's place. This in effect ads a 1/8 of an inch lip to the outside edge of the pulley and keeps the belt from sliding off. It's Simple, Cheap and Effective.

Spit

I looked that up and it seems to be an excellent and affordable solution for the 3.3/8 engines. I am ordering one from AA as soon as I go next. Mine isn't currently coming off as I replaced the pulleys and belt. This will be for peace of mind.
Thanks for calling attention to this fix!
By the way, your original link isn't a parts house.

[Spit]

Sorry for the wrong website info. Try this one...If you go to www.dormanproducts.com and search the 82570 part number they will show you a picture and a description of the kit that I installed...the description that they give says it fits 1997 thru 2000 caravans...

Spit