Serpentine Belt Replacement

hkpierce

'02 140 Hi BlueBlk Pass
Get this , when you release tension on the belt with the tensioner (underneath is best) there is a small pin hole (just under 1/8 " ) off to the right (facing the engine)of the 17mm 12point or torx recess , on the tensioner , simply slide a sturdy pin in the hole when tensioner is fully disengaged from the belt , then slowly release tensioner back to tesioning position, the pin will lock the tensioner in the realesed position.

Carl
Note What Carl said about a "sturdy pin". I grabbed a nail that was handy, only to have it bend on me. What a pain to get it out - almost no room to work and requiring a small hd wire cutter followed by a line's man pliers to twist out the rest. Once I got it out I realized it was an aluminum nail. :bash:
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GoJohnGo

Road trip!
Thanks all. Reading this turned what I thought would be a half-day ordeal into a 20-minute job. With my newly-created tensioner retaining pin, I may just take off the belt to inspect the pulleys every oil change or two. At 70k miles, all of my pieces are still in fine shape.
 

Colorado_Al

Well-known member
Thanks to everyone for this! I needed to replace my high pressure fuel pump and decided to replace my well soaked serpentine belt at the same time. Glad I did since it was badly damaged from the diesel leaking from the pump. Easiest for me to release the tension from below the engine. Old belt came right off. I found it easiest to route the belt around everything but the alternator. Then release the tension and slip it over the alternator while below the engine.
 

gig2000

gig2000
I just replaced my serpentine belt at the side of the road when it self destructed and took out my left side transmission cooler hose. Belt had looked fine but had just over 50,000 miles. Luckily had a 3/8" barbed connector and some clamps to was able to fix the hose leak. Had previously changed the belt and discovered the problems trying to access the tensioner from the top. Also using a wire to hold the tensioner away from the belt makes things much easier. Took me 15 minutes using this technique.

Look up from under the front of the engine and find the tensioner. Identify the star fitting and just to the drivers side of that a 3/16" dia hole.
Need 20” long flex handle or torque wrench to make easy, shorter will work with 17 mm socket. Also need 1/8 to 5/32” x 1.5” bolt or wire. I used a stiff 1/8” diameter wire bent to be easier to grab. Make sure not to thin or soft or may get jammed.
Start under van and place socket on tensioner. Looking from the front twist about 30 degrees clockwise to loosen the tensioner then insert wire in hole just to the right of the socket. Release wrench and wire should hold tensioner free. Remove belt by slipping it off fan pulley and tensioner then grooved pulleys.
Installation is to start at top hooking belt on grooved pulleys with lip but not smooth fan pulley or tensioner. Go below and hook up belt on all grooved pulleys. Then go back on top and pull belt onto fan and tensioner. When all looks good go below, pull on wrench just enough to remove wire and release tensioner against belt. Check belt is aligned then start engine and watch belt carefully for tracking.


2003 long tall homemade conversion van.
 
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DjBlade

New member
... Also need 1/8 to 5/32” x 1.5” bolt or wire. I used a stiff 1/8” diameter wire bent to be easier to grab. Make sure not to thin or soft or may get jammed...

I simply use a duplex head nail to hold the tensioner in place. The duplex head makes for easy removal.
 

coolestmanalive

New member
I figured I would chime in here:


This guy created a video where he has removed the entire front member (bumper, radiator, AC core, etc.) so that everything is clearly visible.

Perfect, very explicit, obvious and easily understandable explanation of what is going on with the tensioner and very clearly illustrates how its best accessed from the ground, etc.

https://youtu.be/LAEGUj7qtfU?t=495

(note: I started at 8:15, where he begins moving the tensioner and pins it in place)
 

220629

Well-known member
Swinging out the radiator for access can make sense. One issue to keep in mind is whether your Sprinter has lived where road salt is used in the winter. There are some radiator and transmission cooling components which can become difficult if not impossible to remove without causing damage.

I found that tilting the radiator out provided a bit easier access for tensioner replacement. I've never had any problems with just installing a belt.

My admiration goes out to anyone who changed the tensioner when other than being home with their tools. ...
vic
I can't believe it gets done so easily by others. :bash:

I noticed that the 2006 belt wasn't riding evenly on the tensioner pulley.

For removal I used Seans suggestion and disconnected the turbo intake manifold hose. That did make access from above better. Removal went fairly well.

Install... not so much.

I again had trouble getting the bolts started. I got the inside one started and figured that I'd just snug it up and then start the other bolt while held in position. The bolt began to bind as I (ever so slowly) turned it in. Great. I probably cross threaded it.

I decided that better access would help to get things back right. I proceeded to disassemble the front end to get the fan shroud out of the way. It turned out the fan shroud didn't need to be removed. Wedging the radiator stack out a bit using a block of wood on the right (passenger) side provided the clearance/access I needed.

I started the outboard bolt and snugged it in to get the tensioner basically in place. After it was in I started the other bolt that I thought was cross threaded. Fortunately it threaded in fine. It wasn't cross threaded at all. It must have been binding against the housing.

The disassembly was worth the extra effort. Otherwise the thought of the bolt possibly being cross threaded would have nagged at me.

Anyway.
Disassembly to allow tilting the radiator does take a bit of extra effort (grill off, headlights loose, top bar removed, etc.), but tilting the radiator moves the fan shroud back just a bit for more clearance and does provide much easier access for my ham hands. Next change I believe that I will just do the extra work to tilt the radiator. For me it will avoid aggravation.

The removed tensioner had an uneven gap similar to the 2004 tensioner that I show in post #5 above. If the belt isn't riding evenly on the tensioner, the tensioner is definitely on the way out and should be replaced.

:cheers: vic

P.S. - A 8mm or 5/16" 12 point socket kinda fits, but the proper E10 socket makes things a bit easier.

This "Deepwell" E set will be my next coupon purchase.
E10, E11, E12, E14, E16, and E18

6 Pc 3/8 in. Drive E-Socket Set
https://www.harborfreight.com/6-Pc-38-in-Drive-E-Socket-Set-68016.html
My basic method for belt install.

T1N 2.7 Serpentine belt install... my way.
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65424

:2cents: vic
 

marklg

Well-known member
I replaced the two pulleys and the tensioner, as well as the belt, following the recommendations in this forum.

Just a few comments.

I did not have to remove / move the radiator. I did remove the heat shield above the turbo for easier access.

If the pulley on the driver's side is removed first, you can see the tensioner bolts better from above.

If the tensioner is locked with the pin, you can see the tensioner bolts better from below.

I used a combination of the correct E and T bits with both a 3/8 and 1/2 inch ratchets. I used adapters / extensions so the ratchet could clear the water pump pulley but not hit the fan. You can only wrench a few degrees at a time, so it was time consuming. I worked both from the above and below, sometimes switching just to avoid repetitive stress.

The pulley on the passenger side is too close to the fan to fit a ratchet in with a T50 bit. I used my take on Zimaleta's suggestion. I combined a short arm T50 L wrench with a 2 foot piece of steel square tubing for leverage.

Some of the bolts looked like they had Loctite on them. I used Loctite 243 on all of them when I put them back. That has become my go to Loctite. It works better on stainless steel, aluminum, and plated metals and can tolerate oil contamination better.

Mark
 

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lance_k

Member
My high pressure fuel pump sprung a leak while on the road here in Jackson WY. Would love to get this belt swapped due to the fuel spilling onto the rubber. Any chance there is a forum member in this neck of the woods willing to show me how this is done? Doing pretty good removing the high pressure fuel pump for repair but would love a hand on this. Or is it that simple for a newbie to do?
 

sepudo

Member
Re: Serpentine belt

While I can understand gasoline on a belt being not a good thing to get on a belt if I'm not mistaken diesel is a lubricant and not corrosive in and of itself...

Comments, thoughts...?

#drivingdharma
 

220629

Well-known member
Re: Serpentine belt

...

Comments, thoughts...?

#drivingdharma
It's not just the reduced friction.

Many of the newer design serpentine belts use EPDM rubber. EPDM is also used for roof membranes. I have used EPDM rubber scraps to make many different seals. I've learned that fuel and oils cause EPDM rubber to expand/swell. It doesn't play well with oil based solvents.

A bit of fuel here and there probably isn't a problem, but soaking/spray over time will likely take a toll.

:2cents: vic
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Depending on the rubber, diesel can degrade it rapidly. Especially if its a bio blend. There is a large range of rubbers used under the hood, and even serp belts have a few different types in there construction.
 

Andy at Focallocal

Social Adventurer
I was able to remove the belt tensioner from underneath with this tool: http://imgur.com/gallery/F0MexvM

It needs both the length of handle, and length of the attachments to clear other engine parts and enable you to crank the tool. It's slow as I can only do 1/5th turns each time, but not too difficult to do without removing any other parts.
 

VAMANOS

2006 t1n 205k
Had to do an emergency serpentine repair on the hottest day of the year. In the sun! It looks like a part is missing on the idler pulley. 2006 t1n . What do you guys think?
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