My Serpentine went last Saturday at a most inopportune yet convenient time. How do you say? Well, I was working, checking water jugs for cool water while the last groups were playing at the US Disc Golf Championships. I was on hole 15 when it just started making some awful screech noises. I popped the hood to find parts of serpentine belt had made their way all over. It also threw the rear AC belt, which was in need of replacing.
I walked over to another staff person who's husband is "handy", and we headed to the auto parts stores. Within 45 minutes we were back with BOTH belts, total cost, about $50, but could have bee just over 30 if they had a less expensive serpentine (it cost $43).
Well, with no diagrams, we had a time figuring out routing. We finally gave up and found a friend who has a Navion RV, who owed me as it stayed at my house the week before, popped the hood and figured out the layout.
Hardest part was actually getting the serpentine on, we had (the tool kit, and, a pry bar). After much defeat, a spectator walked up and using the prybar, forced the tension pulley over so we could seat the belt. A couple quick turns of the key and it was all set. The AC belt was rather hard to get on, again, with no tools but a screwdriver. We got it on though.
OK, while doing that, we noticed a massive amount of gunk in the air intake. What are you guys using to clean all the soot out of there??? I wish to get this thing a little cleaner, and hopefully get the engine to pep up a little, perhaps increase my mileage if possible.
At 135,000 and only owning it for 10,000 of that, what are the best things to do to improve/ensure better gas mileage? I am currently getting about 20, but it seems like I should be getting better.