sprint2freedom
2008 NCV3 170ext
As the odometer just crossed 110K, I've known for some time that I needed to address the serpentine belt system as PM but never felt like it was the right time to undertake such a project, so please learn from my mistake... 
Earlier in the day I had noticed a faint whining noise that I thought was coming from the radio or possibly the blower fan but dismissed it as road noise since it went away after about 30 seconds. Then, hours later as I was pulling onto a deserted forest road to find a spot for the night, I heard a brief "squaaa" noise come from under the hood, then felt the power steering disappear as the alternator light came on. After turning off the key and popping the hood I could see that the serpentine belt had been thrown off about half the pullies, and the top idler pulley (between the glow plug module and the high pressure injection pump) was melted and disintegrated. So, no alternator, no water pump, no power steering, no A/C from now on....
Fifteen miles from town and with no cell service, I went to bed. The next morning, I managed to un-route the serpentine belt around the alternator and other items it was still hung up on and then tuck it forward into the gap around the radiator fan and pull it downward, freeing it completely. The belt looks okay, not brand new but not at obvious risk of failure. I do have a spare on hand.
Unfortunately I didn't have an idler pulley (or as I mentioned, cell service), so I made the decision to limp the van back into town, a little at a time. The UltraGauge did not turn on without the alternator but I managed to wake it up by holding down the UP and MENU buttons simultaneously. With the engine cold (53 F), I started it and watched the coolant temperature obsessively, aiming to limit both the temperature rise and the rate of temperature rise, and hoping to prevent serious engine damage. I'm fully aware that without a pump, the gauge is an unreliable indicator but it's all I've got so I tried to be very conservative. I mentally reviewed my drive there and determined that the first few miles would be coasting downhill, then there was a short hill climb followed by more downhill and then level terrain. I let the engine cool off again for about 45 minutes before beginning the hill climb which was done very slowly and in ~4 segments of about 1/4 mile at a time, utilizing gravel pullouts to park and let the engine cool off again for ~20 minutes each time. It's arbitrary but I tried to pull over whenever the indicated coolant temperature began to climb over 120-125F. I kept the heater cranked up so that the electric circulation pump would be commanded by the ECU to at least move the coolant a little bit.
Anyway, I crawled along and made it back into town after a few hours and have since made arrangements to stay here for a few days. Now I need to fix my van since I'm about 4-6 hours at highway speeds from any large city (Spokane, Boise, Portland, Seattle). I have some basic tools and a new serp belt (Conti 7PK2035) that matches the one I removed.
QUESTION:
I began to remove the bad idler using a T50 socket and an 8mm wrench to turn the bit (a ratchet won't fit), but ran into an issue-- after backing out the broad-shouldered bolt in the center of the idler its bolt head contacts the fan pulley and won't come out any further. How do I remove this idler? It seems I must first remove either the 4 bolts holding the pulley or maybe the whole fan bearing bracket. That means I have to remove the stretch belt(?) and struggle with that? Or can I just loosen the 4 bolts and tilt the pulley slightly? Is it a mistake to undo that pulley if I don't have all the materials and know-how to reinstall the stretch belt?
Reviewing what I can find about the job ahead, it seems to be as follows. (Please correct if I'm missing anything!)
1) Remove engine fan. Need a 36mm wrench (ordered from NAPA in the next town over, should arrive there in 2 days). Standing in front of the van looking down into the engine bay, whack the wrench clockwise (towards the driver side) to loosen fan. Undo air deflector clips and remove fan and shroud as a unit. Clamp and disconnect radiator hose(s) as needed(???). Leave fan anti-rotation strap attached(?) and place fan out of the way near the passenger fender.
2) Remove and replace the affected parts, enjoying the additional clearance provided by removing the fan and shroud.
3) Reroute the serpentine belt. If replacing the tensioner with new, prepare to remove tension by putting a ratchet on it (12 point, 17mm?) and pull the pin out like a grenade, then slowly release tension. If re-using the same tensioner, struggle to remove tension and keep it removed while looping belt over the final pulley (P/S?) with the other hand or the help of an assistant.
4) Reinstall fan, shroud, air deflector.
I labeled this diagram as a reference for myself:
At a minimum, I need the following parts:
- New (upper) idler pulley
In the spirit of not having this happen again, I plan to also obtain:
- New (lower) idler pulley
- New tensioner assembly
QUESTION:
Should I also attempt to replace the following?
- Fan bearing bracket
- Stretch belt
- Viscous clutch/fan assembly
- Idler pulley bolts
If I don't have to mess with the fan, I'm inclined not to given the emergency nature of my situation (snow and subfreezing temps are in the forecast)- but is this a foolish perspective? If I'm going to be there anyway, is it as simple as removing a few more bolts? Any perspective from folks who have "been there" would be very valuable.
I also want to make sure I have all the tools I need on hand since I'll probably be walking 12+ miles to the next town over to pick up my 36mm wrench. Do I need a special socket (27mm deep? according to another forum post) to turn the crankshaft pulley for any reason?
Thank you
Earlier in the day I had noticed a faint whining noise that I thought was coming from the radio or possibly the blower fan but dismissed it as road noise since it went away after about 30 seconds. Then, hours later as I was pulling onto a deserted forest road to find a spot for the night, I heard a brief "squaaa" noise come from under the hood, then felt the power steering disappear as the alternator light came on. After turning off the key and popping the hood I could see that the serpentine belt had been thrown off about half the pullies, and the top idler pulley (between the glow plug module and the high pressure injection pump) was melted and disintegrated. So, no alternator, no water pump, no power steering, no A/C from now on....
Fifteen miles from town and with no cell service, I went to bed. The next morning, I managed to un-route the serpentine belt around the alternator and other items it was still hung up on and then tuck it forward into the gap around the radiator fan and pull it downward, freeing it completely. The belt looks okay, not brand new but not at obvious risk of failure. I do have a spare on hand.
Unfortunately I didn't have an idler pulley (or as I mentioned, cell service), so I made the decision to limp the van back into town, a little at a time. The UltraGauge did not turn on without the alternator but I managed to wake it up by holding down the UP and MENU buttons simultaneously. With the engine cold (53 F), I started it and watched the coolant temperature obsessively, aiming to limit both the temperature rise and the rate of temperature rise, and hoping to prevent serious engine damage. I'm fully aware that without a pump, the gauge is an unreliable indicator but it's all I've got so I tried to be very conservative. I mentally reviewed my drive there and determined that the first few miles would be coasting downhill, then there was a short hill climb followed by more downhill and then level terrain. I let the engine cool off again for about 45 minutes before beginning the hill climb which was done very slowly and in ~4 segments of about 1/4 mile at a time, utilizing gravel pullouts to park and let the engine cool off again for ~20 minutes each time. It's arbitrary but I tried to pull over whenever the indicated coolant temperature began to climb over 120-125F. I kept the heater cranked up so that the electric circulation pump would be commanded by the ECU to at least move the coolant a little bit.
Anyway, I crawled along and made it back into town after a few hours and have since made arrangements to stay here for a few days. Now I need to fix my van since I'm about 4-6 hours at highway speeds from any large city (Spokane, Boise, Portland, Seattle). I have some basic tools and a new serp belt (Conti 7PK2035) that matches the one I removed.
QUESTION:
I began to remove the bad idler using a T50 socket and an 8mm wrench to turn the bit (a ratchet won't fit), but ran into an issue-- after backing out the broad-shouldered bolt in the center of the idler its bolt head contacts the fan pulley and won't come out any further. How do I remove this idler? It seems I must first remove either the 4 bolts holding the pulley or maybe the whole fan bearing bracket. That means I have to remove the stretch belt(?) and struggle with that? Or can I just loosen the 4 bolts and tilt the pulley slightly? Is it a mistake to undo that pulley if I don't have all the materials and know-how to reinstall the stretch belt?
Reviewing what I can find about the job ahead, it seems to be as follows. (Please correct if I'm missing anything!)
1) Remove engine fan. Need a 36mm wrench (ordered from NAPA in the next town over, should arrive there in 2 days). Standing in front of the van looking down into the engine bay, whack the wrench clockwise (towards the driver side) to loosen fan. Undo air deflector clips and remove fan and shroud as a unit. Clamp and disconnect radiator hose(s) as needed(???). Leave fan anti-rotation strap attached(?) and place fan out of the way near the passenger fender.
2) Remove and replace the affected parts, enjoying the additional clearance provided by removing the fan and shroud.
3) Reroute the serpentine belt. If replacing the tensioner with new, prepare to remove tension by putting a ratchet on it (12 point, 17mm?) and pull the pin out like a grenade, then slowly release tension. If re-using the same tensioner, struggle to remove tension and keep it removed while looping belt over the final pulley (P/S?) with the other hand or the help of an assistant.
4) Reinstall fan, shroud, air deflector.
I labeled this diagram as a reference for myself:
At a minimum, I need the following parts:
- New (upper) idler pulley
In the spirit of not having this happen again, I plan to also obtain:
- New (lower) idler pulley
- New tensioner assembly
QUESTION:
Should I also attempt to replace the following?
- Fan bearing bracket
- Stretch belt
- Viscous clutch/fan assembly
- Idler pulley bolts
If I don't have to mess with the fan, I'm inclined not to given the emergency nature of my situation (snow and subfreezing temps are in the forecast)- but is this a foolish perspective? If I'm going to be there anyway, is it as simple as removing a few more bolts? Any perspective from folks who have "been there" would be very valuable.
I also want to make sure I have all the tools I need on hand since I'll probably be walking 12+ miles to the next town over to pick up my 36mm wrench. Do I need a special socket (27mm deep? according to another forum post) to turn the crankshaft pulley for any reason?
Thank you
