| FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? | |
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ibmoses Aficionado

Name : Bert Location : North Alabama Joined : 2008-02-03 Post Count : 1701 Merit : 32
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:24 pm | |
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ibmoses Aficionado

Name : Bert Location : North Alabama Joined : 2008-02-03 Post Count : 1701 Merit : 32
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:26 pm | |
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ibmoses Aficionado

Name : Bert Location : North Alabama Joined : 2008-02-03 Post Count : 1701 Merit : 32
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:27 pm | |
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ibmoses Aficionado

Name : Bert Location : North Alabama Joined : 2008-02-03 Post Count : 1701 Merit : 32
 | Subject: tesioner pic Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:55 pm | |
| How about the tensioner? Is this tensioner adjusted correctly, or is it close enough?  Bert:tavis: |
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albertj Guru

Name : Location : Finger Lakes of New York State Joined : 2007-05-31 Post Count : 6870 Merit : 131
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:33 pm | |
| There is no way to answer your question from the pictures provided, except to say that with the printing still visible on those belt backs most likely they were changed at least once. And with the GM numbers on them, the change was at the dealer. Look - all you need to do is look at the back of the belts and make sure there are no cuts or abrasions that fray or cut the fabric in the belt. You then need to look at the grooved side of the belts and count the breaks in the rubber. If there are no belts, great. If there is one break per inch, or so, plan to change the belts the next time you have service done like a state inspection or a tire rotation. Serpentine belts are designed to warn you by having the grooved face crack up VERY LONG before they fail. In my personal experience, I've run belts about a year after seeing that they had a crack or two per inch on the face. Actually, I think the thing to look for as a signal for 'change belts soon' is that there are bits of rubber missing out of the face (grooved side) of the belts. Dayco has a video about this at --> http://www.daycoproducts.com/daycoweb.nsf/cf652a4feb630ad0862571a4005ae40c/45ddb8bb3b44d189862571d400512bc7!OpenDocumentAlbertj Last time I replaced my belts, I used Dayco "PolyCog" belts and did it myself. Albertj |
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palermocorey90 Expert

Name : Corey Age : 27 Location : Rome NY Joined : 2007-10-03 Post Count : 2968 Merit : -24
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:50 pm | |
| theres one way to be safe, replace them for the hell of it |
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ibmoses Aficionado

Name : Bert Location : North Alabama Joined : 2008-02-03 Post Count : 1701 Merit : 32
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:50 pm | |
| - albertj wrote:
- There is no way to answer your question from the pictures provided, except to say that with the printing still visible on those belt backs most likely they were changed at least once. And with the GM numbers on them, the change was at the dealer.
Look - all you need to do is look at the back of the belts and make sure there are no cuts or abrasions that fray or cut the fabric in the belt. You then need to look at the grooved side of the belts and count the breaks in the rubber. If there are no belts, great. If there is one break per inch, or so, plan to change the belts the next time you have service done like a state inspection or a tire rotation. Serpentine belts are designed to warn you by having the grooved face crack up VERY LONG before they fail. In my personal experience, I've run belts about a year after seeing that they had a crack or two per inch on the face. Actually, I think the thing to look for as a signal for 'change belts soon' is that there are bits of rubber missing out of the face (grooved side) of the belts.
Dayco has a video about this at --> http://www.daycoproducts.com/daycoweb.nsf/cf652a4feb630ad0862571a4005ae40c/45ddb8bb3b44d189862571d400512bc7!OpenDocument
Albertj
Last time I replaced my belts, I used Dayco "PolyCog" belts and did it myself. Albertj Thanks Albertj,  they should be fine then. There are no cracks in the belts. It is odd that the SC belt is black and the accessories belt is brown. Bert:burnout: |
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ibmoses Aficionado

Name : Bert Location : North Alabama Joined : 2008-02-03 Post Count : 1701 Merit : 32
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:12 pm | |
| - palermocorey90 wrote:
- theres one way to be safe, replace them for the hell of it
Thanks Corey, I will keep that sage advice in mind. Bert:burnout: |
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ibmoses Aficionado

Name : Bert Location : North Alabama Joined : 2008-02-03 Post Count : 1701 Merit : 32
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:32 pm | |
| - ibmoses wrote:
- How about the tensioner?
Is this tensioner adjusted correctly, or is it close enough?

Bert:tavis: How do you read/interpret the lines on the pulley in relation to the notch on the housing? There are four lines that divide the "indicator" into four segments... If tension is correct should the notch be aligned with the indicator line as shown in the attached pic? Bert |
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albertj Guru

Name : Location : Finger Lakes of New York State Joined : 2007-05-31 Post Count : 6870 Merit : 131
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:11 am | |
| Actually, Bert, the different color belts - well, it's not odd. Most likely belts are different composition. There's Gates, Dayco, Goodyear, Ningbo (China), Bandu (Japan) and others. Replacement belts for just about every car on US roads are sold under the AC Delco name - I suspect they are from one or more suppliers (mostly Goodyear) but don't quote me on that 'cause I am only guessing. Watch out for the belts becoming noisy for no apparent reason. If that happens, check the pulleys (take belt off track at tensioner and turn pulleys by hand). If they do become noisy, they can't really be fixed so just replace them. And that tensioner in your picture looks fine to me, the index ridge is in the middle of the 4 marks. By the way, if your car was serviced at the dealer, then service records are available by asking the service manager at the dealer. You have to ask real nice on a day that is not busy, though, because the records take a while to pull from their computer system and although they can give you what they have they can not warrant that it's complete service history. Albertj |
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98riv Moderator
Location : USA Joined : 2007-01-14 Post Count : 956 Merit : 30
 | Subject: Do I need to change my belts? With Pictures (Belts Changed) Wed May 07, 2008 10:04 pm | |
| I am pretty sure that they need to be replaced, but I just wanted to double check.   _________________ 1998 Supercharged Riviera - Custom CAI, Alpine spx-13ref, Infinity 6x9's, Alpine 4 Channel Amp, Kicker KX3, Silverstars, STB, Hawk Brake Pads, Monroe Air Shocks, KYB GR2
Last edited by 98riv on Thu May 15, 2008 1:17 am; edited 1 time in total |
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deekster_caddy Master
Name : Derek Age : 46 Location : Reading, MA Joined : 2007-01-31 Post Count : 7717 Merit : 109
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Wed May 07, 2008 10:41 pm | |
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1998 Riv Expert

Name : Dave Age : 57 Location : In The AZ Oven Joined : 2007-01-17 Post Count : 4502 Merit : 44
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Wed May 07, 2008 10:57 pm | |
| They could last quite a while longer, but I'd go ahead and change them if you have the time. |
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BillBoost37 Junkie
Location : Enfield CT Joined : 2007-11-28 Post Count : 769 Merit : 25
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 9:22 am | |
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T Riley Guru

Name : Travis Age : 28 Location : Your wife's box Joined : 2007-02-08 Post Count : 5126 Merit : 9
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 9:25 am | |
| - 1998 Riv wrote:
- They could last quite a while longer, but I'd go ahead and change them if you have the time.
AHHHHHHH you dont want to buy a underhood fabric thing |
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oldsman105 Junkie

Name : Enrique Patino Age : 32 Location : Queens, New York City Joined : 2007-01-24 Post Count : 756 Merit : 9
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 9:42 am | |
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AA Administrator

Name : Aaron Age : 40 Location : C-bus, Ohio Joined : 2007-01-13 Post Count : 18330 Merit : 240
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 11:03 am | |
| Mine looked like that at 90k miles. That's when my mechanics started getting on me about changing them. And I did. _________________ '98 SC Riviera • 281k miles • 298 HP/370 TQ • 0-60: 5.79s • ET: 13.97 @ 99.28 • 4087 lb • 20.1 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:30 3.4" pulley • AL104 plugs • 180º t-stat • FWI w/K&N • 1.9:1 rockers • OR pushrods • LS6 valve springs • SLP headers • ZZP fuel rails KYB GR2 struts • MaxAir shocks • Addco sway bars • UMI bushings • GM STB • Enkei 18" EV5s w/ Dunlop DZ101s • F-body calipers EBC bluestuff/Hawk HP plus • SS lines • Brembo slotted discs • DHP tuned • Aeroforce • Hidden Hitch^^^ SOLD ^^^ '05 GTO • 85k miles • 0-60: 4.8s • 16.9 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:26 Because fun'70 Olds Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe • 116k miles • 455 Rocket V8 Because cool'95 Celica • 152k miles • 0-60: yes Because free |
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98riv Moderator
Location : USA Joined : 2007-01-14 Post Count : 956 Merit : 30
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 12:07 pm | |
| I just had them changed about 5 years or so ago. Only put like 25,000 miles on them. I thought they would have lasted longer. _________________ 1998 Supercharged Riviera - Custom CAI, Alpine spx-13ref, Infinity 6x9's, Alpine 4 Channel Amp, Kicker KX3, Silverstars, STB, Hawk Brake Pads, Monroe Air Shocks, KYB GR2
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1998 Riv Expert

Name : Dave Age : 57 Location : In The AZ Oven Joined : 2007-01-17 Post Count : 4502 Merit : 44
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 12:14 pm | |
| It's not just the miles, it's also exposure to the elements that will cause deterioration over time. How is the backing? After 5 years, it's probably time for a swap. |
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98riv Moderator
Location : USA Joined : 2007-01-14 Post Count : 956 Merit : 30
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 12:17 pm | |
| - 1998 Riv wrote:
- It's not just the miles, it's also exposure to the elements that will cause deterioration over time. How is the backing? After 5 years, it's probably time for a swap.
The back of the belt seems ok. You can't see the writing on the belts anymore. The tensioner mark is in the correct spot. _________________ 1998 Supercharged Riviera - Custom CAI, Alpine spx-13ref, Infinity 6x9's, Alpine 4 Channel Amp, Kicker KX3, Silverstars, STB, Hawk Brake Pads, Monroe Air Shocks, KYB GR2
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1998 Riv Expert

Name : Dave Age : 57 Location : In The AZ Oven Joined : 2007-01-17 Post Count : 4502 Merit : 44
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 12:31 pm | |
| If it's your DD car, I'd do the belts. Or if you drive somewhere that you don't want to lose belts unexpectedly. |
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AA Administrator

Name : Aaron Age : 40 Location : C-bus, Ohio Joined : 2007-01-13 Post Count : 18330 Merit : 240
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 12:52 pm | |
| Gates warrants their belts as long as the writing is still visible. I could barely read mine when I changed them. Also, I've been told that more than one deep crack per 1" of belt length means to change the belt.
Are yours Gates (NAPA) belts? _________________ '98 SC Riviera • 281k miles • 298 HP/370 TQ • 0-60: 5.79s • ET: 13.97 @ 99.28 • 4087 lb • 20.1 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:30 3.4" pulley • AL104 plugs • 180º t-stat • FWI w/K&N • 1.9:1 rockers • OR pushrods • LS6 valve springs • SLP headers • ZZP fuel rails KYB GR2 struts • MaxAir shocks • Addco sway bars • UMI bushings • GM STB • Enkei 18" EV5s w/ Dunlop DZ101s • F-body calipers EBC bluestuff/Hawk HP plus • SS lines • Brembo slotted discs • DHP tuned • Aeroforce • Hidden Hitch^^^ SOLD ^^^ '05 GTO • 85k miles • 0-60: 4.8s • 16.9 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:26 Because fun'70 Olds Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe • 116k miles • 455 Rocket V8 Because cool'95 Celica • 152k miles • 0-60: yes Because free
Last edited by AA on Thu May 08, 2008 12:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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98riv Moderator
Location : USA Joined : 2007-01-14 Post Count : 956 Merit : 30
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Thu May 08, 2008 12:53 pm | |
| - AA wrote:
- Gates warrants their belts as long as the writing is still visible. I could barely read mine when I changed them. Are yours Gates (NAPA) belts?
I think they are AC Delco. _________________ 1998 Supercharged Riviera - Custom CAI, Alpine spx-13ref, Infinity 6x9's, Alpine 4 Channel Amp, Kicker KX3, Silverstars, STB, Hawk Brake Pads, Monroe Air Shocks, KYB GR2
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98riv Moderator
Location : USA Joined : 2007-01-14 Post Count : 956 Merit : 30
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Tue May 13, 2008 2:33 pm | |
| I think I will go ahead and change the belts. I am already changing a lot of parts, so might as well do the belts to. I will try to follow these steps to replace the belts to see if it is any easier. - Quote :
- Best way to do all this is to:
- Put on the parking brake - Block the rear wheels (safety first, you know) - Jack front of Riv - Support front using jackstands - Remove passenger side wheel - Remove plastic splash shield pins from plastic shield and remove shield (or remove the back two or three and rotate shiled forward out of the way) - Remove nut and stud from center of TAM sleeve (sometimes the nut and stud come out as one unit and sometimes the nut comes off then the stud), Stud is an external torx but can be removed using a regular socket that fits tightly over the torx head of the stud (may be a 5/32nd...i can't remember exactly) - Remove metal sleeve, I found for my car that pushing the sleeve up, towards the hood area, from underneath the car, was easier than trying to pull it striaght down and out of the bottom of the car. Also may need to wiggle the sleeve, and eventually ist will come out. - Slip belt off and past any pullies. (notice belt path so you put it back on correctly) - Slip new belt on and reverse the above.
_________________ 1998 Supercharged Riviera - Custom CAI, Alpine spx-13ref, Infinity 6x9's, Alpine 4 Channel Amp, Kicker KX3, Silverstars, STB, Hawk Brake Pads, Monroe Air Shocks, KYB GR2
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1998 Riv Expert

Name : Dave Age : 57 Location : In The AZ Oven Joined : 2007-01-17 Post Count : 4502 Merit : 44
 | Subject: Re: FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? Tue May 13, 2008 2:46 pm | |
| Are you only doing belts? How is your lower SC idler pulley? I hadn't examined mine until the past couple months when I was running without the SC belt. I'd guarantee it was the 118k mile original, and was in much worse condition than the other pulleys I'd already changed out. It was plastic and badly deforming. The smooth surface wasn't even flat across anymore. Unless you have time constraints, or know that pulley is good, I'd recommend going the long way about it, and pull the engine mount to get that pulley changed. Dayco 89006. Gates 38001. $20-ish. |
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| FAQ: Upgrading Serpentine Belts & Pulleys? | |
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