Write-Up: Replacing Belts and Pulleys

No issues with my Gatorbacks after a year.

1998 Riv wrote:

No issues with my Gatorbacks after a year.

I wasn't meaning to imply that there's anything wrong with gatorbacks, they are made from high quality rubber. It's just the little belt nubbies can have a negative effect when you get into tiny pullies and you are nearing the loose side of your tensioner, where the Gates belts with solid ribs and high quality rubber will grip just that little bit extra. In stock and near-stock installations the Gatorbacks should be fine.

Mikel wrote:

Thank you guys. I just did my belts - The engineer who designed that motor mount should be hung from a certain part of his anatomy

You got that right. I noticed on an '04 LeSabre I just worked on, the front motor mount is completely changed to a bottom-mount style, and the belts are free.

What motor was in that LeSabre Derek?

3800 of course! I advise all my near family members to buy 3800 powered cars...

Slightly offtopic, but how much modifying would one need to do if one wanted to put in a 3800 with the bottom style motor mount in a Riv?

what do you mean?

I was just curious if someone needed a new motor and would prefer to put one in that is less difficult to replace the belts, how much modifying would it take to put in a 3800 motor with a bottom style motor mount in a Rivieras' engine bay.

beats me? i did not know that u had to remove the mount to replace the belt on a series 2? not so on a series 1

BMD wrote:

I was just curious if someone needed a new motor and would prefer to put one in that is less difficult to replace the belts, how much modifying would it take to put in a 3800 motor with a bottom style motor mount in a Rivieras' engine bay.

Probably more than its worth doing since you only have to change the belts every 100,000 miles or so if theyre properly aligned.

There are pic's on here somewhere where James removed the upper mount completely and fabbed up a lower mount for the whippled engine.
I tried to find that write up but couldn't.

L67 wrote:

BMD wrote:

I was just curious if someone needed a new motor and would prefer to put one in that is less difficult to replace the belts, how much modifying would it take to put in a 3800 motor with a bottom style motor mount in a Rivieras' engine bay.

Probably more than its worth doing since you only have to change the belts every 100,000 miles or so if theyre properly aligned.

, but if you were gonna throw a new motor in there anyway, why not install one where the belts are free of the mount. Thanks for looking for that write up Rick, it would be interesting to see what was done.

On a secondary point. Do all the pulleys loosen clockwise or are some different?

On the series ii the tensioner pulley uses a left-handed threaded bolt. Not sure how the series 1 does it.

If I am not mistaken, isn't there a fourth pulley that uses a right-handed threaded bolt?

BMD wrote:

If I am not mistaken, isn't there a fourth pulley that uses a right-handed threaded bolt?

I believe its the lower idler pulley by the crank.

It depends if your talking series1 or 2 engines, i believe.
There is a diagram on here for all the pulleys on a series2 and the rotation of the mounting bolts.

Series II. Sorry for the questions, just read Jacks great write up. It contains all the answers one might be looking for. Thanks guys.

I followed that write up to do my pulleys and belts.
Excellent help but be careful, the illustration regarding the A/C and some other pulley are incorrect. Otherwise it served me well and I got the job done in about 2.5 hours taking my time.

Rickw wrote:

I followed that write up to do my pulleys and belts.
Excellent help but be careful, the illustration regarding the A/C and some other pulley are incorrect. Otherwise it served me well and I got the job done in about 2.5 hours taking my time.

That's about as long as it took me. Having to lift the engine, remove motor mount, motor mount bracket and power steering pump... To replace a serpentine belt is asinine.

I was doing some work on my friend's 98 Riviera and I told him "hey, since we are here, why don't you run to the store and buy new belts? It will take two minutes to replace them!" How wrong I was

I would like to know, when replacing the easy pulleys, do you have to have special puller to get the pulley off the shaft? Thanks for info about left handed threads. Mine is a 96 and has a regular 15mm bolt.
RivGuy MOcarGuy@aol.com
Thanks

no. it slides off..the pulley takes a through bolt ...

I had to replace my water pump, so wihile I was there I replaced the pulley behind the motor mount bracket.
I found NAPA part #NBH 38007, (made by Gates) to be identical to what I assume was the pulley GM installed Sept. '95 when my car was built.

I found the motor mount suprisingly easy to remove and replace.

But that lower clamp on the lower radiator hose which I also replaced is another matter though.

That lower clamp is easily removed with the proper clamp removal tool.
Unfortunately most people don't have that tool unless you make your living doing these repairs.
I bought one several years ago out of frustration and it has saved my arse several times.

Rickw wrote:

That lower clamp is easily removed with the proper clamp removal tool.
Unfortunately most people don't have that tool unless you make your living doing these repairs.
I bought one several years ago out of frustration and it has saved my arse several times.

I'm sure that would have made it much easier. I actually checked Harbor Frieght in fact to see if I could pick up a cheap pair.

What made worse was the tangs you squeeze were on the bottom side so, I had to go at it blindly.
I thought I was going to end up pulling the radiator at one point.

It looked like for ease of assembly, GM placed a short section of hose on the radiator before it was placed into the car, then it was mated up with the hose from the block once the radiator was installed. 4 clamps total for 1 hose.

hmm, pair of pliers was ... umm ... difficult? but it worked. What's the clamp removal tool look like Rick? I'm interested.