Belt Change, Tips on changing a belt Options

[TotalEclipse97]

hey guys....i was driving home this evening when all of the sudden wham....my powersteering belt desinigrates under the hood. So now it's stuck at the community college parking lot waiting for a new belt to be installed.

i've never done this before and would like step by step instructions on how to do this.

it's a 97 eclipse gst....if you're looking into the engine bay...it's the belt closest to the powersteering resivour...it looks like it'd be the hardest to get to....anyways...please help

[JBone]

For starters, if it's just the P/S belt, drive it home!!! That belt isn't connected to anything else. It's not that hard to go without it. The 8 months I had my talon I didn't have P/S for 6.5 of them. I also had no P/S on the 240 for the 6 months I had that. It's a good clean forearm builder.

As far as replacing it. Loosen the bolt that is attached to the bracket just slightly. then start backing out the long bolt the puts tension on the pump. replace the belt and then do the reverse. Note: when tightening the long bolt, hold your free hand on the bolt to make sure it doesn't free itself while your tightening it. Make sure it is on real snug. after driving it for a while it might start to squeel. that is the belt stretching slightly and sliding across the pulleys. It will need to be retightened a few times until it is stretched no more. You might as well just carry an extra wrench with you in the car, if you already don't do that (it is a DSM after all).

Hope that helps.

[black92_tsi_awd]

When tightening the belt, use about a 2' prybar to push the PS pump forward and then tighten the bolts. Last time I did mine, it squeeled and slipped and glazed the belt. Then no amount of tightening would stop it from squeeling, I had to replace it again.

I second JBone, drive it home-after removing ALL the belt pieces. While your moving it won't be that hard to steer. It's too frickin cold to be changing it in a parking lot!

[TotalEclipse97]

not power steering belt

it's the belt next to it....it looks harder to get too

any tips?


tow?

[natedogg]

Belt next to it is the accessory belt. Pretty easy to replace, but you can't drive home without it, like you can with the PS belt. To replace, just loosen the locking bolt on the alternator bracket and unscrew the tensioner (if you have one). You may also need to loosen the lower alternator nut (access from the wheel well). Pull the alternator up toward the engine to give yourself enough slack to put the belt on. String the belt around the crank pulley, water pump pulley, and alternator pulley. Push the alternator back down and forward, tension it, and tighten the lock bolt and the lower alternator nut. You're done.

[turbohcar]

And get a Haynes manual for further step by step explanation.

[TotalEclipse97]

got the haynes manual...i was just wondering about little tricks you veterans have learned along the way

didn't have time to fix it myself....Norris Tire in champaign...very nice

thanks again everyone