Supercharger belt impossible to get on

JimmyDean

Registered User
Its true... Tensioner alllll the way back. It seriously looks impossible to get on there.... Any tips. WTF
 
Proper belt for pulley?

JimmyDean said:
Its true... Tensioner alllll the way back. It seriously looks impossible to get on there.... Any tips. WTF
Are you sure the belt is seated correctly on the jackshaft pulley?
You sure you got the correct belt for your pulley? Like trying to put a 10% belt on a stock pulley.

68COUGAR
 
JimmyDean said:
Got it on. Its just strictly a 2 person job.


agree with that ^ took me bout 45 min of trying by myself,
friend came over and took less than 2 min, just not enough hands
 
odd, when i put all new gatorbacks on my sc... i had no problems and did it with one person
but working for a quick lube for 5 years and then moving to a real shop i just have learned to deal with belts and the problems they give ya
 
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What I have always done, is get the belt as far on the SC pulley as possible, and then just bump the starter. The belt has always gone on and aligned itself straight. Not too professional, but it gets the job done:)
 
I run a 5% OD SC pulley with stock length Gatorback and it takes me 5 secs from the time I put the socket on the tensioner to removing the belt. I wonder if your tensioner is out of whack? I think there is a way to adjust them, but have never needed to look into it.
 
I have been successfuly by the following.

Using the tire wrench from the trunk (or from memory 3/4" socket?)

1. loosen the idle pulley nut (break free)
2. then wrench back on idle pulley nut and remove tension from belt.
3. put a metal spacer in the gap of tensioner that shows/measures tension
to hold tensioner off belt.
4. now wrench the idle pulley bolt off (rotating the other way and take
the nut out)
5. remove pulley, then remove old belt
6. install new belt, slide idle pulley under belt & on to shaft
7. reinstall idle pulley nut, put wrench on nut, & tension the tensioner to remove metal spacer.
8. retighten the idle pulley nut.


Inother words:
I have been successfuly by first removing the idlle pulley
(while maintaining belt tensioner in off mode),
then installing the SC belt in place, then sliding the idle pulley
under the belt and back on the post.

(this has to be coordinated with tensioner, I carefully put a metal bar
in tensioner gauge to maintain tension off the belt, while moving
the idle pulley on and off)
 
I know what you mean about the supercharger belt. I ordered a new one (gatorback) from SCP and couldn't get it on. The reason was I replaced the idler pulley to a steel unit from the stock plastic one. The replacement steel is larger in diameter than the stock plastic one. I went back to the stock plastic idler pulley. Did you replace the idler pulley with a steel one? That may be your problem, but I didn't read if you did or not. Just my .02.
 
I just did all 3 of mine this weekend, And i would say its a two person job. We had a hell of a time getting Crankshaft Belt on, This would be hard with one person. Anybody that says diffrent is crazy.
 
Here is the secret to SC belt replacement. Use a regular open or closed end 18mm wrench - place the wrench on the tensioner nut first - then install the belt on the Jackshaft and SC pulleys, leaving it stretched over the face of your wrench & tensioner pulley. Then crank down on the wrench to release the tension and the belt will slip right over the tensioner pulley.
 
On the stock sized pulley, all I usually do is twist the tensioner back with an 18mm socket and breakerbar, then wrap the belt over the idle pulley, and over the tensioner pulley and partially over the SC pulley. Then I walk it onto the SC pulley by just twisting the SC pulley by hand a bit at a time. Then release the tensioner and all is fine. :cool:
 
truely amazing how many problems people can have installing a serp belt. i can go out to my bird and replace all 3 in relativly quickly... ive never had any of the problems you guys have been talking about.... so i guess im crazy, then again im irish
 
ThePikey said:
truely amazing how many problems people can have installing a serp belt. i can go out to my bird and replace all 3 in relativly quickly... ive never had any of the problems you guys have been talking about.... so i guess im crazy, then again im irish
Ditto. I wonder if keeping the car garaged when not driving it makes a difference on the tensioners. My car has been babied and I can remove all three belts and replace them again in < 5 mins.
 
doubt it... i bought my car out of florida, and have kept it outside as did the previous owner....
 
bksho said:
5min my ~~~.

Maybe I should shoot a video of it? If your tensioner allows for enough play, removal and replacement of the belts is easy. Perhaps I should just be quietly happy that mine are easy to replace? No one likes to hear how something they have difficulty with, someone else can do with ease. P.S. I can tinkle 11 feet. :D
 
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