How To Replace a Serpentine Belt - EricTheCarGuy

Replacing a Serpentine Belt - EricTheCarGuy
I've had more than one request for this, the other day I had one come in and was happy to make the video for it. This is a fairly easy one compared to some that I have had to deal with, just work smart and have the right tools and you will be fine. Remember the longer the tool the better the leverage and that you should check to make sure you have the correct belt before you try and install it.
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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy.
ETCG

[@CentralCanada]

Thanks for taking the time to produce & share this vid' ! It is an initial assist, in swapping out the serpentine on my '82 F-100 V6 3.8L . Another op' I decided to do, as part of the primary challenge to fixing the blown 'freeze plug' (out of the driverside, front of engine block). That occurred while cruising at 100kmh, heard a bang, then visually causing a large steam cloud and purging of majority of coolant . First time experience, within 50yrs of driving ! LoL Also going to replace both rad' hoses, thermostat, gasket, coolant temp. sensor. I had replaced the upper me-self 12yrs ago but time enough to change out again. Albeit lower rad' hose is very elusive, being the only item not accessible from local retailers, including within ph, call to chat with parts'rep. at one of the local Ford dealerships, who also confirmed nothing compatible from within recent ford' models . And hi-lited a lot of automotive products have been oddly discontinued over the decades.... Stated "oddly" generic example; a L. side item is discontinued, where-as the same R. side item is still available ! 8-)

[@deathlywaffle1292]

I have been watching this guy for a while, He has changed a bit. working on your car looks fun now.

[@felizamorfelizamor845]

Oooooomaaaaaiiigaaaa!! this is so much better than the other video, where they removed the airl filter housing box and the the mottor mount , to gain access into the belt.....but you did this friendlier...thank you my new friend

[@seanlovesjobo]

Dude, I can't thank you enough for the time you've put into these videos. You'll never know how much grief you've spared me. God bless you!

[@ericthecarguy]

@enveno1 It's always great to hear when one of my videos helps so thanks for that. Belts don't often come off without a cause however so you might want to check for loose or worn parts on the pulleys and accessories, pay particular attention to the tensioner. For the most part tensioners are easy to replace depending on the clearance you have to work with. Thanks again for the great comment.

[@tammiewalters3940]

What if your old belt broke and I don’t have the old belt to compare to

[@ericthecarguy]

@bowlingballout At the end of the day it is all about the tools. I actually plan to do a video on tools at some point in the future just to cover this very thing. Thanks for the comment. A cantankerous belt and and annoying orange walk into a bar.....

[@larpsim]

Hey, it's George Clooney the mechanic! Great video, Eric. Thanks.

[@MiamiZombie2012]

Changed my belts the other day and saved over a hundred bucks. Great video

[@bluemicrodot]

Hey man, Darrel's wife here. The drawing of where the belt is supposed to go, especially the air conditioning helped. I haven't done it, yet. I'm nervous. I've done lots easier things. I looked at my fan belt and knew I actually had to look up help. Thank-you. And I'll measure right. I have to do it tomorrow cuz my husband is taking the 1990 truck I've fixed, for two weeks. And I'm stuck with the car that has fan belt problems.

[@ericthecarguy]

@importplus I'm very happy my video was able to help you, thanks for your comment.

[@lbburgett]

Thank you! I was going to take this into a mechanic to have it done--because I'm an out-of-shape, menopausal 47-year-old office worker. But, back in the day, since my Dad was afflicted with a chronic case of the Tinker-itis, and since I was an agreeable flashlight holder and socket-finder, I knew my way around an engine. Granted, those engines boasted carburetors, so most of the stuff I can no longer do. but THIS, I can do.

[@francesayres]

Laura Burgett p

[@julidiamondlover]

I read that as "tinker-tits" at first glance. I think I am going to use that lol

[@nadiaswaidan5272]

Laura Burgett Send me your number plz

[@donnajohnson8355]

Mine broke 💔 and I'm going to replace it myself. I'm 62

[@donnajohnson8355]

@@julidiamondlover 😆lol

[@CindyStAmour-os1sy]

Thank you Eric!! This really helped me a lot. I really enjoy working on cars and learning all I can about them. It doesn't always stay in my head, age it sucks, so it's nice to have a refresher course. Thank you.

[@edwards99]

Thank you for your videos. I watch several channels when trying to fix one of the family vehicles, and I don't know why but your videos make the light go on in my head. Great work, please keep it up!

[@ericthecarguy]

@Mastro415 That 6 is a great engine, thanks for your comment and good luck with that Jeep.

[@apagan65]

Hey Eric, i watch your videos from time to time and i must say that they are awesome! I know enough about auto mechanics to get by and am continuing to learn more. Your videos inspire me to never give up my training. thank you so much for your educational videos. Keep up the good work!

[@moncru70]

I did the belts (2) on our car today. Lot easier after watching Eric for months now I have gained lots of confidence from you. Saved lots of money not bad for a 42 year old female. Thanks Eric.

[@ericthecarguy]

@combatzone11 I'm happy to help, good luck and thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@Michiganborn1969 Belt deflection depends on the length of the span you are checking. There is a tool for measuring this but it is not often used or possessed by many shops. I almost got my CDL years back but since I knew I was going into the automotive world I didn't bother. I might still get it one day yet however.

[@ericthecarguy]

@corght It can be easier with the belts that you have to be sure. Quite a few manufacturers are moving toward this belt type however so expect to see more of them in the future.

[@brutalyzedbytv]

Hey, this is great! Thanks, ETCG! I had a scary belt-breaking incident 2 days ago, which also knocked loose an antifreeze hose. For me, the best part of this video is you pointing out the belt diagram---stamped inside the hood! This after I spent the better part of today, in the library & on Internet, searching for a belt diagram to match my 1993 Ford Taurus. DUH! Your other points are incisive time savers as well. You deserve a raise!

[@ericthecarguy]

@TheDiegis Glad you liked the video, thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@Anacinc I believe it is a matter of function or not as you suggest, if it's not making noise, is loose, or causing some other problem I would leave it alone and just replace the belt.

[@tishaallen1]

You are my new SUPERHERO!!! I pretty much knew how to do this, but your awesome video is so thorough and helped alieviate my nervousness...you will now be the "go to guy" when I need to make minor repairs or maintain my vehicle. THANKS!

[@ericthecarguy]

@Gravesyte Without hearing the noise it's impossible for me to tell for sure but I would be checking the belt tension since you just did work there.

[@ericthecarguy]

@EssedariusMaiestas The serpentine belt drives the accessories, alternator, power steering, and AC while the timing belt keeps the top part of the engine in time with the bottom part, 2 very different things. As for the Jetta you might want to check out the video I did on Diagnosing An Overheat as there are some practical tips on finding the source of an overheat condition.

[@ashiha13]

This is twice now you've greatly helped me out where no one else could. I ended up loosening the bolt that holds down the entire tensioner instead of noticing that there was a part to temporarily move the arm. Saw your video and noticed that there was that slot to move the arm, went back out and fixed it. All is well now thanks so much.

[@ericthecarguy]

@ActionFigureReview Glad you liked it, thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@JMGOODELL These are my favorite kind of comments. I was glad to help, thanks for taking the time to tell me.

[@xvrit]

Good job Eric. Stay active. You're much appreciated. Thank you!

[@Bigdaddyshaker]

My serpentine belt fell off on my s10 once on I 75 (junk pulley) stranded with no tools I took a ratchet strap hooked to the pulley and the wheel well and managed to get it back on lol worked great in a pinch also used a ratchet strap to keep my hood shut when the latch gave out on the same truck

[@TheWhoQuad]

Thank you - Watched your video, bought the belt and had it replaced within the hour (20 minutes actually replacing it). Long arms - did not need to get down and funky. Great video.

[@ericthecarguy]

@Quaid78 Glad you liked it, thanks for the comment.

[@99tdtdtd]

Excellent video presentation. Best I've seen. Thanks for taking the time to do these. I've been trying to fit my serpentine belt back on but it wont go!! I tied a 50 lb weight on it and hung it in my garage today. When i get home Im hoping for a little more room. My life sucks! lol

[@ericthecarguy]

@KNTRIDER Good point. I've also just cut them to get the old one off. Thanks for your comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@melagrosmagos Glad you liked it, thanks for the comment.

[@enveno1]

i really needed this video, the belt on my car slipped off when i was coming home, i fought my car home and looked for the cause of the problem, it wasnt hard to find..lol. the next thing i called a repair shop to see if they could help me, sure for 200.00, nope, i dont know about you, but i need all the money i can get. thank you so much for all the help.

[@ericthecarguy]

@theejock You might want to check the numbers on the belts new and old to make sure they match, you may have the wrong belt.

[@ericthecarguy]

@Bzgurl85 I love your comment, thank you so much for making it.

[@ericthecarguy]

@topcat1701d I'm happy to help, thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@Jcal022 It does but the tension is controlled by the tensioner itself, if it's not enough then the tensioner needs to be replaced.

[@ericthecarguy]

@theejock Not sure but checking the numbers is easy enough to do why not try that first?

[@JMGOODELL]

Thank you! I spent two hours trying to do this myself. Nowhere did anyone state that you put the socket wrench TIP in the tensioner hole. The most important detail was explained as "put a wrench to it" everywhere I looked. Thank you so much. 5 minutes after watching this the belt was on and the truck was running.

[@ericthecarguy]

@jdubdoubleu In my experience most serpentine belts are not routed through an engine mount but rather around it. If this is not the case however you can place a floor jack with a wood block under the engine to support it while you remove the engine mount to get to the belt.

[@importplus]

Your the Best Eric!! I was killing myself trying to crank the tensioner and did not know about the 3/8 ratchet hole on it. I'm handy but I'm a far cry from a mechanic. God Bless KZbin!! :)

[@ericthecarguy]

@ddurbin0789 Remember that the smooth side is for the back of the belt and the 'toothed' side goes into the ribbed pulleys. It may take some time to figure out the exact routing however but keep trying and you should be able to work it out. Good luck.

[@BasileaNate]

man...I just gotta say THANKS! to Eric the car guy, cuz this is like the dozeneth video of yours I've watched and its just super common sense and I have to say I REALLY appreciate these videos! keep up the good work!

[@julianorozco4847]

Man this guy is awesome and makes everything so much easier.

[@ericthecarguy]

@chrissyx456 I'm glad the video was helpful, thanks for your comment.

[@oreolainey]

yet another video to go with another successful repair, thanks Eric!

[@ericthecarguy]

@bbeaum1 No I don't but where can I get some of those they sound like fun.

[@ericthecarguy]

@HONDAxACURA Yea, that engine doesn't have a serpentine belt but rather conventional drive belts. I did cover replacing those belts in the full length timing belt video I have for sale on the ETCG website. Perhaps I will make a short version just covering replacement of the belts. Thanks for the comment.

[@Gibtom125]

Very informative Eric, thanks

[@ChrisUhlik]

You ROCK! Excellent video of a very difficult to see situation. Nice.

[@kansast]

Thank you so much for the time and effort of putting this video together. Got us over the hump and into a car that WORKS !!!!!!!!

[@tonyh1195]

Thanks Eric! Awesome videos for us beginners. Thank you for taking the time to show us how to do It!

[@ericthecarguy]

@robbydirtwater Glad you liked it, thanks for the comment.

[@haroldhensley8472]

Hey Eric thank you so much for the awesome video. This makes changing a belt so much easier.

[@LaDyLuCk909]

This was the best by far. Thank you Eric !!!

[@ericthecarguy]

@robsz1 Crankshaft problems are a priority, to de terming if it's the belts you might want to remove the belts and see if the wobble is still there, if it's gone you know it's the belts, if not then start by inspecting the harmonic balancer to see if the rubber inside of it has come apart, if it has replace it. If the vibration is on the crank this could be a real problem and the only real fix that I can think of is to replace it.

[@ericthecarguy]

@FrenchValleyAirport I recommend you watch the video I did on Belts and Pulleys for more information on that.

[@raymonddupree]

Thanks Eric. This was a MAJOR Pain in the ass but I couldn't have done it without THIS video !! Keep em' Comin' Bro ...Stay Dirty!!!

[@kontakt501]

thanks eric. yours is the best diy video about serpentine replacement. im gonna try it to save me $200 from a toyota dealer.

[@jononeil500]

Thank you, Eric. That was another great lesson.

[@ericthecarguy]

@kruelbutsweet I love saving people money, thanks so much for your comment I really appreciate it.

[@ericthecarguy]

@hudsonjamesc If they did that then how am I suppose to stay dirty?

[@catherinedear2691]

Eric man you’re the best online mechanic I’ve ever seen. Stay dirty lmao

[@ericthecarguy]

@paulbigwood Your most welcome, thanks for the comment.

Another informative video! Thanks Eric!

[@The_Mallard]

You kind of have that early 90's Michael Keaton humor about yourself. It makes it one of the easier videos to watch. Keep it up

[@ericthecarguy]

@Broewl As for resetting the tension this is really not possible with an automatic tensioner so I'm not sure what they are on about there. As for your spark plugs I did a video on how to get better access when working on a V6 engine, look through my videos for Quick Tip V6 Access.

[@davidlea4877]

thanks Eric very useful seems straight forward enough let you know when i have changed the belt on my citroen dispatch cheers

[@ericthecarguy]

@fastxsam Didn't think of that, great suggestion thanks.

[@Paul186]

Jeez, Eric. the best tutorial, yet. It was clear with good common sense tips. You're a guy who humbles PhD's who come in with their nose in air.

[@emsbryan1]

Thank god for You Tube and people like Eric. Thank you Eric for the tips

[@anthonyjpatti]

I like your style Eric. Nice video. I always document everything with a camera before I get started. It's amazing that everyone is carrying around a high def camera in their pocket but they don't use it for stuff like this.

[@peterromsky7405]

Thanks Eric being a former trade school student 27 years ago and now a instructor at my old trade school the technology

[@fsback1965]

Yet another great helpful video - lots of good info and advice. You saved me lots of time and wasted energy once again, you rock!!

[@ericthecarguy]

@mrjost55 I'm of the opinion that if it's not cracked or making noise leave it alone. I don't do pricing, sorry.

[@ericthecarguy]

@snoopdogie187 Sounds like you might need a new tensioner, it's not uncommon especially after changing a belt. They sometimes have a tendency to break after being moved from where they have been used to living when replacing a belt.

[@tinydx95t2]

Great video as usual. I love the comment you made bout contorting in painful positions and it's what makes being a mechanic fun. I remember those days. Some times you were bawled up like a pretzel just to get to a bolt that was fine thread and 500ft longer than it needed to be. Yes thats the life of a automotive tech. I love the videos and hope you stay dirty Eric. Thanks again for being here for everyone!

[@er1ckk55]

your videos have saved me a boat load of cash! I greatly thank you!

[@ericthecarguy]

@GREENCARD2734 Pretty much the same procedure, just look for the belt sticker and follow the routing and you should be fine.

[@ericthecarguy]

@davidzzz94 Not necessarily, some models come without AC from the factory.

[@dpl0711]

Thanks for the tips. . Just did a e150 ford van. Lots of fun.

[@Lockemeister]

Excellent video. Thanks. You want people to be able to think it through. You're an excellent instructor.

[@ericthecarguy]

@charrotejano123 Your most welcome, thanks for the comment.

[@shekiahdelaney]

single mom here. cant afford a mechanic, labor kills! i am def going to look at my car and see if i can do this. this video was super helpful

[@xYouthAttackx]

Shekiah Delaney it's a pain but it's doable. Mine took about 30 minutes with all the right tools.

[@limwang75]

U can do it i have faith in you

[@shaunpmarshall]

Shekiah Delaney ...marrying me would help.

[@alexandriaortega4116]

Shekiah Delaney could you do it because I’m in the same situation right here

[@jinglejazz7537]

HOWDY ERICTHECARGUY...I have a 92 crown vic lx, with 280,000kms on it. had the throttle sticking problem, didn't know what it was causing it to hesitate and even stall on the QE2 in Alberta. Saw your vid, man that throttle was completely covered in thick gunk, cleaned it out like you showed, and it works great now, now I have to change the belt, followed your instructions, another triumph, thanks eh!

[@matdaddy63]

Always to my rescue ! Thanks for another great video!

[@esalazartoday]

thanks so much for your time and it helped out

[@akhan3682]

super informative - thanks for producing and sharing this video

[@ericthecarguy]

@davidzzz94 They make belts for engines without AC that are shorter.

[@popoqwer]

Eric in one of my life's greatest mentors

[@Newts1996]

Eric, Thanks a bunch! I watched several other vids on here and yours made the most sense. I also like that you show the pain in the butt stuff like getting around spots that are tight, etc. Other vids make it look too easy. Just changed my belt in about 15-20mins, local garage wanted to charge me 100 bucks!

[@ericthecarguy]

@BJZnRPZ As for my videos I'm kind of a slave to what comes into the shop but the next time I get one of those in I'll do what I can to make a video for you. I usually go at them from under the car as I've found this to be the easiest way to get to those back plugs.

[@harrietmall1053]

Thank you so much this was so easy to follow and your tips were extremely helpful. . . .

[@DarthTortoise]

Thanks for the reply! I found and downloaded the service manual but where I got confused was when it said to insert the square end of a breaker bar into the tensioner but as I mentioned, it's a nut inside the pulley instead of a square space. I put a wrench on the nut and turned it counter clockwise and the belt loosened so I'm assuming that's the tension pulley.

[@beebop7442]

thanks Eric , so well explained that even I understood it !

[@ericthecarguy]

@robsz1 I'm not sure I understand the question as even with that type of belt they still line up the same. Perhaps I'm missing something sorry.

[@WendeeSBoling]

I found this video by accident.. And boy and I glad.. I think I am in love with this guy... He's awesome!!