Thread: My easy, not professional belt removal

So had to replace the alt. a few days ago and I was not looking forward to taking the belt on and off, I found running a 15mm wrench under the top pulley (waterpump?) and popped the belt off no problem, then I knew I was screwed when it had to go back on, but to my surprise snapped back on no problem. And NO, I did not hurt the belt or pulley, almost my finger but nothing else. And this was in a -45 windchill so the belt wasn't extra stretchy or anything. Just my little advise for other to benefit from

what's hard about taking the belt off? all the effort you spent prying it off you coulda just used the tensioner.

No signs of belt slipping, and have you seen the ls4 tensioner? No thank you in that weather

Originally Posted by brandonl2000

what's hard about taking the belt off? all the effort you spent prying it off you coulda just used the tensioner.

Using the tensioner is all fine and dandy if you have the $150 specialty tool to do it... There is MAYBE a half inch of room between the pulley/belt and the inside of the wheel well/strut tower and no regular serp tool works. The method I've had to use is putting hose clamps around the spring mounts on the tensioner to relieve tension which after googling I found that method on LS1tech. I wouldn't be prying a serp belt off that I planned on reusing though.

Like I said easy but not professional lol and in -45 I was in a 'get this shot done' mood

no kidding... did not know that about the ls4

I've gotta replace my water pump soon so I'll be doing it again here pretty shortly myself. That thing has been making all kinds of racket for about 3-4k miles now lol

Here's the link with a pic how to do it with the hose clamps

http://ls1tech.com/forums/ls4-perfor...tine-belt.html

Thanks, ya in my garage I have the time and comfort for that, and the dumb part of this was that my alt was failing and then working for about a week. Procrastination kicked me in the a$$ again

Originally Posted by fisher580

Like I said easy but not professional lol and in -45 I was in a 'get this shot done' mood

I hear ya, I actually slid my GXP into a curb and broke the wheel off about a month ago when it was like 4 degrees. Street was total sheet of ice and I just tapped the brakes and the thing went sideways lol. The wheel bearing snapped and took the rotor with it(shattered in 4-5 pieces) which cracked the caliper bracket, and the wheel tucked back under the car which the weight of the car sitting on the wheel bent the trailing arm and both lateral arms. Don't have a garage so I not only had to pull some parts at pullapart in the snow but lay in my snow covered gravel driveway to do the repairs. That's what I get though, I had just been bragging about knowing how to drive in snow so well since I'm from Michigan. But this ice crap we get here is nothing like it, gotta use a bat and prybar to get into the car due to over a half inch of ice buildup covering the entire thing lol.

Didn't damage the wheel at all suprisingly, musta just been so cold and brittle or a defect in that wheel bearing the way it happened...

I'm guessing that was the same ice storm we got, I'm a tow truck driver and thankfully wasn't on call that night

LOL my tow cost more than all the repairs, that dude raped my ass dry style. I have a 20' steel flatbed trailer but didn't think I could get it up there with the wheel broke off. Plus would have been a few hours in drive time(without ice) going home to get my truck then to where the trailer is and I didn't wanna drive ANYWHERE after that lol