Help changing 308 gtsi water pump belt.

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

So first loosen all three nuts; two on slide adjuster (2nd pic is it off my car you will see it behind coolant down tube) and one on pivot. The pivot actually is a long bolt, it can spin when trying to retighten, so you will need to hold it with a second wrench if its too loose - from below.

This is not a hard job, but it is a bit of a pain the first time. You also will need a long screwdriver or pry bar to put tension on the top of the alternator to tighten the belt - wrap it in duct tape to prevent maring, if you're crazy like me. But I actually have a piece of hardwood I use.

Good luck. It's not that bad.

 

Have you spun the water pump pulley and alternator pulley by hand to see how they "feel"? (V-belts don't "squeak then shred" on their own...)

 

Mine did sfter a major service from a ferrari dealer. The morons pushed the water down tube in too far and it rubbed against the belt, melted it and left me stranded 30 miles from home. I never, ever have taken my car to a dealer since, after they fixed it.

Also it may have come a bit loose. That belt needs some tension or it will slip, not like an old chevy or such.

Was it ever changed? If so, how long ago. But you're right make sure everything is spinning freely.

 

Is the car on a lift or jack stands?

Either way, with a light look for the back side of the 2 bolts; one for pivot and the other is the pinch bolt which you tighten to retain tension. I'm pretty sure you can get to them maybe not directly below but from the underside of the car, possibly coming down on it from below. Or maybe, I'm getting older and memory is not what it use to be, you may first have to remove the 2 pieces of stainless shielding. Anyway it's not that hard. If you're not comfortable, try and find someone who will give you a hand and has done it before.

 

Best to remove the RR wheel and RR wheel well liner (as well as being up on jack stands) to the work IMO as shown in dwhite's picture.

 

As per dwhite's picture, you will need to loosen the pivot bolt, too (i.e., all three shown in his photos of post #3).

 

The curved slot in the slide bracket does not always match the path of the bolt at 2 o'clock as the alternator is pivoted (i.e., the slide bracket may need to rotate about the bolt at 11 o'clock). You can try it without loosening the bolt at 11 o'clock, but might restrict rotating the alternator around the pivot bolt.

 

You don't remove any of these bolts/nuts -- you just loosen them.

 

Correct what Syeve is saying, the one bolt does hold on bracket, but you might not be able to swing the alt with it tight. It is the easiest, as it is a nut on a stud. You will get it, just keep at it. The first time is where you figure things out, the second is 1/2 the time, the 3rd you are helping others.

If you just loosen them just enough to get the alt to move, you might get lucky and not have to hold the back side. The nut which pinches the slide adjustment, I use a swivel socket or if you have a 17mm flex head ratchet wrench I have used one also.