tips/tricks to refit a/c compressor belt

car: 308gt4

While installing Electromotive timing wheel on the harmonic balancer/damper I have removed the alternator and A/c belts. The A/c belt needed the 3 tensioning bolts on the (car) front side fully slacked off to squeeze the belt of the damper pulley.

With the timing wheel in place, its time to reinstall the belts and I am hoping someone has a good trick for getting the a/c belt back on. The larger pulley is on the compressor and is obstructed by other hardware and the compressor casing sheilds the belt on - ie just where you might want to lever it on there is no access.

Tried also fitting it on the compressor pulley in the correct groove, then trying to slip it over the damper pulley but I seem to be far off getting it slipped over. And levering it over just seemed to be asking for the lever to fly into my face.

I have tried a little car wash liquid as a lubricant and tried removing the tensioner to get a little more slack/movement (didnt gain anything there I dont think).

I have searched the archives many times but havent come up with a thread/post to help.

Would be pleased if anyone would be so kind to share their compressor belt fitting tips and tricks!

 

Bump!

no tips on what I guess is the simple task of refitting the a/c compressor belt?

Do I need to take the compressor off its mounts to get the extra slack needed to get over both pulley's?

Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks guys,

Yep belt is off now time to put it back on.

GT4 has two accessory belts - alternator and A/c compressor, ac compressor being the first one on, last one off.

Original York compressor where its casting covers the top/front 1/3 of the pulley when looking down, which limits say getting the belt on the edge of the pulley and rolling it into position.

The three adjustment bolts on the front of the compressor are slacked off and the compressor is pretty much slid down to its maximum, ie as close to the crank pulley without actually semi removing the compressor.

In my experience, when the smaller crank pulley has much greater valley (ie you need to get the belt over the high part of the pulley) than the larger compressor pulley, I would tend to get the small one on first, then work it on to the larger pulley (maybe by turning it until it hops in, like you do with a derailed chain on a bicycle). But with a free wheeling large pulley and the lack of access thats a challenge.

Doing it in reverse, ie big pulley first then levering it over the crank pulley feels like an invitation to hurt myself.

 

Finally a win. Both auxiliary belts back on.

No trick as such but i got the ac belt back on as follows.

The 3 tensioner bolts on the (car) front side of the condenser slacked off to lower the condenser as far possible. You probably already did this to get the belt off. Reach in from the engine bay hood side. 17mm ratchet wrench would be ideal as you cant get a socket wrench over the lower one.

Make a note of how far they are each tightened (i just looked at how much bolt was protruding from the nut) so that you re-tension to the same point and get the alignment of the crank pulley wheel and the condenser wheel right.

Removed the tensioner wheel (not sure if that helped but..)

Fit the belt over the crank pulley wheel - ie the engine side - first.

Then begin fitting the belt on the outer edge of the condenser wheel, and squeeze the belt into the belt valley starting at the bottom of the wheel. I found i could get the belt correctly seated into about 1/4 of the V. Further than that, and the condenser's casting covers the belt ie, no vision and no access.

This was accomplished while lying under the car from the side head first. Access is pretty poor on a Gt4.

Next i stood so i was again looking down into the engine bay.

Looking at the top of the condenser pulley wheel, the belt should be sitting on the flat outer edge of the wheel.

Using two long flat headed screwdrivers i began gently levering and holding the belt into the V, moving from the back of the car toward the front. At this point, the belt is in the V where the belt enters and exit the pulley, but isnt seated through the hidden from view, full half circle of the belts path.

However, once about 1-2 inches of the top part of the belt was in the V at the top, that remaining section jumped in!

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

From there its refit the tensioner wheel (i just refit it to the previous marks made by the nut on the wheel).

Then using you 17mm wrench gradually tighten those 3 tensioner bolts back to where they were. As the condenser rises and tightens the belt is tensioned.

Dont forget to tighten the 2 bolts beside the tensioner wheel that partially affix the condenser to the block - you will probably have slacked them off when removing the belt.

The car is a few days off starting but i assume a tweak on the a/c belt tensioner should take care of any squeals.

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