Replacing F-150 serpentine belt.

[ScottAR]

Sometimes it's nice to have a belt tensioner tool. Basicly a long piece of flat
stock with a square drive on the end. Gives plenty of leverage. Most of the time a regular breaker bar will work but sometimes it's too tight. Should be around $20 to buy or about the same deposit on a loaner.

 

[AlanB]

I have gotten too the point where when I notice something like that, I just go ahead and change it, because if I don't, it is garuanteed to break at the most inopportune moment.

That said, they are usually pretty straight forward, make dang sure, the diagram is there, or draw you an excellent one, or a digital pic.

Figuring one out without a diagram, and especially a period of time later, can be extremely trying.

 

[mjarrels]

I had mine changed at Pep boys several years ago, I think the bill was about 120.00 for belt and labor.

mark

 

[Bird]

I just go ahead and change it, because if I don't, it is garuanteed to break at the most inopportune moment.

That's one way to do it. The other way is to buy a spare and put it behind the seat and have the necessary tool(s) in the vehicle and it'll never break. I carried a spare when RVing for 60k miles and it was still in the truck, under the seat, when I got rid of the truck.

 

[mjarrels]

Bird... I'm like you and always have stuff under or behind the seat. I don't change cars and trucks very often and when I do, it's like Christmas all over when I start cleaning out the old and putting in the new vehicle.

mark

 

[dbdartman]

'94 F-150 5.0. I don't think it took 5 minutes, but it may have, I don't really remember (& it was only last summer ). All I can really say with any certainty is there wasn't any drama involved, but an extra hand to hold the tensioner is ALWAYS helpful. I always "exercise" the tensioner after removing the old belt. Sometimes they can be a little stiff.

 

[Jimmyp5]

I have a 99 F150 4x4 5.4 engine, etc... same set up as yours. The routing is on a template on the right side. Being ****, about belts when out hunting in the middle of nowhere I kept spares of most parts around. You get the picture, in the middle of Sandia National Forest on a elk hunt, I manged to change the belt in 30 - 45 minutes as I recall, normal tools and all the distraction of the darn elk of course bugling and of course laughing at me changing it out in a snow storm!

 

[Bird]

Half ton pickups with gasoline engines shouldn't be too bad, but my brother came by yesterday to show me his new 2008 F550 Powerstroke and I couldn't even see if had a fan or serpentine belt there was so much stuff crammed under the hood. I'm sure glad I'm not ever going to be changing that one.

 

[TwinWillows]

I just replaced the S belt on our Tahoe. It was very easy. I used a large pair of waterpump pliers to twist the belt tensioner so that I could remove the old belt. The way mine was routed I did not have to remove anything. I slipped the new one into place on all the pulleys & then used the water pump pliers to twist the tensioner & - done. I ended up replacing the tensioner pulley a little later. Both jobs did not take over 20 min total. The belt was someting like $40 from Advance Auto. I think the pulley was $9...

 

[N80]

There is a diagram on the fan shroud showing the belt route. The fan shroud really is in the way but it looks like it might be harder to remove than just working around it.

So, I'm going to do it myself.....but to be honest, I'm not sure what the belt tensioner looks like. There is a gadget to the left that has a short arm and a pulley wheel on it so I'm assuming that's it. In any case, I'll give it a try. What's the worst that can happen? Don't answer that, BTDT.

I wasn't able to enlist my mechanic this weekend since I was helping him work cows, but it doesn't sound like the second set of hands need be talented hands so I'll enlist my 16 year old son.

I've heard folks say its about a $150 job at a shop so I'm definitely going to do it myself.

Thanks guys.

I'll let you know how it turns out.....and maybe how much a local wrecker tow costs these days!

(I've actually done a good bit of basic engine work in the past, changing water pumps, swapping carbs, changing belts,adjusting valves, bolting on headers, etc.....but that was years ago and before these complicated egnines stuffed into cramped compartments.)