Thread: Fan belt replacement and Exhaust header squeal

So I had a squeal comming from the engine bay that I was sure was the fan belt.

Without any research, I went about replacing it as I have 2 spares and the current one was very well cracked. Why 2 spares, well I received a heap of spares with the vehicle but half the stuff turned out to be Defender parts and I wasn't sure the belt was for my Discovery.

As I didn't research how to change the belt, I used the correct size spanner to move the tensioner away from the belt and the old one came off over the top pulley easily enough. When trying to install the new one I have taken what feels like half the skin of my hands and still didn't get the belt on.

After a quick read of the forum, I found it much easier to remove the fan (I have the spanner 36mm?), cable tie the spanner holding the tensioner pulley off and then use 2 hands to slip the belt under the fan pulley. This worked first go with very little struggle or anymore skin off my hands.

Then the squeal didn't go away.

Further reading suggested I check the exhaust manifold for a leak. What do you know, I find soot all around the manifold under the turbo heat sheild.

Moral of this story is the longer way of changing the fan belt was actually shorter and easier. Even though you think you know what the sound is, it might not be and most of all, do a little research on how to do something before jumping in and doing it the same way you always have.

I have said this before and it's why it's taken me so long to like my Land Rover. They are unconventional and not like most other vehicles. In any other vehicle that noise would be the fan belt, in the Land Rover, it's the manifold. In most other vehicles, you could change the belt without removing the fan but not in a Land Rover. I'm just getting used to it being different. Before I would swear and curse that I have to take the fan off to replace the fan belt, now I kick myself for not checking first.

Happy Days.

They probably end up on a backload heading south. (Or they are still running).... (-;