Thread: changing td5 serpentine belt

Originally Posted by simonr23

is this hard to do by myself? rave says to remove the viscous fan and then just levering the tensioner.but that(the fan) seems like something in my too hard basket. can it be done with swearing, ruined knuckles and in the end taking twice as long, by myself, while leaving everything as it is? in other words, can it be done the aussie way?

mine is starting to slip a teency bit, so i might as well change it. also is $58 a fair price for a non ACE belt?

thanks.

all you need is a long ring spanner for the tensioner and it can be done without removing the fan. whilst i have done it myself it is easier with two people. don't know about the price, can't find the recipt for the last one.

Simon,

IF you want to remove the fan, use a 36mm open ended spanner, ground thinner to clear the fan hub bolt heads.
It is a normal RH thread, so undo Anticlockwise. (Unlike the Tdi and early 'non serpentine' V8's, which are LH thread.)
It is TIGHT if it hasn't been removed for a long while, and will require the end of the spanner to be gratuiticiously (sp?) belted with a decent hammer to undo.
You CAN change the belt without removing the fan but it is fiddly. A 15mm long handled ring spanner will be req for the tensioner.
I would suggest removing the fan anyway, as there are times when you WILL need to get it off, IE main belt tensioner replacement etc, and it is best done early on and refitted gently with antisieze on the thread to make it easier next time
$58 is good for a non ACE belt.
JC

It was in my to hard basket. I got it done today aswell as new tensioner.

thanks guys.

aaron, what did the workshop charge to do it for u?

i dont have any sort of grinder to "tin out" a spanner, nor a 36mm spanner come to think of it, so if i did it, it'd be with the fan on.

if it's likely to be a long job for me to do this way, i may take it to a garage too.

Hard to say because I got other stuff done (engine diagnostics - new air flow meter - fix squeeky clutch peddal -inspect oil leak and install the new tensioner and belt)

The belt I got for 49 and tensioner 145. Labour I guess would be one hour at $88 (only guessing though). Otheres here should be able to tell you how long it would take. Dont forget to keep your old stuff as spares.

Should take about 30 minutes, BUT I have struggled with fans on these blighters for about that long alone

If they have problems getting the fan off, then yes, an hour is possible.
(Fan has to come off to get the tensioner off)


JC

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/602344-post12.html

thats the link to how I did it on big red, shes a deefer though so Im sure your mileage will vary...