C5 Drive Belt IDLER Pulley

[ToolGuy]

GM says this on wear, but no where did I find it should be replaced every time it's removed from the vehicle.

Information on Serpentine Belt Wear
2004 and Prior Passenger Cars and Trucks

2003-2004 and Prior HUMMER H2

All current GM vehicles designed and manufactured in North America were assembled with serpentine belts that are made with an EPDM material and should last the life of the vehicle. It is extremely rare to observe any cracks in EPDM belts and it is not expected that they will require maintenance before 10 years or 240,000 km (150,000 mi) of use.

Older style belts, which were manufactured with a chloroprene compound, may exhibit cracks depending on age. However, the onset of cracking typically signals that the belt is only about halfway through its usable life.

A good rule of thumb for chloroprene-based belts is that if cracks are observed 3 mm (1/8 in) apart, ALL AROUND THE BELT, the belt may be reaching the end of its serviceable life and should be considered a candidate for changing. Small cracks spaced at greater intervals should not be considered as indicative that the belt needs changing.

Any belt that exhibits chunking should be replaced.

[markw8]

Good info Tool Guy.

Mark

[@lien@ted]

Originally Posted by ToolGuy

Yes on #1. The AC compressor wont care it's not spinning.

OK, got ya. I'm taking that bad boy off first thing in the morning...tired of listening to the cricket village underneath my hood. In the meantime, I ordered a Gates AC tensionser assy. w/pulley and an idler pulley as well. Thanks for the band-aid as I wait.

Originally Posted by ToolGuy

For #2, I've never heard this myself and don't understand the logic. Why replace a perfectly good belt just because you had to take it off the car? Are these belt manf that you are talking to? (kidding of course)I've never done this.

LOL! Naw, they weren't manufacturers, but you would think they were based on the sermons they preached. It didn't make sense to me either (certainly not economically), but I had heard that if you change a bad pulley and/or a pulley accessory, then by default the belt was likely negatively affected by that bad pulley and/or accessory.

Originally Posted by ToolGuy

GM says this on wear, but no where did I find it should be replaced every time it's removed from the vehicle.

Information on Serpentine Belt Wear
2004 and Prior Passenger Cars and Trucks

2003-2004 and Prior HUMMER H2

All current GM vehicles designed and manufactured in North America were assembled with serpentine belts that are made with an EPDM material and should last the life of the vehicle. It is extremely rare to observe any cracks in EPDM belts and it is not expected that they will require maintenance before 10 years or 240,000 km (150,000 mi) of use.

Older style belts, which were manufactured with a chloroprene compound, may exhibit cracks depending on age. However, the onset of cracking typically signals that the belt is only about halfway through its usable life.

A good rule of thumb for chloroprene-based belts is that if cracks are observed 3 mm (1/8 in) apart, ALL AROUND THE BELT, the belt may be reaching the end of its serviceable life and should be considered a candidate for changing. Small cracks spaced at greater intervals should not be considered as indicative that the belt needs changing.

Any belt that exhibits chunking should be replaced.

Wow! You wouldn't think that ANY part would be manufactured to last for the life of the vehicle. That is a pretty darn good deal. I have changed my belt a couple of times over the years. In hindsight, I was changing belts when I needed to be changing accessories solely. At any rate, this is very interesting information that you discovered, Tool Guy. Thank you for your time and consideration, Sir.

Very shortly, the entire drive belt and AC belt system will have been replaced by yours truly. Next, I plan on buying a GM compressor and/or an AC clutch.

My AC just went "thunk" and blows no air. I have been told that it is either the AC compressor or the AC clutch. Gotta find a way to diagnose...paging all techs! Any ideas?

Thanks, TG and Co.

[ToolGuy]

Originally Posted by @lien@ted

My AC just went "thunk" and blows no air. I have been told that it is either the AC compressor or the AC clutch. Gotta find a way to diagnose...paging all techs! Any ideas?

Thanks, TG and Co.[/B]

Your welcome!

Regarding the AC. Start the car, and look under the hood watching the compressor. Have someone else turn the AC on, you watch the clutch and check to see if it engages. If it does, you know the clutch is working.

Another test is with the engine off, pull off the electrical connector at the compressor. Using a 12volt test light, or make your own out of some wire, socket, and an old bulb, connect the two wire leads to the end of the connector. Route everything away form the engine of course.

Start the car and turn the AC on. If the bulb lights, you know you are getting power to the compressor too and the clutch should be engaging.

Both tests are similar in nature...

[@lien@ted]

Well, for the time being, I have been running without it, however, at this point, I am eager to try this diagnostic procedure of yours. I am certain that it will gain me some sleep and perhaps save me some money in labor as well. Thanks, so much. And here I was preparing just to buy the dang compressor and clutch and replace it all... Much thanks, again, Sir.

[dougelam]

Originally Posted by @lien@ted

(2) Why do some "experts" deem it to be imperative that you replace the Serpentine belt any time that you remove it from the system regardless of whether it is worn or not? I have heard multiple gearheads state that any time you take the serpentine belt off, then it is no longer any good. As such, don't put it back on.[/B]

What you heard are techs that replace anything that is in their hands as opposed to putting it back on making them more money and/or they probably missed a bad one during a prior repair and it came back to bite them in the ass, IE Pissed off customer

As for listing to an "expert", define expert?

A "pert" is someone that is learning a trade and when he thinks he is done learning and knows it all he then considers himself an Ex-pert

[vettespur]

I would of stayed with the genuine GM belt, I had to take my gates belt off as it was chirping at high speed shift points.

[@lien@ted]

The Gates Micro-V has been as quiet as can be for me. I have ran the GM, the GoodYear Gatorback, and the Gates and the Gates has been what has worked best for me. You wouldn't think that a belt would make that much of a difference, but I did notice a difference with the Gates as I hear absolutely nothing that I am not supposed to - fwiw.