09CPTN

iTrader: (5)

So, I have a squeak coming from under my hood, and I think it's the belts. I'm planning to change both belts. A friend told me that it's easy to do, but he's a mechanic. I am not. Can most people change the belts without much difficulty, or should I pay a pro to do it? Do I also need to replace the tensioner? If so, what is the procedure for that and how difficult is it? Thanks for helping!

09CPTN

iTrader: (5)

Also, the reason why I suspect the belts is because I've put close to 60,000 miles on the car and haven't changed the belts yet.

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

Belt change on LS1 is VERY easy.

Remove the airbox, release the tensioner with a 15mm wrench, and the belt falls off.

When you put the new one on, do the water pump last. If you forget where the belt is routed, there is a pic on the driver's side inner fender.

AC belt is even easier to change (once the main drive belt is off).

09CPTN

iTrader: (5)

Cool, I guess I'll give this a go then. Routing is fairly easy? Is it also advisable to change the pullies? If so, is that easy as well? Also, what brands would you recommend?

sscamaroburn02

iTrader: (14)

yes, belts are very easy on these cars. shouldn't take more than 30 minutes if that

09CPTN

iTrader: (5)

Well, easy isn't the word I'd choose for this job. I got the upper airbox off and the serpentine belt, I can loosen the a/c belt tensioner but can't seem to see how to get it off. Am I missing something here? There's so much stuff in the way.

sscamaroburn02

iTrader: (14)

I don't believe so. You should be able to just change the belt. I'll have to look at my car tonight and see how it looks. maybe I could help you.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

belts are a 2 min job......taken them off so many times......i had the "squeak" it was not the belt........was pulleys......changed ALL the pulleys......its all good

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I wouldn't change the pullies unless you find that the noise is still there after the belt change. Sounds like your belts are old, so it might just be that.

If it turns out that the noise is still there with the new belts, then the most likely pullies to make the noise would be idler pullies or tensioner pullies (both the A/C and the main system have these pullies). At that point, you need to pull both belts again, and only reinstall the main belt (leave the A/C belt off). Now run the motor again, if the sound is still there you know it's in the main system, if it's gone you know it's in the A/C system.

If you end up having to change tensioner or idler pullies, that's really not a hard job either. The belt swap should have taken you about 5 mins. Were you working from the top or the bottom to try and remove the A/C belt? I've always done the A/C belt from underneath the car, it's been a while since I've done one but I don't remember having any troubles at all.

98pontiac

FYI to check it is a belt or a pulley, turn the car on, and spray the belt with penatrating oil. If the squeek goes away, its the belt, if it down not, its a pulley... 2 second test, just an fyi for the do it yourselfers.

myk

iTrader: (4)

It really isn't that bad. Take a step back, look at it carefully, then try again. BTW if you wanna talk about difficult belt changes, try one on a G35...

99monguse

I have to replace the belts on my 98 Z28 as one of them is noisey as hell. I also had to replace them on my 01 Suburban. I went through a set of DAYCO and DELCO belts on my truck...both brands were garbage. I ended up going with Goodyear GATORBACK belts and haven't had any issues at all since!

THE SHOP

Its not really a brand thing...

THE SHOP

And he can do the same to each pulley to see which one quiets down while being sprayed.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

A little tidbit for you......the factory tensioner is another one of GM's dumbass designs, its a terrible part.

If you have the money, buy the Katech fixed tensioner.

The factory belt tensioner bounces because its spring loaded. That does two things:
1) It throws belts off when the throttle is hit hard....mostly on modded cars.

2) It kills and wears out belts WAY before they should. It does that by constantly stretching it while you're driving from the constant bouncing.


When I got my 427ci put in and a couple weeks later when I finally went WOT after break-in......the damn belt came off. I got the Katech tensioner and a new belt......that was in 2002. I have the same belt and it looks 100% perfect and it hasen't stretched one millimeter, my tensioner is set in the same exact place. If they don't bounce, they don't stretch.

If you see a factory tensioner and a brand new belt....you can see where the indicator on the tensioner sits, nice and tight. After just 4-6 months you can see the indicator starts to move as the belt stretches.

Mine is 8 years old and just might last another 8 years. My A/C belt has been changed twice because of stetching since then, because they don't make a fixed tensioner for that belt and they bounce just like the main tensioner.

As far as changing the main belt....it takes 2 minutes and I don't take my air lid off to do it. The A/C belt below takes about 4 minutes.

.

99monguse

Well..I went through two sets of AC-DELCO belts and one set of DAYCO, all three were no good. I got the GATORBACKs and haven't had any problems, so I guess I just managed to get two sets of delcos and 1 set of DAYCO that were no good.

THE SHOP

Well that is odd LS6427 because I do not believe your theory on "bouncing around" even though its sounds like a great theory, you go through belts every 30k 60k? Are you really that worried about buying a after market tensioner? The OP is complaining about a squeaky belt, replace the belt and if a tensioner is bouncing around its time for a new one, he has a factory car he doesn't need to retension his belt every time its loose.
Just to throw a wrench in you Gm sucks theory below from katech website.

"The KP adjustable belt tensioner is static and therefore requires maintenance, as belts stretch during service and a static tensioner will not take up the slack created."

slt200mph

iTrader: (42)

I replaced both belts when doing cam/heads swaps at 80,000 miles and then again at 130,000 and now at 205,000 + miles the belts still look good and make no noise...I am still using the belt tentioner that came on the car new...I would have to differ with MR. LS6427's opinion the OEM GM belt tentioner seems like a pretty good part to me after 205,000 + miles and it still performs like it did when new....I have shifted this car countless times at 7,000 rpms and have never thrown a belt ...

09CPTN

iTrader: (5)

Got the belts changed with my dad's help. Just needed an extra set of hands. The main belt was old, but it was a gatorback. The A/C belt was factory-style, so it may have been original. Looked like hell. I thought about the Katech tensioner cause it looks cool as hell, but I'm only lightly modded, and I'm a broke grad student, so I don't have $120 to just throw around. Thanks for all the help and support though, LS1Tech!

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

You failed, once again, to see my point. My belt has ~140,000 miles and still looks like new and has NOT stretched a single millimeter.

The bouncing does stretch belts, plain and simple. If rubber is contanty being pulled tight, then slacked, then pulled tight and so and so on....the damn thing gets stretced. Any moron knows that rubber will stretch if you do that to it.

And again.....you WILL NOT go throuigh belts every 30K-60K if you se a fixed tensioner. Mine is ~140K, thats not a fluke.

.