anyone know where to get a belt between 89.0 and 89.5 inches?

greg@berkeley · Jun 2, 2004

i'm sick of my tensioner bumping agaist the stop because my 89.5 inch belt is too long, but i can't seem to find a belt between 88-7/8ths and 89.5. the 88-7/8ths belt isn't close to fitting. i need something around 89.1-89.3 i think.

anyone know where i could find a belt that might work? I've tried napa, autozone, autovalue, and hedahls, and ford told me they can't simply look up a belt lenth; they need to know the car for which it fits stock.

i don't really want to take my march underdrive pulleys off, and i even checked to see if simply swapping the stock alternator pulley back on would work. it wouldn't.

the other solution is to put on a smaller idler pulley. i don't want to simply bypass the idler pulley. anyone know where to get a idler pulley 3" or less in diameter? stock diameter is about 3.75"...

ponypowa2 · Jun 2, 2004

sdf

I ran into the same problem as you with my mac underdrive pulleys. Instead of hunting around for a belt that size (which would take decades), I took the pulley off and grinded some of it away. Now it does not tap, and the sound is virtually gone. Ive been through so many belts..

94DreamGT · Jun 3, 2004

They don't make one...at least I couldn't find one and I searched forever.

89.5" was too long for me...I ended up using the 88 7/8" and making it fit. It WILL stretch, and I had to pre-stretch it and use A LOT of muscle to get it on the first time. Since its been on, its stretched even more and is pretty easy to get on and off.

Hope this helps.

YEAHLOH95 · Jun 3, 2004

yep that s what i was going to tell you to do put the smaller one on what ever it takes and it will strech after a little while .

Adrenalin · Jun 3, 2004

I remember seeing another post on belt size in which I had said I had a 89.5 and it worked fine, then someone told me that my 89.5" belt was too long for them w/ a similar set up. I had replied and stated that the 89.5" belt worked perfect for me and even if it stretched a half inch or so I should still be alright. Well I need a shoehorn!

My belt has indeed stretched and squeels everytime on startup. It does eventually stop squeeling but the belt is obviously too big now. I think I will try the 88 7/8" belt if I can find one.

Question is, when I went to the parts store, Discount Autoparts, their belt sizes only came in half inch increments.

Where did you get your 88 7/8" belt from?

greg@berkeley · Jun 3, 2004

thanks for the replies, guys. i tried the 88 7/8" belt with the tensioner all the way to the opposite stop, and it wouldn't go. maybe there's a little difference between the mac pulleys and the march pulleys that i have. there was no way the belt would go unless it was stretched quite a bit. any strategy on stretching the belt?

i'm still looking for a smaller idler pulley. think they make smaller idler pulleys for other ford cars that would fit on ours?

greg@berkeley · Jun 4, 2004

iwashmycar · Jun 4, 2004

If it helps....try and slide the belt on the water pump pulley (smooth), rather than over a pulley with a lip.
It still takes a struggle but the 887 worked fine.
At first I was trying to get it on the alternator pulley, and thought it was way to short.

greg@berkeley · Jun 4, 2004

iwashmycar said:
If it helps....try and slide the belt on the water pump pulley (smooth), rather than over a pulley with a lip.
It still takes a struggle but the 887 worked fine.
At first I was trying to get it on the alternator pulley, and thought it was way to short.

i tried that. it really isn't close enough to even try to muscle on...i'm thinking my march pulleys are making it a little more difficult compared to mac pulleys.

ponypowa2 · Jun 4, 2004

sdf

dude, my mac pulleys were just as difficult... i had to grind away some of the metal (the part that was tapping) and problem solved.

greg@berkeley · Jun 5, 2004

ponypowa2 said:
dude, my mac pulleys were just as difficult... i had to grind away some of the metal (the part that was tapping) and problem solved.

that doesn't seem like a very good solution. there's a reason the tensioner has stops for being too loose or too tight. instead of grinding away some metal so that it can be that loose, i would rather get the belt to have the right tightness...that is, if it is possible.

does your belt seem too loose? how much did you grind off?

5.0 from 95 · Jun 5, 2004

NAPA here in BFE had a 88 7/8, 89 1/8, and 89 5/8. It took me about 4 trips and 3 days but I finally got my size right.

Paul

greg@berkeley · Jun 5, 2004

5.0 from 95 said:
NAPA here in BFE had a 88 7/8, 89 1/8, and 89 5/8. It took me about 4 trips and 3 days but I finally got my size right.

Paul

seriously!?!? i'll have to give my napa another call. they told me they couldn't get anything between 88 7/8 and 89 1/2. think your napa would ship an 89 1/8 belt??

ponypowa2 · Jun 5, 2004

Well I tried all the napa and autozone belts ( 4 different stores in my area) in my area and none of them fit, I spent about 4 days going back and forth. Whats even worse is that the 89.5 from autozone when measured comes out to 90 inches (they are all like this) I then decided that the belt I had fit fine, and was not too loose to slip. I grinded just enough off to keep the tensioner from tapping (for me the noise was the problem not the belt). Im not saying its the best way to fix it, but it definitely works. I suppose the pre-stretching of a short belt would work, but I did not want to take it that far.

ponypowa2 · Jun 5, 2004

btw I have smog removed

anyone know where to get a belt between 89.0 and 89.5 inches?

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