Please help, I cant get my belt back on!

SilverBullet00 · Mar 5, 2008

Ok- I know this sounds retarded but I cant get my belt back on! I have tried everything and nothing even gets me close. I know the belt has fit before, I even tried a different brand in the same size, and nothing works!!! And Vortech's instructions BLOW.

Whats the easiest way to get this thing on! I am going to have a mental break down shortly!

BennyBlown2v · Mar 5, 2008

Get the car up on ramps. Take a stick and push on the tensioner till it maxes out. Have a friend jam a 3/8" ratchet in the spot on the tensioner where it fits. From there just use the wrench and slip the belt over the alt pulley last.

SilverBullet00 · Mar 5, 2008

do you have all the bolts in the bracket and alternator in place when you do that? I was using vice grips on the tensioner, maxing it out and couldn't get enough slack to slip it over the alternator pulley. I had 1 bolt in the bracket and one in teh alt to try and gain slack, and still had no luck..

how do you use a wrench to slip the belt over the pulley? Is this a dedicated two person job??!

BennyBlown2v · Mar 5, 2008

SilverBullet00 said:
do you have all the bolts in the bracket and alternator in place when you do that? I was using vice grips on the tensioner, maxing it out and couldn't get enough slack to slip it over the alternator pulley. I had 1 bolt in the bracket and one in teh alt to try and gain slack, and still had no luck..

how do you use a wrench to slip the belt over the pulley? Is this a dedicated two person job??!

OK - your belt isn't routed right or something. Check the timing cover/tensioner routing and everything - once everything is routed 100%, keep the belt off of JUST the alt pulley. Get under the car with a stick, push on the top of the tensioner (by where the pulley is but on the cast silver metal part not the pulley/belt itself. push push push! When the tensioner is pushed ALL The way maxed out, it will come out from behind the timing cover towards the drivers side, there is a spot on the tensioner to fit a socket wrench. Have a buddy quickly jam in a socket wrench or extension so you can let go of the tensioner and use the wrench to operate the tensioner.

You can skip the wrench step and go straight for pushing the tensioner with a stick and having a friend pull the belt over the alt pulley, but I like the wrench method because it isn't as strenuous.

SilverBullet00 · Mar 5, 2008

ill give it a shot again tomorrow. I checked everything several times- its routed right. I am using a Gates 1073 belt with a 3.2" pulley. It was on there before, but I had help putting it on then. Tonight I did it by myself and about killed myself!

So tomorrow I will get the belt routed over everything but the alt pulley, bolt everything down, and use your method... we will see what happens!

If anyone has any more tips, feel free to share!

BennyBlown2v · Mar 5, 2008

SilverBullet00 said:
ill give it a shot again tomorrow. I checked everything several times- its routed right. I am using a Gates 1073 belt with a 3.2" pulley. It was on there before, but I had help putting it on then. Tonight I did it by myself and about killed myself!

So tomorrow I will get the belt routed over everything but the alt pulley, bolt everything down, and use your method... we will see what happens!

If anyone has any more tips, feel free to share!

Good luck dude! It took me and my friend who have done it about 100x (no joke) on a 6rib setup (about 60/40 2v/4v) an 45 mins to get my 8-rib...I had to modify the tensioner by grinding down the stop tab to get enough slack...then after all was said and done there was ZERO mm moved by the tensioner haha. To get the belt on we put it on 4 ribs, then had to HAMMER the rest on

You'll get it, just be patient and find some good hands to help out

SilverBullet00 · Mar 6, 2008

Damn, that sounds serious. I am going to try it and see what happends after work. I did a search on MPH's forums and someone recommended zip tieing the tensioner so its out of the way.

for the life of me, I cant remember how we got this thing on before, I know it was a pain but nothing like this!!! I also think I am going to trade in my gatorback for a gates.. I never want this damn thing to come off again!!

TonyG · Mar 6, 2008

I leave the water pump pulley for last. Its rounded off at the edges, which makes it easier to slip the belt over.

Mossberg · Mar 6, 2008

This is one reason I want to get a KB instead of a Vortech. It seems that belt changes are easier.

Pearl02 · Mar 6, 2008

I've never had a problem getting the belt back on. I use a 1/2 inch breaker bar with a 3/8's drive adapter on the breaker bar to move the tentioner. This makes it real easy to move the tentioner. I can have my belt on and off in a couple of minutes. Make sure it routed the right way. I think there's a belt routing diagram somewhere on Stangnet. I printed out the diagram for reference. Pearl02.

BennyBlown2v · Mar 6, 2008

TonyG said:
I leave the water pump pulley for last. Its rounded off at the edges, which makes it easier to slip the belt over.

Nope. The 01+ style water pump pulley has a huge lip on the front, like 1/2" haha.

BennyBlown2v · Mar 6, 2008

Pearl02 said:
I've never had a problem getting the belt back on. I use a 1/2 inch breaker bar with a 3/8's drive adapter on the breaker bar to move the tentioner. This makes it real easy to move the tentioner. I can have my belt on and off in a couple of minutes. Make sure it routed the right way. I think there's a belt routing diagram somewhere on Stangnet. I printed out the diagram for reference. Pearl02.

He has a vortech supercharger, the tensioner is hidden by the blower bracket, only way to reach it is pull on the belt towards the drivers side of push on the tensioner from underneath.

SilverBullet00 · Mar 6, 2008

I was going to say, now way in HELL a breaker bar is going to fit..

96GTstang46 · Mar 6, 2008

Well a fellow stangnet member on here (Tubro92pgt) can do this (on a non-superchaged engine 2v) BLIND FOLDED!! I didnt believe him, so i made him do it. Took him 1minute 35 seconds.....

Next time i will take a video of it and post it on here lol.. its pretty funny!

Yes i know.. :OT: But i thought it was something to share..

CobraRed_96_GT · Mar 6, 2008

96GTstang46 said:
Well a fellow stangnet member on here (Tubro92pgt) can do this (on a non-superchaged engine 2v) BLIND FOLDED!! I didnt believe him, so i made him do it. Took him 1minute 35 seconds.....

Next time i will take a video of it and post it on here lol.. its pretty funny!

Yes i know.. :OT: But i thought it was something to share..

guarantee you i can do it blind folded as well

TonyG · Mar 6, 2008

Same here.
1-2 minute job on my 99 GT

spederman · Mar 6, 2008

I feel your pain. I freaking hate vortech for this crap design and if i would have done a little more research into it and known about this, i would have got a procharger instead.

I was changing my alternator a few months ago and popped the belt off with no probs. When it came time to put it back on, i tried for 2-3 hours daily for a week. I couldnt do it and i would get so frustrated i would have to walk away or i would have set my car of fire. embarrasing to say but i had to have it towed to my performance shop and they had to do it. What a beat down.

SilverBullet00 · Mar 6, 2008

so I got the belt on, Benny gave me a great idea, and I took it and ran with it a little.
I used zip ties to hold the tensioner in place like so-

It got my where I needed to go, minus a couple millimeters. I took a screw driver and pried the belt on over the alternator pulley- I was STOKED I did it all by myself!

She is all back together now, but I cant start her till tomorrow after work..

speed545 · Mar 7, 2008

I ve done a few time on mine and it take s me 2-3 minutes.

Only thing i do is attach a cord to the tensioner and when it s time to slip the belt on to the last pulley, i just pull on the cord. Real easy 1 person job

SilverBullet00 · Mar 7, 2008

I was freaking out weds night when I couldnt get it on. I guess I didnt have tensioner maxed out like i thought..

Oh well, doesnt matter. I have a system now!!

Please help, I cant get my belt back on!

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