Serpentine Replacement WITHOUT Fan/Shroud/Reservoir Removal

[RIDETHE]

My tensioner just split, and I wanted to replace the belt while I was already tearing into it. Having very limited resources at my apartment, I couldn't get the shroud bolt out under the p/s reservoir, and I didn't want anyone reporting me for puking fluid everywhere in removing the reservoir. There's enough gap between the shroud and the fan for the belt to slip through, so I just had to work it through there. The wires to the fan kept me from being able to just get the belt out around the fan, so I unplugged them at the top of the shroud and the connector can be slipped through the shroud. Not enough room around the connector yet to pass the belt, so I removed the bolts on the top and the one on the passenger side of the shroud to loosen it. This left the bolt under the p/s res in, but it's enough wiggle room that I could lift the top shroud and finagle the connector down and out the front (toward rear of vehicle) of the shroud. Required a bit of bending, but it sprung right back. Once I had the connector hanging out the front of the shroud, I could pull the belt up and over it (VERY careful not to bend it). Then, I just snaked the rest of the belt out the bottom of the shroud.

Not sure if this is a repost, but I couldn't find anything that didn't require pulling the shroud and reservoir on the 6.4L. Took ~2hrs to figure out, but I bet I can cut it down to 30min now that I know how to do it. I'll try to snap some pics when I put the new one on.

[sinner6.0L]

if you know how to get that upper shroud out it definitely makes it worth it

also, don't try and bend that shroud if it's cold out

[RIDETHE]

It's not that I don't know how, it's that I don't have the tools with me. I believe you need to pull the power steering reservoir which I think would need to be drained somehow, and I'm already pushing my luck working on the thing at all in an apartment complex. I think this method is quicker than messing with the shroud. I'm waiting for the new tensioner to get in before I'll know, but I think I can get the belt back on (minus tensioner) in <30min.

[04hdfatboy]

Originally Posted by RIDETHE

It's not that I don't know how, it's that I don't have the tools with me. I believe you need to pull the power steering reservoir which I think would need to be drained somehow, and I'm already pushing my luck working on the thing at all in an apartment complex. I think this method is quicker than messing with the shroud. I'm waiting for the new tensioner to get in before I'll know, but I think I can get the belt back on (minus tensioner) in <30min.

Is the tensioner hard to change? Does the old one just unbolt and the new one bolts on?

[RIDETHE]

Yeah one bolt. The problem is getting to it. The shroud makes it a real pain, but it's doable without taking anything else out. Just go at it from the bottom. Otherwise, you have to pull the top shroud. I got it out with a shallow 15mm socket and ratchet. Probably gonna be some cussing involved in getting the bolt started back in, but shouldn't take too long.

[sinner6.0L]

The primary belt tensioner is easy enough. To get the upper shroud out all you have to do is unbolt the power steering reservoir, unclip the cooling hose that's attacted to it, slide the notch out of the shroud and push the res as far back towards the hot side cac tube as you can. Take all the shroud bolts out then loosen both ends of the cold side cac tube and slide it off far out as it will go (towards right headlight). The shroud should come out with a little bending, get the right side out first. Once you clear the cold side cac tube you're golden, be careful bending and wiggling until you get to that point.

Usually when the primary tensioner is shot it will be very easy to rotate and get the belt loose, I just use a 3/8s ratchet. The new one will come with a grenade pin jammed in it. The tensioner bolt is 15mm

[RIDETHE]

It was too dark for my phone to take pics, but I had the belt back behind the fan in less than 10 minutes only having removed 3 shroud bolts. It took longer to route the belt than to get it in. Had the tensioner and belt back in and running within an hour. It seems to me like this is alot more effecient than pulling the whole shroud and messing with the reservoir, but my tools are pretty limited.