It seems like V belts are a bit maintenance heavy, best bet is to check tension monthly, and at every oil change of course. I do weekly routine checkups on my service truck every Sunday afternoon, just to make sure all is well.
Serpentine belts are a lot lower maintenance, usually they last longer, but if they give you trouble they can be an even bigger pain in the rear… another plus to a V belt system is that if you have a problem with a belt driven accessory, especially on these trucks, you can typically get away with disconnecting the belt to that accessory, like in a locked up AC compressor, alternator, vacuum pump, or power steering pump.
**I don’t recommend driving around with things disconnected like that, but it can get you to the parts store**
Have had vacuum pumps lock up on me, with a serpentine belt that would be devastating… have heard of plenty AC compressors and some alternators going that way… with only one belt, if you have a problem then you can’t disconnect the belt because then you aren’t spinning your water pump.
Due to my service truck having hydroboost brakes, the vacuum pump only operates the HVAC system. After having many vacuum pump related issues with it, I eventually got an electric vac pump from a 99-07 truck, and wired it in such that it is making vacuum unless the panel is set to ‘off’ It really works quite well, and these pumps are known to be plenty more reliable.
I can’t get a power steering pump worth a damn, but it appears that people who buy the new not reman Edelmann 6014R are generally quite happy with it, so I am planning to go that route. The hydroboost brakes are most certainly a worthwhile upgrade, @Nero you oughta put a hydroboost system in your truck if you haven’t already… the difference is insane…
Serpentine belts are a lot lower maintenance, usually they last longer, but if they give you trouble they can be an even bigger pain in the rear… another plus to a V belt system is that if you have a problem with a belt driven accessory, especially on these trucks, you can typically get away with disconnecting the belt to that accessory, like in a locked up AC compressor, alternator, vacuum pump, or power steering pump.
**I don’t recommend driving around with things disconnected like that, but it can get you to the parts store**
Have had vacuum pumps lock up on me, with a serpentine belt that would be devastating… have heard of plenty AC compressors and some alternators going that way… with only one belt, if you have a problem then you can’t disconnect the belt because then you aren’t spinning your water pump.
Due to my service truck having hydroboost brakes, the vacuum pump only operates the HVAC system. After having many vacuum pump related issues with it, I eventually got an electric vac pump from a 99-07 truck, and wired it in such that it is making vacuum unless the panel is set to ‘off’ It really works quite well, and these pumps are known to be plenty more reliable.
I can’t get a power steering pump worth a damn, but it appears that people who buy the new not reman Edelmann 6014R are generally quite happy with it, so I am planning to go that route. The hydroboost brakes are most certainly a worthwhile upgrade, @Nero you oughta put a hydroboost system in your truck if you haven’t already… the difference is insane…
I broke 3-4 of those long alternator belts years ago. Eventually I realized I was over-tightening them to failure, trying to get that awful wobble out of them. Eventually I figured out the idler pulley hack and it's been smooth ever since, been 7+ years on the same belt.
