Changing all my v-belts

[mankypro]

Threw my alternator belt this afternoon. Thinking I'm going to do all of them while I'm at it. Am I going to need to remove my fan clutch? Or can I wiggle the belts off and over the blades? Looks like the air filter housing is going to need to come off to get the a/c compressor tilted enough to get the belts off...

 

[69dieselfreak]

ya i would replace all the belts
i think you can get the belts around the fan but i think it be easier to take the fan off though

 

[sassyrel]

no need to remove fan--thread em right around the blades inside the fan housing--nuttin to it-----

 

[mankypro]

It's funny how things work out the belt snapped as I pulled over to help a woman who'd run out of gas

First inkling was the loss of easy brakes...after it threw both the alternator belts.

 

[Papabear]

yes i would do them all at once as well but i would buy to sets and keep the spare ste in the truck because i don't know about there but up here if it's after 5pm or after 4pm on a sat and forget about it on a sunday your screwed so i have learned to carry it all with me

 

[HammerDown]

Not sure if your truck came with the real loooong OE alt belt that snaps from vibration and CAN take all the rest with it.(been there done that)
My 88 7.3 had the long alt belt...I switched it out years ago for a much shorter belt that only goes from the water pump pulley to the alt. much better now...no vibration.

 

[mankypro]

Interesting, yes I do have the long one - goes from the engine to the alt, then the vac pump to the alt.

So the pulley alignment is off if I wanted to go the other way - how did you do it?

Not sure if your truck came with the real loooong OE alt belt that snaps from vibration and CAN take all the rest with it.(been there done that)
My 88 7.3 had the long alt belt...I switched it out years ago for a much shorter belt that only goes from the water pump pulley to the alt. much better now...no vibration.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I once had one belt somehow come loose or break and it took out all of them; I had a mangled mess of rubber and fiber wrapped tightly around everything.

Once I got all of the pieces of old belts cut away, it was a simple matter to thread the new ones over the fan and around the pulleys.


There are about four different means of tensioning employed on the old 6.9s.

The power-steering belt had a screw-jack tightener, the vacuum-pump used a 3/8-drive bar, the A/C was different somehow, and the alternator required the old tried and true pry-bar method.

 

[suv7734]

Interesting, yes I do have the long one - goes from the engine to the alt, then the vac pump to the alt.

So the pulley alignment is off if I wanted to go the other way - how did you do it?

The original long belt goes crankshaft/water pump/alternator, the shorter belt goes water pump/alternator. The part number for the shorter belt is 17425. The vacuum pump belt remains the same either way.

the A/C was different somehow, and the alternator required the old tried and true pry-bar method.

The AC may have a 1/2" drive hole for tensioning (some so/some don't), I've always found a large adjustable wrench on the top lug of the alternator works well to tension the belt.

 

[HammerDown]

Interesting, yes I do have the long one - goes from the engine to the alt, then the vac pump to the alt.

So the pulley alignment is off if I wanted to go the other way - how did you do it?

As mentioned in post #9 the shorter belt is 17425

 

[suv7734]

As mentioned in post #9 the shorter belt is 17425

Funny thing is I got that number last January on another site from a member named "HammerDown" and put it in my parts list ... Go Figure

 

[mankypro]

well just got them all on, my alternator had an overdrive pulley so it took a few trips to the parts store, but now I know all my size and will just get a spare set for the tool box.

While the air filter housing was off I figured I'd check gp's - 7/8 dead again - my dog. I bypassed my gpc the other day so shouldn't be an issue anymore. One GP actually was pitted - wonder wth that was from.

 

[zpd307]

thanks for that shorter belt part #. i just tried to tighten that belt a couple of weeeks ago and still didnt make a dent. i dont know what ford was doing with that long of a belt. i am surprised that it even stays on. man it really flops all over.

 

[mankypro]

My power steering pulley has two grooves on it I wonder what the alternate configuration is on that side - it goes around the crank and the water pump as well.

 

[david85]

My power steering pulley has two grooves on it I wonder what the alternate configuration is on that side - it goes around the crank and the water pump as well.

On trucks without AC, the extra belt is used on the powersteering. That way the water pump always has 3 belts turning it.

I blew my alternator belt a few times now. Still finding pieces under the hood almost two years later