[200q20v] AC belt.....!

[Phil Rose]

At 10:00 AM -0700 3/9/01, Brian.Link at Level3.com wrote:
>Okay am I missing something,
>
>I'm in the process of changing my drive belts,
>
>PS pump belt 10 mins to remove, 
>Alt belt 5 mins to remove
>
>AC belt ...(5) bolts to remove, and I just barley got the belt off the car.
>I measure the new belt same size, but I can not get the new one on.  The AC
>compressor is hitting the oil pan, and I can not get it to move enough to
>get the belt on.  Should I be looking in my bicycle tool box for tire
>levers? 
>
>Any advice???
>
>Brian Link
>

I have the same trouble with the specified alternator belts. What 
actually can help the fit is to put one foot on the inside side of 
the belt while pulling up as hard as you possibly can on the other 
side (grunt, groan--careful about hernias and hemorrhoids). You'll 
get a little bit of belt stretch after doing that a few times and it 
might be just enough. Garages have mechanical belt-stretchers for 
that purpose.

BTW, I seem to recall once seeing that the Family Album lists a 
slightly longer alternator belt for our cars (i.e., one longer than 
what everyone considers "standard"), and I wonder if we all are 
trying to use undersized belts in some of these applications?

Phil
-- 

Phil Rose
Rochester, NY
mailto:pjrose at frontiernet.net