Accessory serpentine belt replacement

[agntlgn]

Good afternoon everyone,
I am posting this to see if anyone has any other ideas.
My accessory belt broke on Friday night. I knew this since the alternator light came on and i lost power steering so I had the car towed home. The next morning i found this of left over belt.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7836797@N06/3245633182/
So I proceed to replace belt by removing the wheel liner and the plastic shroud at the bottom. Then the real fun started because i do not have the tensioner tool. yeah that metal L thing. Yeah, i didn't have that. So the idea came to use a jack stand top and "jack" the tensioner with the floor jack. This is also using a thin crow bar to keep the jack stand top from slipping of the tensioner. So i was finally able to "pin" the tension and get the belt on. Then use the jack again to get the tension back on.
So finally after all that the belt seems to be wearing funny. Look here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7836797@N06/3244805825/
It is so weird because all the pulleys are turning. The belt is routed the right way I doubled checked. It is not rubbing against anything i double checked that. It is seated right and straight. No noise. Very weird.
The two things i do notice that some of the forums point to is the little tab on top of tensioner. On mine it is all the way in I can barely see the top of it. Also the previous owner did install a Mini Madness reduction pulley. But i am unaware of the size so it could be 15% or 19%.
So here is my questions

• Could it be that I have a bad tensioner?
• Did the belt breaking damage the tensioner?
• Could it be that I have a 19% reduction pulley and need a smaller belt?
• What could be causing the belt to wear weird like that?

Any responses would be great appreciated!
Thanks,
AgntLgn

[nabeshin]

If you aren't seeing a hole in the tensioner tab, then you need a smaller belt. If you do have an aftermarket pulley, it should say on it what % it is.

I would highly recommend getting the belt changing tool, if you're going to keep the car awhile that is.

[agntlgn]

Yes, I think you are right.
I have found out that Mini Madness only makes two sizes. The 15% and the 19%. So i think that I will go ahead and order the two belt sizes. I don't think that Mini Madness has a tag or etching with the size of the reduction.
The 060539 is for the 15% and the 060535 for the 19% one. So will order both and test them out.
So tomorrow we will see what happens...

[Burn Rubber]

This is great information ! I have been searching NAM posts to try to figure out exactly how and what tools will be needed to change the belts on my 04S. So going through the wheel well is the route I need to take . I was told by a local Mini dealer that the way to get to the belts was by removing the bumper .. that seemed strange . I have a feeling that when I do change the belts ( hopefully the part number for them will be visible ) and attempt my first oli change, that I had better set aside an entire weekend. Would a local NAPA store have all I would need for these knuckle busting maintanence tasks ahead ?
Any knowledge from the NAM people is greatly appreciated !!

[IanF]

NAPA should have the belt if you have an MCS with a std pulley. If you have a 15% pulley, tell them you have a JCW.

Honestly, the crowbar-jack-tensioner method described sounds a bit... questionable... While I admire his risk-taking ingenuity, I just have this thing about putting large sharp objects under spring pressure when I have to work near them... ...of course, being a tool-junkie, I bought the belt tensioner tool long before I actually used it...

If the pulley was installed slightly off, if can cause premature belt wear.

[agntlgn]

Well, I have found that I have the 19% reduction pulley and have installed the right size belt now. Everything running smoothly but I noticed that it was running with a slight play when revving...SO with closer checking...The belt tensioner was in fact damaged when the belt broke. It was not keeping the proper tension and playing way too much. Upon looking at the small shock I could see that the bushings on it were shot and it also seems that when the belt broke it hit the crank pulley and got damaged even more. So that is just preliminary diagnostic. I will post pics of that once I get it off and replaced with another one. That shall be tomorrow.

Ohh, and yes the Crowbar, Jack, and tensioner method was dangerous but, I went super slow and had full control. I did however make a tool with some scrap pipe. And it worked like a charm. But you are right, the proper tool either rented or bought would have made a huge difference. I just never looked into what changing the belt entailed until this happened. So only in emergencies is the dangerous method allowed. hehe

[nabeshin]

They sell tensioner stops that prevent future damage when a belt snaps. I think detroit tuned and alta each sell a version.

[IanF]

Originally Posted by nabeshin

They sell tensioner stops that prevent future damage when a belt snaps. I think detroit tuned and alta each sell a version.

True... and I think it's generally recommended if running a 19% pulley as the small diameter can put more stress on the belt.

[Vernon29RW]

anyone have a recommended interval for changing the belt when running a reduction pulley? In my case an Alta 17%. I think I've had my belt on for about 20,000 miles maybe 25,000.

[BlimeyCabrio]

My mechanic has said that 50K miles is no problem... but I know other folks I trust who change it every year. I just did mine after about 40,000 miles and it was well stretched but otherwise fine...

[Montana Miniac]

I thought I would bump this thread for more discussion. Those of you who haven't had your serpentine belt changed in recent memory, be prepared for a nasty surprise some day. Those of use who have had a belt brake on the road, can tell you your car will need to be towed at the very least. The answer to preventing this dilemma is being proactive. My belt went after about 30,000 miles, but belt was five years old and I auto cross. I should have paid more attention. Because I choose to do my own maintenance, I need thoughts about how often a serpentine belt should be changed on a Mini. My belt set up is stock. I am sure that additional consideration could be needed if you have a modified pulley or use the car under extreme circumstances like racing and auto cross. The last post suggested every year. What has been your experience, and what would you suggest?

[Jakedog]

The belt on my stock '05 broke yesterday. I had just rolled over the 50k mark. I don't autocross or anything (yet) but of course I do drive it like a MINI should be driven. About a week ago, I noticed the engine was louder at about 3000 rmp. I'm not sure if that was an indication or a totally different problem. I'm going to have the shop install a 15% pulley while they're at it. Then I plan on replacing the belt every two years at the very least.

[JeffM]

The stock belt on my S lasted about 60,000 miles before glazing and starting to squeal, so I had it replaced then. I'll replace the next one before I get to that point, probably between 40 and 50k.

[veggivet]

The stock belt on my 02 R50 lasted almost 72,000 miles. No autocross or track days on this car. After a quick tow, I was back on the road in 20 minutes flat. Awesome service for somebody they've never seen before, and only $140 including the tow. I'll probably change this one after another 50 or 60k.

[roddw2]

Hi,

The belt on my 2003 JCW just broke today. The car has about 120,000 miles. This is the original belt. I don't auto cross, and the majority of my driving is hiway, with some intown. From reading the posts I guess I was amazingly lucky. In case your wondering the JCW uses a belt with metric part number 6PK1370, which translates to a 6 rib belt by 1370mm

[DaveVT02S]

I'm running a 15%, use "6PK1360" - aka 5060535 (Dayco and others) - listed for a 1.9L Ford...

I pull it off and inspect it (closely) every oil change, and change it once a year - ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure, eh?