Any hint on a good replacement schedule? I have about 64k miles on mine and I am thinking it may be time on my '02.

GMG

 

It all depends. I've seen both stock and 15% pulley MCS's go 100k on the stock belt. However, my 19% pulley setup stretched out Goodyear Gatorback belts every 5k, however they didn't fall off the pulley either, lol.

Basically, you'll know it's time when the belt tensioner A)breaks, or B) stretches the belt.

$0.02,
Ryan

 

Are there wear indicators on the belt or anything else you can judge the life by?

 

Yes Kapps,

you should look at the underside of the belt, the side with the grooves, if there is any cracks, it is time to replace it, bets are only around $30.

Hope this helps
Victor

 

How much work is involved in replacing a belt? If I'm not a mechanic, do I get one to do it? Is it expensive?

 

I have an 02 and just broke one on the track. While it didn't hurt anything, I sure wish I'd changed it earlier....

Here's what it takes to do.

1) JAck the front end up and put it on jackstands.
2) Undo the bolts on the upper left (as looking at the motor from in front of the car) engine mounts. There are a few other things to do to get everything clear, but it's no big deal.
3) Undo the grounding strap.
4) remove the bolt for the lower engine mount. Not the horizontal one, the vertical one. (makes sense when you see it).
5) Remove the passenger side wheel well liner.you don't need to take the wheel off to do this.
6) Jack up the motor a bit. But not too much. No big deal here, it allows you to get access to the belt for routing over and under the pullies.
7) Take the special tensioner tool that you bought before you started all this, and take the tension off the belt. Stick something through the hole on the tensioner that hold the tensioner in a locked position.
8) Remove old belt (if it's been shredded, life has done this for you already).
9) Put on new belt.
10) restore tension.
11) put the car back together.

I did it with a bit of help in under an hour (nothing like needing to fix your car to drive home from the track for motivation).

The key is having the pulley tensioner tool. The rest is pretty easy. I think you need 13, 17 and 19mm sockets.

Matt

ps, I'm sure there are how tos on Randy Webbs site, and any other place that has a pulley install how to.

 

I think I can do everything up to this point...
lol...I've never had any mechanical experience, so I'd probably break something and shatter the warranty.

How long does the stock belt last on the stock pulley? 15%? 17%? 19%? (On average.)

Thanks,
Jonathan

 

on the track, you spend a lot of time at higher RPMs... So, some track rats change the belt yearly....

Don't know what the reccomendation is.

Matt

 

I've changed my belt twice now. I've a 19 pulley and use Napa belt 060535 which i replace each 6 months since i track the car. I've changed belt using the tensioner tool and taking off passenger wheel and pulling back wheel liner. Didn't have to remove anything else or lift engine. 1st time took about an hour start to finish, next time about 1/2 hr.
You can tell if your belt is stretching by looking at the holes in the belt tensioner strap (there's pics somehwere on NAM)- With my pulley & belt if I can't see one hole- then belt is stretched.