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03-29-2016, 02:06 AM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Winthrop Harbor
Posts: 1,837
M.O.C. #8160
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Serpentine belt replacement
Yesterday I had the serpentine belt replaced on our 03 Dodge 3500. This is not the first time but the third time in 2 yrs.
The first time it was because of it not being aligned properly, the second time because of a non heavy duty belt which was replaced under warranty. This time because ????
The belt put in today has a 2yr unlimited mileage warranty. It cost about $180 installed.
I looked up a how to video so I can replace it myself next time, if there is a next time.
Has anyone replaced their's. Any suggestions?
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03-29-2016, 02:43 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Jose
Posts: 527
M.O.C. #6790
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Had to replace to one on my old truck couple of times. I always carried a spare one, just in case. The belt goes, you no go. I was pretty simple. Just make sure you have a breaker bar with the right size socket for the tensioner pulley. Make sure the belt is centered on all the wheels. I had one belt get off center, stripped away just a small strip of the belt. It whipped the hood blanket apart, thought rats had eaten it up until I found the problem.
__________________
2006 Montana 3650RK with Improvements.
2014 Ford 6.7L PSD 4WD CC LB Dually & Hadley's.
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03-29-2016, 02:52 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Salem
Posts: 7,597
M.O.C. #2283
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Replace the idlers too. They go bad too.
Lynwood
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03-29-2016, 03:08 AM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haysville
Posts: 4,261
M.O.C. #3085
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Damned ... $180 installed ... I'm definitely in the wrong line of work. I realize not everyone has mechanical skills, but stories like this just chaps my ----. Usually the routing diagram is right on the radiator support or under the hood.
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03-29-2016, 06:00 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Winthrop Harbor
Posts: 1,837
M.O.C. #8160
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I have a spare belt but couldn't get my fat arm down far enough to access the tensioner.
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03-29-2016, 06:44 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Full Timer In Naples, Florida
Posts: 1,049
M.O.C. #15731
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Go to harbor freight tools get a breaker bar. its Cheap and keep it in your tool box for the truck with a spare belt. and not only the idler but the tensioner itself goes bad and looses alignment and will destroy a belt. go to rock-auto.com they are the cheapest for name brand parts i use them all the time.
__________________
2017, 3500 Ram Big Horn, 4x4, Crew Cab, DRW, Aisin Transmission, 4:10. Curt Q20, 2014 Mountaineer 331 RLT, Sailun's on the rv and truck.
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03-29-2016, 07:43 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Murrieta
Posts: 5,816
M.O.C. #9257
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I have replaced my serpentine myself and will do it again when it's time. That $180 price is low where I live. Mechanics where I live can charge $250 to $300 to do this.
I don't save the old belt to use as a spare, because it's old and needed replacing and using this as a spare means it might bust, too. I really should buy a new one to use for a spare. It will be newer rubber and hopefully more supple in the event of an emergency. But then what to do about rubber that sits for a while... ugh, never ends.
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03-29-2016, 07:55 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Washington Coast
Posts: 2,688
M.O.C. #10696
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Do not own a Dodge but For us that Tow the best belt and I do not mess with just regular belts is the Gates "BIG GREEN" when you want the best spend the cash here is the part number for your 2003 Dodge 3500 GATES K081264HD {#25081264HD} FleetRunner®; K08 1-3/32" x 127"
w/Air Conditioning......Hopefully the one they put in for 180 bucks was this one
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03-29-2016, 09:09 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Winthrop Harbor
Posts: 1,837
M.O.C. #8160
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My spare is from Geno's and cost about $41 for the heavy duty green one. Not sure what the shelf life is. I do have a beaker bar in Monte but will transfer it to the truck. I'll try it on the tensioner to see if that will "ease" the pain of trying to reach it.
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03-29-2016, 10:44 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,737
M.O.C. #12947
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About a year ago, had a cat get under the hood, started the engine, heard some weird noises and smelled something strange. Stopped the engine, and discovered the remains of the cat. Waited till the next morning, and the critter got himself out of the truck, minus part of his tail. He died in the garage. Had to replace the tensioner and the belt, took three of us to do it, along with a HF extendable ratchet wrench. Getting a new tensioner was the hard part. Not much room in any of these rigs to put a new belt on.
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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03-31-2016, 10:37 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Hanover
Posts: 1,472
M.O.C. #13325
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Had to replace the belt in my old Chevy 8.1L gasser and it was easy (even with next to no room with that monster engine). Had to replace the alternator in my Ford diesel and doing that was just like changing the belt. Had to remove one piece of plastic air shroud to get the breaker bar in, but it snapped right back in place afterwards. Go search online for a video on how to do it on yours. There's no end of posts by mechanics trying to work themselves out of business - guess not many look at them or something.
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