AC and alternator belt help plz!

[bbob203]

3. alt belt is immensely difficult to replace. Took me 8 hours the first time

 

[R.O.R-2.0]

3. alt belt is immensely difficult to replace. Took me 8 hours the first time

 

WOW...

i can tear down a WHOLE ENGINE in 8 hours, from running, to a big pile of parts on the work bench..

how did it take you 8 hours? did you fall asleep for 7 hours while under the car?!

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

I was trying to make a point what a pita job it is. Maybe it wasn't 8 hours, might jave been 4. It was a long time ago and I dread that job.

How long does it take you on an AC equipped  MK2 diesel? Having done it about 7 or 8 times now I think I can do it in an hour. Still way too much time for a fricken belt and a miserable job.

[R.O.R-2.0]

I was trying to make a point what a pita job it is. Maybe it wasn't 8 hours, might jave been 4. It was a long time ago and I dread that job.

How long does it take you on an AC equipped  MK2 diesel? Having done it about 7 or 8 times now I think I can do it in an hour. Still way too much time for a fricken belt and a miserable job.

there are VERY FEW diesels in this part of the world that still have a/c installed..

ive only seen one diesel w/ a/c, and it was a mk1..

why does it take soo long to change belts? you remove the a/c belt, loosen the tensioner for the alt, and pull the alt belt off? if that dont work, remove the top mount bolt, and fold the alt down a bit..

it takes me 15 mins to swap both belts on a mk2 gas..

[JASGTi]

IT takes me around 30 to change them in mine. Condenser gets in the way a bit.

Last belts I bought were a set of Gates and they have lasted for 4 years. I went through 3 sets in the year prior to getting the gates belts.



Just hope you never have this happen to your pulley.

[bbob203]

Gates are the best!!

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

That's because you do not have the setup I am talking about, i.e. MK2 with AC

I don't think anyone on earth can change the alt belt in a MK2 with AC in 30 minutes.

IT takes me around 30 to change them in mine. Condenser gets in the way a bit.

Last belts I bought were a set of Gates and they have lasted for 4 years. I went through 3 sets in the year prior to getting the gates belts.



Just hope you never have this happen to your pulley.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

So you've never changed an alt belt in a MK2 with AC? It is a royal PITA! I'll give you my toolbox if you can change a MK2 with AC alt belt in 15 minutes.

I was trying to make a point what a pita job it is. Maybe it wasn't 8 hours, might jave been 4. It was a long time ago and I dread that job.

How long does it take you on an AC equipped  MK2 diesel? Having done it about 7 or 8 times now I think I can do it in an hour. Still way too much time for a fricken belt and a miserable job.

there are VERY FEW diesels in this part of the world that still have a/c installed..

ive only seen one diesel w/ a/c, and it was a mk1..

why does it take soo long to change belts? you remove the a/c belt, loosen the tensioner for the alt, and pull the alt belt off? if that dont work, remove the top mount bolt, and fold the alt down a bit..

it takes me 15 mins to swap both belts on a mk2 gas..

[bbob203]

That's because you do not have the setup I am talking about, i.e. MK2 with AC

I don't think anyone on earth can change the alt belt in a MK2 with AC in 30 minutes.

IT takes me around 30 to change them in mine. Condenser gets in the way a bit.

Last belts I bought were a set of Gates and they have lasted for 4 years. I went through 3 sets in the year prior to getting the gates belts.



Just hope you never have this happen to your pulley.

I can definitely do it in 30-40 minutes. Let's have a contest via YouTube haha

[EcoTX]

I was trying to make a point what a pita job it is. Maybe it wasn't 8 hours, might jave been 4. It was a long time ago and I dread that job.

How long does it take you on an AC equipped  MK2 diesel? Having done it about 7 or 8 times now I think I can do it in an hour. Still way too much time for a fricken belt and a miserable job.

Do you have power steering still too?

It is definitely a chore on a MK2 with AC and PS, especially if it's a new ordeal for you to figure out and tackle.
I don't see a few hours being out of the question at all for the job on a lazy weekend if it's new to you.

It was a bad spot in the engineering timeline for the MK2 with AC and PS unfortunately.
Serp setup wasn't till MK3 so they had to figure out how to run all those accessories with V-belts still.
The darnedest thing too is that those silly Germans made the most infamously troublesome belt of all, the inner most one of the three!
So everytime you have to change it, you have to mess with a whole myriad of brackets and bolts for the PS and AC to even put the new belt on.
Basically three times the work to change one belt...

I know I hated messing with the setup on my ECO, hence some of my reasoning to delete both AC and PS.
AC didn't work and I never notice the PS gone unless I am turning the wheel without moving.
As soon as you are barely even moving, it feels no different than with PS.
The one belt literally takes a minute or two to change and tension and they cost 4 dollars a piece at O'Reilly's.
Needless to say, I have no regrets on the decision.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Forgot to mention it but yes I have power steering. I kinda assumed a MK2 with AC automatically has power steering.

I deleted the AC but kept the power steering. I can change the alt belt now in less than 15 minutes.

I was trying to make a point what a pita job it is. Maybe it wasn't 8 hours, might jave been 4. It was a long time ago and I dread that job.

How long does it take you on an AC equipped  MK2 diesel? Having done it about 7 or 8 times now I think I can do it in an hour. Still way too much time for a fricken belt and a miserable job.

Do you have power steering still too?

It is definitely a chore on a MK2 with AC and PS, especially if it's a new ordeal for you to figure out and tackle.
I don't see a few hours being out of the question at all for the job on a lazy weekend if it's new to you.

It was a bad spot in the engineering timeline for the MK2 with AC and PS unfortunately.
Serp setup wasn't till MK3 so you they had to figure out how to run all those accessories with V-belts still.
The darnedest thing too is that those silly Germans made the most infamously troublesome belt of all, the inner most one of the three!
So everytime you have to change it, you have to mess with a whole myriad of brackets and bolts for the PS and AC to even put the new belt on.
Basically three times the work to change one belt...

I know I hated messing with the setup on my ECO, hence some of my reasoning to delete both AC and PS.
AC didn't work and I never notice the PS gone unless I am turning the wheel without moving.
As soon as you are barely even moving, it feels no different than with PS.
The one belt literally takes a minute or two to change and tension and they cost 4 dollars a piece at O'Reilly's.
Needless to say, I have no regrets on the decision.

[bbob203]

ah yea no power steering here.

[JASGTi]

I can definitely do it in 30-40 minutes. Let's have a contest via YouTube haha

We are both in Louisville it could be a driveway showdown   

[wolf_walker]

I only ever drove a rabbit with PS finally a few years ago, it was a lot nicer driving car around town but I wouldn't put up with all those hoses (and leaks) and belt BS for it.
I want to say it even used the damn shims like a Beetle or a Porsche for adjusting belt tension, some water cooled VW I ran across had that. 

The AC comp bracket/tensioning is the biggest annoyance to me on the A1 AC/non-PS setup.  I found in my pile of parts a threaded rod that attached to one of the bolts
and allowed tightening the belt with it instead of a jack and a 2x4 under the front of the car.  It might even be from an A2, haven't had one in so long I can't remember, seems like the alt
was low mounted on the 85 TD Jetta.  It's just a goofy setup, all of em.  If I didn't like my AC I'd have it gone and a tensioner added as some folks have.  Or a serpentine belt. 
I've never really had any trouble with the AC/water pump belt I have to say, just the alt. 

[TylerDurden]

It is definitely a chore on a MK2 with AC and PS, especially if it's a new ordeal for you to figure out and tackle.... I don't see a few hours being out of the question at all for the job on a lazy weekend if it's new to you.

Ja, it can be a bit of a brain teaser for a nooB:
 - The airbox can be an interference on the TD models
 - The hidden bolt on the PS pump bracket
 - The nearly hidden capscrew behind the belts on the compressor
 - The frequent need to lower the compressor to get its belt off, then raise the compressor to get the alternator belt between the crank pulley and the compressor pulley, then lower the compressor again to get its belt back on, then raise the compressor again to get the alt belt up to the alt...

Then VW threw the curveball when they added the expensive freewheeling double shiv waterpump pulley that required the PS belt to be installed to drive the waterpump while the freewheeling shiv drove the AC and Alt.

It can be done in ~30min, if you know & have all the tools needed, the order of operations and all the bolts are not stuck; but it is quite a drag to do it in the rain ( when the belt is more likely to fly off).