emergency V belts change

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Are any of you prepared to change an alternator belt or water pump belt when it breaks unexpectedly? If so, what tools and parts do you carry with you or do you simply rely on AAA?

Edit: This is for a car with power steering and air condition.

[Turbinepowered]

Spare belt, 3/8" drive ratchet with the sockets and hex drivers appropriate for your pulleys, and a large flat blade screwdriver.

[lovinthedeez]

if you have to call AAA for a broken v-belt......... .  call a buddy, and get a ride to the parts store, cheap ass socket set should already be in the car. voila..and if you need to know what sockets.....you can take most vw's apart with only the 8,10,13, and 15mm sockets.  if you can't afford the whole set.....vice grips (omg, I can't believe I just said that )

[Jay]

I have a set of screw driers and small sockets in the car now, I bought a small wallet of sockets and 1/2" ratchet with 3/8" adaptor but since moving can't find them! 

Also have my alternator belt in the car at all time. I'll have to keep a PAS belt in there too now I've got PAS.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Talk is cheap. Have you actually replaced the alternator belt in an emergency? Give me a step by step of what you did. 

ps. I'm talking my car with power steering and AC.

[lovinthedeez]

actually, removing those belts are the first thing ANYONE does to work on a motor, emergency or not; so don't get so butt hurt


alright, get ready to get wow'ed by this.  so you have a/c and power steering, its gonna take an extra 2 minutes.  can't remember off hand which belt comes off first, but here is what you do to get both off
power steering
1.  there's no tensioner on the p/s, so you loosen the pulley (6mm iirc), to get the slack.
2.  remove p/s belt
alternator
1.  loosen tension on the alternator, push down, remove belt

you should be glad talk is cheap, because it doesn't cost you anything......

[Jay]

A/C ? Who needs that?  


On my 1.6 Gasser I changed the alternator belt in 5 mins on my drive - it was the first time I'd ever changed it. Easy to do once you've actually done it. Check your Bentley manual for instructions  

Loosen the lock nut, undo the bolt/nut on the rack until the alternator belt is loose enough to take off, slip new belt on, tighten up rack bolt, tighten up lock nut. Check once a week if you do average milage (20miles a day) and adjust to suit, should have I think 5mm play/flex iirc. That was on the 1.6 gasser, shouldn't be too different on a 1.6TD NON serp set-up.

easy peasy  

[Quantum TD]

ON your car, the only tools you'll need to swap them out are as follows:

-Gearwrench 17mm stubby (to loosen tensioner)
-Gearwrench 13 mm normal (to loosen P/S locknut and AC bracket nuts)
-13mm socket with 3inch extension (to loosen P/S/ bolts to bracket)
-Ratchet
-6inch 3/8 drive extension (to loosen tension off AC compressor)
-8mm allen (to loosen AC bolts to bracket)

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

actually, removing those belts are the first thing ANYONE does to work on a motor, emergency or not; so don't get so butt hurt


alright, get ready to get wow'ed by this.  so you have a/c and power steering, its gonna take an extra 2 minutes.  can't remember off hand which belt comes off first, but here is what you do to get both off
power steering
1.  there's no tensioner on the p/s, so you loosen the pulley (6mm iirc), to get the slack.
2.  remove p/s belt
alternator
1.  loosen tension on the alternator, push down, remove belt

you should be glad talk is cheap, because it doesn't cost you anything......

It is clear from your post you have not replaced an alternator belt on a car with power steering and AC (or you forgot). There is a tensioner on the power steering pump. How can there not be? The power steering pump belt has to come off first. Then the water pump/ AC belt where tensioner is on the AC compressor, then the alternator belt, which is driven off the AC compressor pulley.

Please state whether you HAVE or HAVE NOT actuallly done an alternator bely in an emergency on a car with power steering and AC. If you have:

1. Did you jack the car up?
2. Did you remove the wheel for better access?
3. Did you have a jack stand and the jack holding up the car if you did remove the wheel?
4. Did you crawl under the car without a jack stand?

[lovinthedeez]

BUY A BENTELY....its all in there.  I have replaced those two belts, as well as swapped the entire motor from one generation car to another.  i am more than able to change a belt, which is prolly the easiest thing to do on any car.  good luck



I don't argue on the netz, I have a bentley, so take a peek in there......
call AAA, you shouldn't be working on any car

[Dakotakid]

Hello, I did not read the above stuff because it looks like there is an argument going on.
I have driven these stinking slow cars since 1981.
I have learned to always carry a spare alternator in each of the cars I own either behind the passenger side seat or in the trunk (in a Jetta). I also carry two metal ammo cans wth a full complement of "our" numerically uneven (13 mm, 15 mm, 17 mm, etc) wrenches and sockets along with screw drivers wire cutters and some spare wire. I always have at least one spare belt of each type specific to the car within the car. I also carry at least one good voltage regulator with new, long brushes on it along with fuses some screws, vise grips, jumper cables, and a 12 volt tire pump. I carry one complete alternator idler pulley (Mk. II with air conditioner) and its corresponding hardware. Oh, I almost forgot a new pump shut off solenoid and curved 15/16 Snap on wrench for it.
I carry two original VW jacks which are in good shape....because they are amazingly light and they do work in a pinch.
I always have two Sears rechargeable LED trouble lights which are really usable for everything from emergency car repairs to avoiding rattlesnake bites at night......got one yesterday....the SNAKE, NOT the bite.
Why do I go to all this much hassle??? Because I live out here in the sticklers and drive in all types of weather in very high mileage cars.
Over the years, I have had to use ALL of this stuff. The worst was an air conditioned Mk. I alternator in the middle of the night in the middle of winter in this hell-hole they call Wyoming!!!!!
What was your question again......?

EDIT: A water pump? Ah, NO, I do not carry one of those.....but, I do reach in a give it the wiggle test all the time

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

BUY A BENTELY....its all in there.  I have replaced those two belts, as well as swapped the entire motor from one generation car to another.  i am more than able to change a belt, which is prolly the easiest thing to do on any car.  good luck



I don't argue on the netz, I have a bentley, so take a peek in there......
call AAA, you shouldn't be working on any car

I am not tryiing to argue with you . I have a Bently, but the Bently is lacking in many important details, that's why we have these forums ha? I am not disputing your capabilities either. I just finished doing the timing belt and had to remove and replace the V belts in the process. It was not an easy job even with the wheel off on jack stand. Everything was oily and gunky- not at all appealing working under the car. Getting the belts on and off was tight. The belts didn't want to come off or back on without persuasion. Access to the AC and alternator belt tensioner was tight. I just can't imagine it would be an easy job in an emergency. That's why I asked those you you who have actually done the job IN AN EMERGENCY to give your input so that I can learn from your experience. No disrespect was intended.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Hello, I did not read the above stuff because it looks like there is an argument going on.
I have driven these stinking slow cars since 1981.
I have learned to always carry a spare alternator in each of the cars I own either behind the passenger side seat or in the trunk (in a Jetta). I also carry two metal ammo cans wth a full complement of "our" numerically uneven (13 mm, 15 mm, 17 mm, etc) wrenches and sockets along with screw drivers wire cutters and some spare wire. I always have at least one spare belt of each type specific to the car within the car. I also carry at least one good voltage regulator with new, long brushes on it along with fuses some screws, vise grips, jumper cables, and a 12 volt tire pump. I carry one complete alternator idler pulley (Mk. II with air conditioner) and its corresponding hardware. Oh, I almost forgot a new pump shut off solenoid and curved 15/16 Snap on wrench for it.
I carry two original VW jacks which are in good shape....because they are amazingly light and they do work in a pinch.

I always have two Sears rechargeable LED trouble lights which are really usable for everything from emergency car repairs to avoiding rattlesnake bites at night......got one yesterday....the SNAKE, NOT the bite.
Why do I go to all this much hassle??? Because I live out here in the sticklers and drive in all types of weather in very high mileage cars.
Over the years, I have had to use ALL of this stuff. The worst was an air conditioned Mk. I alternator in the middle of the night in the middle of winter in this hell-hole they call Wyoming!!!!!
What was your question again......?

EDIT: A water pump? Ah, NO, I do not carry one of those.....but, I do reach in a give it the wiggle test all the time

Thanks for your input. You sound totally prepared- Kudos! Do you have a picture of the orig VW jacks? Why 2 of them? I don't trust the jack that came with my 92 Jetta.

[Dean Erickson]

Ok this will sound strange but I have used one of my wifes nylons in a pinch to get home.  ;DJust stretch It around the pulleys and tie a knot. No tools and takes about one min. works great and will keep the lights on and the car from over heating.

[rabbitman]

Ok this will sound strange but I have used one of my wifes nylons in a pinch to get home.  ;DJust stretch It around the pulleys and tie a knot. No tools and takes about one min. works great and will keep the lights on and the car from over heating.

hahahaha, that's pretty funny

I carry a spare water pump/alt belt, never had to change one by the side of the road.....good thing 'cause I don't usually have my tools with me except on longer trips.

I've wondered about using baling twine before, duct tape is good to have along too.