86 SE Serpentine Belt Questions (Page 1/1)
Pixelatr JUL 08, 03:12 PM
Hi all, I'm brand new to working on cars so you'll have to pardon my inexperience. I got this 86 SE as a bit of a project car, and so far I've just replaced the clutch master cylinder and fixed the headlight mechanism. When I purchased it I was told the serpentine belt was shot, so I ordered one. The issue is, the one I received is much wider than the one available slot on the two pulleys that even have available slots. There also seems to be some bit of metal that's directly contacting one of the pulleys, which I'm not sure is supposed to be there. I'm also not sure how to put the serpentine belt on if I do find the right one, and it's difficult to find documentation online that fits this specific setup.

I'd appreciate any help you all could give!
Patrick JUL 08, 03:37 PM
Welcome. Yes, that does look like a "bit of a project".

First of all, that isn't a serpentine belt (like is found on the 2.8). That's a V-belt. (Serpentine belts can bend in either direction while in use, whereas a V-belt cannot.) To install the belt, you need to allow for some slack. That's done by loosening the two bolts which hold the alternator in place, and then rotating the alternator.

But before you install any belt on your engine, you need to clean all the dirt and corrosion off any pulleys that the belt will be riding on. Otherwise, you'll just be replacing the belt again in short order.

I don't know what belt you have and/or what you're supposed to have.

I don't know what "bit of metal" you're referring to. The timing scale?

If I rotate your image, it'll make a whole lot more sense on a PC monitor.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-08-2022).]

steve308 JUL 08, 04:24 PM
A good way to find out what you need is to use an online parts catalog like "Rock Auto". It will let you see the parts you need and give you valuable options. You can choose to purchase parts from them or take the part number(s) into a local parts store for them to interchange into the brand they sell. As Patrick suggested, a wire brush on the pullies will help as will gloves, eye protection, compressed air to blow away the rust dust and perhaps be sure your tatanus shot is up to date
fierofool JUL 08, 05:56 PM
The bit of metal I see on the pulley is the timing scale as Steve Patrick suggested. The belt doesn't go underneath it. It has a tube protruding upward. The tube isn't used in our timing application. It was a factory tool. Clean that scale very well so you can more easily adjust the timing if needed. The deepest groove on the scale is Zero Degrees. Each valley and peak from that is equivalent to 2 Degrees of timing.

Clean the pulleys as suggested and use some white or other brightly colored enamel paint to mark the widest groove on the pulley. That's Zero Degrees, or Top Dead Center (TDC) Also, I see the belt appears to be turned on its side. The cogged side goes into the pulley groove, with the flat side outward.

Before you get too involved with fixing and replacing I suggest you pull the trunk carpet back on each end and look for rust spots on the side trunk walls. Then, with the rear wheel or wheels removed, inspect the frame rails by feeling behind the fender well liner at the lower edges. You might even need to pull the fender well liner for a proper inspection. These are common rust areas that can render a car to be dangerous and not worth the effort and money. I make this suggestion based upon the appearance of what I see and your geographic area. Hope everything is in good condition, though.

[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 07-08-2022).]

theogre JUL 08, 06:46 PM
Above is Water Pump & Pulley on 86 4 cyl...

Yes, engine uses V belts but shares most Serpent belt problems...
See my Cave, Serpent Belt

pic seems to shows a Flipped belt = broken belt even w/o belt has failed completely. This can happen when people install belts too tight or bearings in water pump and other things are bad. Careful check the bearings because If second is why just kill new belt(s) fast.

You Must Clean all pulleys Before you replace the belt.

Yes before spending a lot of money on the engine etc, you need to check for frame rust. Frame rot can kill any plan to repair/restore a car.
use search for many threads on that.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave