Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Rearanger
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2008
- Messages
- 1,429
- Reaction score
- 23
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Southeast USA
- Vehicle Year
- 2003
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Manual
I needed to remove the serpentine belt to install a new upper idler pulley - if that's what's squealing occasionally. Hence the journey into Ford engineering hell.
I have not replaced the belt yet so this was new territory. For those who have a similar setup - beware.
The job is much easier done with the fan, clutch, and shroud removed. However you need to remove the clutch before anything else can be tackled. Ford specs a pulley strap wrench (I have one) to hold the pulley while you use a 7/8" wrench to twist off the center shaft from the flange holding the clutch. Even with a pipe extender I could not budge the center bolt. Don't bother with the four bolts, they're just the belt and suspenders theory to hold the clutch onto the center shaft flange and frustrate you further. There is another four bolts holding the fan to the clutch, which you can remove with more hand scrapes, but it became more of a hinderance to have the fan floating.
The belt tensioner is a massive spring inside a casting. Ford does not provide any smart engineering in the casting design. A lug, which has to be used for a pry bar, is too short and not in the right position for easy use.
It came down to using my acetylene torch and angle grinder to custom cut, bend, and grind a rod into a pry tool to do the job. Square stock of the proper size would be better if you have it.
Lastly, it's easier to put the belt onto the tensioner pulley first then pry the tensioner back and lift the belt onto the upper idler pulley.
I won't include all the choice Ford words that are also needed to get through the job.
I will never buy another Ford, of all the vehicles I've worked on they have the worst DIY engineering.
I have not replaced the belt yet so this was new territory. For those who have a similar setup - beware.
The job is much easier done with the fan, clutch, and shroud removed. However you need to remove the clutch before anything else can be tackled. Ford specs a pulley strap wrench (I have one) to hold the pulley while you use a 7/8" wrench to twist off the center shaft from the flange holding the clutch. Even with a pipe extender I could not budge the center bolt. Don't bother with the four bolts, they're just the belt and suspenders theory to hold the clutch onto the center shaft flange and frustrate you further. There is another four bolts holding the fan to the clutch, which you can remove with more hand scrapes, but it became more of a hinderance to have the fan floating.
The belt tensioner is a massive spring inside a casting. Ford does not provide any smart engineering in the casting design. A lug, which has to be used for a pry bar, is too short and not in the right position for easy use.
It came down to using my acetylene torch and angle grinder to custom cut, bend, and grind a rod into a pry tool to do the job. Square stock of the proper size would be better if you have it.
Lastly, it's easier to put the belt onto the tensioner pulley first then pry the tensioner back and lift the belt onto the upper idler pulley.
I won't include all the choice Ford words that are also needed to get through the job.
I will never buy another Ford, of all the vehicles I've worked on they have the worst DIY engineering.
