P38A Any tips to get the serp belt back on?

Fitted a new waterpump to my 4.6, any tips on getting the serp belt back on?

I assume the belt is correct and was fitted correctly previously, but when the water pump failed it threw the belt, so I never saw how it was routed.

Found some pics on Google showing how it should be routed, but I'm struggling to get it back on, it seems just a tad too short.

I've got a big bar on the tensioner and can move it it's full travel. But the belt still seems an inch or so too short to get the correct side of the idler pulley.

300bhp/ton said:

Fitted a new waterpump to my 4.6, any tips on getting the serp belt back on?

I assume the belt is correct and was fitted correctly previously, but when the water pump failed it threw the belt, so I never saw how it was routed.

Found some pics on Google showing how it should be routed, but I'm struggling to get it back on, it seems just a tad too short.

I've got a big bar on the tensioner and can move it it's full travel. But the belt still seems an inch or so too short to get the correct side of the idler pulley.

Click to expand...

Looks more or less the same as the one on my old D2. When I did that, I routed the belt as you have done already, and then used a ring spanner on the centre bolt of the tensioner pulley to push the tensioner up towards the engine and get the belt on.

From memory, there were several belts to allow for options, like aircon. Not certain, this was a few years ago. Are you certain you have the right belt?

It's the belt that was on it. But I don't know if it was fitted correctly. Yeah I've got the tensioner compressed all the way in the pics.

I can route the belt on the underside of the idler and the tensioner ends up about 50% compressed, so it does seem to work like that, I just know it's not really the correct fitment.

300bhp/ton said:

It's the belt that was on it. But I don't know if it was fitted correctly. Yeah I've got the tensioner compressed all the way in the pics.

I can route the belt on the underside of the idler and the tensioner ends up about 50% compressed, so it does seem to work like that, I just know it's not really the correct fitment.

Click to expand...

I think it is best to try and get it over the tensioner, to get a tight angle on the drive pulley on the crankshaft, prevent slipping.

Are you sure it is correctly seated in all the grooves on the pulleys? Only needs a little bit extra on a few pulleys to take a lot of length off the belt.
When I do them, I usually have an assistant under the vehicle, make sure everything seats nicely when I do the tensioner.

Is the alternator loosened ???

There are a couple of belts PQS101480 is 2322 mm long maybe the one you have and PQS101630 which is 2335 mm long maybe the one you need. Depends on VIN number.

Looking at the picture the belt isn't fully engaged in the alternator pulley multi-vees. Whenever I've changed or had to remove the belt on my thor I leave the tensioner pulley as the last pulley to get the belt on and I've never had difficulty with it.

Thanks for the replies. I’ve got some helping hands coming over later to give it another go.

Yeah pretty sure everything was seated. It only went a little slack for me to wield the camera while holding pressure on the tensioner with the other hand

I think Wammers might be on the money. But I’ll give it another go before conceding defeat.

hi, as a couple of others have noted from your photos. firstly make sure belt is seated on the alternator pulley properly !!!!!! then get a long pinch bar and lever the tensioner pulley fulley and then belt will slide onto tensioner pulley quite easy ,, if its the original belt that you took off theres no reason why it wont go back on ,,, the old saying " what comes off goes back on" if you have a helper to pull the pinch bar it helps,, plus you get more leverage with a long bar rather than using a socket and bar !!!!! best of luck !!!!! regards mozz.

Well it’s back on. Just need some extra hands. Also the tensioner may not have gone back 100% correctly first time either. But it’s all on now!

Also ended up with a massive air lock. Pulling the pipes to the heater matrix and filling them from there with the header tank cap off and the top hose seemed to do the trick.

Yes, it is odd. Sometimes the air seems to come out with no issues and other times it is an absolute sod getting it all out. Giving it a some revs seems to help push it round.

From the rave manual it says to blow in breather pipe that goes on the top corner of the rad. I did it last night with no worries. Blew through that pipe. Reconnected then filled header tank to cold level. Ran the vehicle and just kept topping up to cold level. Stuck the heating on full inside and left it running until it got upto temp. Thermostats opened and I filled to cold again. Left it running for another five minutes with the cap off the whole time. Didn' hhave heating inside but after I took it for a test drive the heating kicked in. That's how the rave manual says to do it anyway.