Belt change how-to with photos

Discussion in 'Knowledge Base Articles Discussion' started by galaxee, Nov 28, 2010.

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  1. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    We've been overdue for a belt change for some time, and life has just kept us constantly on the go lately. The Prius is at 93k miles and we decided to buckle down and do some maintenance before it gets any colder outside.

    I didn't see a belt change how-to write up, so I documented as DH did the change.

    Tools:
    10mm, 12mm, 14mm sockets. Ratchet. Extension. New part.

    BEFORE you begin: know the routing of the belt! It's hard to get a good picture, but get your hand in there and feel where it loops around and picture in your mind how it goes in. Note how tense the belt feels.

    Brand new belt!
    [​IMG]

    Pull back air intake hose from engine air filter box. Use a 10mm socket to loosen the clamp.
    [​IMG]

    Here are the various pulleys you're looking at. Top one is the tensioner. Below is the water pump, and rearward of that is the crank pulley but it's poorly visible here.
    [​IMG]

    Get a 14mm socket on the nut inside the tensioner. Loosen it a little. DO NOT take it off. It will be tight.
    [​IMG]

    Next, loosen the 12mm bolt above the tensioner. (you can see the extension going down to it) until you can see the pulley drop and the bolt comes back up toward you. Then stop.

    If the tensioner doesn't drop, push on the 12mm bolt- if that doesn't do it, you might not have loosened the 14mm nut enough.
    [​IMG]

    Tensioner pulley dropped, you can see the belt is loose:
    [​IMG]

    Belt can easily be taken out now:
    [​IMG]

    This one most certainly needed to be replaced. Look at the cracks!
    [​IMG]

    There is a little glazing, which is normal after a lot of time. Recall this belt saw 93000 miles of service. If it's severe glazing, it's a sign something is binding up.
    [​IMG]

    And it's a little stretched out compared to the new belt due to normal wear:
    [​IMG]

    Now for the re-install. Hold the belt so it has two loops:
    [​IMG]

    Here's where you want to know how to replace the belt. Get your hand in there and fit the belt in the tracks on the crank pulley. Make sure it's in the tracks and not shifted.
    [​IMG]

    Bring the belt over the water pump pulley and last loop over the tensioner.
    [​IMG]

    Re-adjust the tensioner bolt to restore tension to your new belt. Recall the old belt was stretched out a little, so increase tension slightly in comparison to the old.
    [​IMG]

    Check tension, check that the belt is in place everywhere, re-check tension. Adjust tensioner bolt if necessary again.

    Once all is good, tighten the tensioner nut:
    [​IMG]

    Replace air intake hose:
    [​IMG]

    Done!

    Took 11 minutes for DH, including the time he went looking for an extension because that 14mm nut is a little tight.

    Happy Prius maintaining!
    -g and DH
     
    #1 galaxee, Nov 28, 2010
    Isaac Zachary, genchau, 94hawk213 and 26 others like this.
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    #2 Patrick Wong, Nov 29, 2010
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  3. tlegge50@yahoo.com

    [email protected] New Member

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    my 05 prius has 258000 miles with the same belt the dealer said they called the factory they said dont worry about it i think i will change it
     
    #3 [email protected], Nov 29, 2010
  4. tlegge50@yahoo.com

    [email protected] New Member

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    the only repair i ever had was a check valve in the cooling system besides regular maint
     
    #4 [email protected], Nov 30, 2010
  5. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    You guys make things like this look so easy that this mechanically challenged individual feels adventurous enough to try it.

    Question: How long does the ratchet extension need to be?

    Thanks for the great post!
     
    #5 JimboK, Nov 30, 2010
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    thanks, Patrick! i hadn't seen your post, guess i'm hopelessly behind on PC! :)

    tlegge50, it is definitely time for a belt change!

    Jim, the extension in the photos was 10in, and DH recommends "as long as possible"
    the longer the extension, the more leverage one gets when turning that tensioner pulley nut. and it's easier to have a long extension when working with that tensioner bolt too.
     
    #6 galaxee, Nov 30, 2010
  7. hpartsch

    hpartsch Member

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    Thanks, great pics/explanations.

    Hopefully I'll get this done over Christmas break.
     
    #7 hpartsch, Nov 30, 2010
  8. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Regarding loosening the 14 mm nut, it would help to use a 1/2" cheater bar. I also have a 2-1/2' length of steel pipe (formerly part of a TV antenna mast) to put over the cheater bar if I need additional leverage.
     
    #8 Patrick Wong, Nov 30, 2010
  9. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Glad to see that it is possible replace the drive belt on this car without removing the RF tire.

    The job looks pretty easy, especially for a more advanced DIY-er like myself, but I'm curious as to whether someone has tried this method of replacing the belt?
     
    #9 The Critic, Feb 10, 2011
  10. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    I didn't go whacky when tightening because the threads were wet when it went back together. I'm a big fan of locktight 242 ... that way it doesn't back out.

    .
     
    #10 hill, Feb 10, 2011
  11. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    This is perfect. I will be doing this when the weather gets warmer.
     
    #11 usbseawolf2000, Feb 10, 2011
  12. mrshow555

    mrshow555 New Member

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    Where did you purchase the new belt? Online? Pep Boys etc...?
     
    #12 mrshow555, Mar 17, 2011
  13. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    The OP would have bought the belt from a Toyota dealer since a photo shows the Toyota part number label of the new part. I suggest Champion Toyota in Houston (toyotaworld.com) as their ground freight service to southern CA is quite fast.
     
    #13 Patrick Wong, Mar 17, 2011
  14. mrshow555

    mrshow555 New Member

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    what does these run? do they have any good non-Toyota brands that anyone recommends?
     
    #14 mrshow555, Mar 17, 2011
  15. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    The serpentine belt costs $14 (plus shipping) from Champion Toyota.
    Champion ToyotaWorld

    I would not buy aftermarket, considering that you can buy the correct part for a very low price.
     
    #15 Patrick Wong, Mar 17, 2011
  16. mrshow555

    mrshow555 New Member

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    oh wow that's way less than I thought. Thanks for the tip!
     
    #16 mrshow555, Mar 18, 2011
  17. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Just ordered a belt from the dealer for $14 and will be replacing it tomorrow. 2006 Prius with 85k.

    Has anyone followed these instructions for doing the belt from the top? Easy?

    I'll keep everyone posted.
     
    #17 The Critic, Apr 14, 2011
  18. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Just replaced the belt. It is not advisable to do this completely from top unless you have very long and skinny arms.

    I kept failing over and over again for more than 1/2 hr before I finally gave up and removed the RF tire to access it from the bottom. On the bottom, you only need to remove the 10mm bolt and reach your hand in there (you do not need to remove the splashguard) to push the belt on. The easiest way is to put the belt on every pulley except for a small section of the crank pulley nearest the water pump. To get that last bit of the belt on, it is easiest to push it onto the crank pulley and not the tensioner pulley. When loosened, the tensioner pulley looks too fragile to be aggressive with.
     
    #18 The Critic, Apr 16, 2011
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  19. mrshow555

    mrshow555 New Member

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    where do you order the belt from Toyota? is there a phone number or website (and part # for a 2007)
     
    #19 mrshow555, Apr 16, 2011
  20. rocketman7

    rocketman7 Junior Member

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    I just did the belt replacement - thanks for the photos, they were a great help. It took me about 40 minutes in all, with the biggest time consumption being getting the belt on from the top (tight fit).

    My question is how do I know if I got the tension correct (either too loose or too tight)? If it is currently on too tight and I drive with it for a few days what will happen, or conversely, if it is too loose what could happen?
     
    #20 rocketman7, May 15, 2011
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