Changing Belts

[wallyyfm]

Well guys, i've done alot of things to my 3 g, but i've never had to change the belts. I got one that squeaks horribly and i really cant tell which one it is. So, im gonna replace all of them, who knows when they were replaced last. But how do i go about doin this? It's awfully cramped in there. Do i take off the alternator, and where is the tensioner adjustment? This is about the only thing i've never had to do and just dont know how to start it.

Thanks

[89accord_lxi_coupe]

i'm almost certain the how-to section has a listing for this. try that, then ask any other questions you might have. also get a haynes or chilton manual, they are a big help.

-Nolan

[wallyyfm]

i looked in the how to, couldn't find it, i have a haynes, but it doesnt really show anything useful, which kind of surprised me

[88WhiteLX-i]

Well first determine which belt it is. Because it its your alternator/water pump belt you have to take off your power steering and ac compresor belt. To get at your Alternator belt, first take off your air filter box so you can get to the bolts to loosen up the alternator. After that you loosen up the power steering bolts and slip that belt off. Next is your AC belt, if you don't care about it or if it doesn't work you can cut the belt, it'll give you more power anyway. And then your alternator belt. Please ask if any more questions.

[wallyyfm]

I'm gonna get the rest of the belts tomorrow. I just have the main drive belt and i will do all of them. Prolly try tomorrow night. Thanks

[greekguy7]

Let us know how it went....

[88 Accord DX]

man belts are a bitch to mess with. its so fucking crowded. when i had to do the A/C belt, i had to get up under the car and try and do all of it. it was bullshit. i did all that just to have it fall off the next day.

[ACCORD EX]

A/C belt is really a bitch !

BTW the service manual is avaialble for download in the FAQ's !

MIKE

[wallyyfm]

well tonight, after workin on my friends dirtbike, we rolled in my 3 g to do belts, after 3 beers and bleeding knuckles i said "well fuck this" so i just tightened up the slack with the alternator adjustment, the belt still squeaks some at idle, but doesnt scream like it did, it'll be good enough until one breaks, then i'll changem

[ACCORD EX]

tighten it more ! if that helped ! :D

MIKE

[wallyyfm]

i dunno, the belt is pretty tight, i dont wanna snap it

[ACCORD EX]

are you sure it's the one making a squeek ??
BTW tighten the PS belt too ! it's pretty easy to tighten it !:)

MIKE

[snapper]

I did the alternator and power steering belts this weekend. I gave up on the AC belt because the adjusting bolt is frozen. I ended up just cutting AC to get to the alternator belt. The car doesn't squeek anymore, but I have no AC. Mike is right though, the power steering it easy enough to tighten. I know this was actually the one that was making the noise on mine.

Honda was smoking crack when they designed some of the parts on our car. I had to get to my transmission dipstick today and cut the hell out of it just to get to it. That same goes for the belts.

[wallyyfm]

yeah, why put the alternator in the ass crack of the car? its way down in the bottom, id never want to replace that, all my other GMs were right on top and easy to get to, this is why i want an EFI sometime, all these vacuum lines for the carb just piss me off

[snapper]

Do you think I'd be able to cut of the adjusting bolt with a dremel? I tried with a saw zaw, but I couldn't get it in there. The bolt is shot, and I already have another off my junk car. It came off in two seconds from there.

[ACCORD EX]

if you cut the AC adjusting bolt you'll have to get the lower mount bolt completely out ( not just loosen it ) so you can put th enew adjuste bolt in ! ( which is a bitch believe me )

BTW did you loosen all AC mounting bolts before trying to remove teh adjusting bolt ??? ( 4 Mounting bolts , 2 of them with nuts ! ( DENSO compressor ) )

put some WD40 on the bolts and let it sit a while !

MIKE

[Mike's89AccordLX]

I was looking at my belts today and they look like they need to be changed. I was wondering if I should just wait until I get underdrive pulleys.

[ACCORD EX]

belt won't wait ! if they are in bad condition tehy can fail any time ! is the timing belt also bad ! if it is change it at once ! if it fails on you , it could cause a lot of damage to the engine ! :(

MIKE

[snapper]

I have the keihin type so there is two bolts on the top and then the adjusting bolt on the bottom. I've gotten the two bolts on the top out and have even been able to pivot the compressor on just the bottom bolt. The nut it off, but the bolt won't budge to let me slide the compressor back. It is almost like the head of the bolt welded to the bracket. I took it off my other car in like two minutes. It's very weird.

I figure if I can cut the head of this I can at least get the bolt out. It's not even threaded in the compressor. That's what is driving me nuts. I can't figure out how the hell it is still on there.

I tried WD40 and pentraiting oil with no luck.

[ACCORD EX]

you can cut the belt off ! then slide the compressor up , then you'll have clearance to cut it off ! just a thought !

MIKE

[Morpheus]

How the hell do the mechanics do it?

[snapper]

I already cut the belt off to change the alternator belt. I'm riding around now without any belt on it. The compressor won't budge. I've even use a crow bar on it and a sledge hammer. I'm going to try to cut the bolt I think.

[Mike's89AccordLX]

I don't think cutting bolts will be good for anything. :)