I know this is a dumb question and only a moron like me would have trouble installing the belt, but how the hell can the belt that came off last October be too short now?


I've tried routing it like the photos...

did the other guy not wrap it around the air pump? I don't see any adjustment, just the spring loaded tensioner, and with it cranked all the way, the belt is still too short to even go around the alternator.

Tried same as Pic 1 and same as Pic 2 top route, no go
pic3 is the same

Any idea what my problem is?

 

picture three is the correct route for an 89-92 belt. The earlier 1988 belt ran like photo 1. The older belt is longer by three inches or so. What number is on the belt you have? The longer belt should have a 980 in the number and the shorter belt should have a 945. ...Unless it has a underdrive pulley on it then it will have a smaller belt than probably both of those.

 

There was a TSB that tried to remedy the noisy radial 4 A/C compressor noise problem by re-routing the belt. It required a different length belt, but that noise can never be completely cured.

My guess is that you have a short belt and are trying to route it the long-belt way.

The camera picture in pic #1 should work for the short belt method (belt #945).

Personally, I prefer the long-belt route (belt #980) you show in the line drawing on the third pic because it grips the P/S pump tighter than the A.I.R. pump.

 

thanks. I'll check the belt number. If it is the short one, I'd rather have the power steering get more grip too, so maybe it is time for a new belt.