Serpentine Belt Removal/Replacement (2003 Astro)

General technical discussion and troubleshooting
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chemist
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Serpentine Belt Removal/Replacement (2003 Astro)

Post by chemist »

The late model Astro does not use multiple belts, but instead uses one long serpentine belt. Replacement of this belt is a general maintenance item--but bear in mind I'm doing mine at over 100,000 miles. They're certainly designed to last, which is one consolation for the relative difficultly of what would be a 5 minute job on a sedan. Still it isn't too hard to do yourself. The belt will set you back from $30 to $60. For having no desire to do this job again in the next 5 years, I spent the extra money and went for the OEM (original equipement manufacturer) belt. Depending on your money situation, you may wish to do the same.

A word of caution, if your replacing your belt because it's squeeling, and it show no signs of cracking, save your money and simply clean it and the pullies. The GM shop manual states to clean the pullies, and notes that replacing it for squeeling without cleaning the pullies will likely only be a temporary fix.

The specific van photographed is equiped with air conditioning, but the concept and belt tensioner location is the same. To replace or remove the belt from one of the pullies for other work, proceed as follows:

1. Remove the air intake as per this procedure:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=2699

2. Remove the upper fan housing as per this procedure:
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=2700

This is what you're now looking at. Note the path of the belt, as the last thing you want to do is get the belt off and not remember how it looked when it was on...
Image
Image

If you have a digital or polaroid camera handy, snap a couple pics of your own prior to removal...

3. Your belt tensioner is located below the alternator. Sorry I didn't get a good picture of it specifically. In the center tensioner pully, you will notice a square indent. That's there for a reason. A 3/8" drive will fit into it perfectly. Place a 3/8" extension between the fan blades. The picture doesn't show, but if you lack a long handled 3/8 rachet as I do, a 12" to 18" piece of 1.5" galvanized pipe will slip right over your rachet handle and give all the leverage you'll ever need.
Image

4. Then simply slip the belt off, starting with the top smooth pully first. You'll need to slip it around the fan to get it out.
Image

5. Clean your pullies, then replace your belt just as it was removed. Skip the tensioner and the smooth pully in the top center, seen above, until you've gotten the belt on the engine pully. The engine pully is best accessed from underneath the van, while everything else is best accessed from under the hood.
Last edited by chemist on Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Previous Vans: 1998 Astro, AWD, 138K mi; traded on 2003 Chevy Astro, AWD, 125K mi; traded on
2009 Chevy Silverado 1500 WT, 4x4, ext, long box
2007 Chevy Cobalt
1998 Maza MPV (180K mi and in need of PA inspection--only paid $500!)

Needed: a Gen 2 Astro project vehicle...
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mdmead
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Re: Serpentine Belt Removal/Replacement (2003 Astro)

Post by mdmead »

I'd like to add that this would be a good time to replace the tensioner too. Mine was less than $50 from a GM dealer. (My tensioner failed well before 100K miles on a road trip to Northern Maine on a Friday night in 15 degree weather. It cost us an unexpected night in a motel and half-a-day's worth of snowmobiling. Luckily I was able to drive to a motel and then on to a GM dealer the next morning without overheating or completely discharging my battery.)

Oh, and toss the old belt and tensioner in the van... just in case!
Matt
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safariobsession
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Re: Serpentine Belt Removal/Replacement (2003 Astro)

Post by safariobsession »

mdmead wrote:Oh, and toss the old belt and tensioner in the van... just in case!
Yes! AND, find an extra idler pulley to keep as a spare too! The pulley on my tensioner shatttered on the highway but a 15 minute swap (pulley and belt) and on I went! Good post chemist!
Van sold April 2009 -->

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Re: Serpentine Belt Removal/Replacement (2003 Astro)

Post by Water Boy »

I suggest, and others here have as well, install the Gatorback belt by Goodyear.

http://www2.goodyearbeltsandhose.com/cars/gatopoly.html

Never a squeak or squeal.
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1990 Astro (Z motor) mostly original @ 343,584 miles (552,944.8488960001 Canadian) (03/2008). Bad startup puff. Starting to spray for skeeters. Gone 06/07/08.
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Re: Serpentine Belt Removal/Replacement (2003 Astro)

Post by phr1$k37 »


:prayer:
I just took a look through your posts dude - you are awesome! Keep it up and thank you very much!
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