Changed all belts for $18 this am (1 Viewer)

[IdahoDoug]

Changed out all three accessory belts this morning after noting in my log they were last changed 6 years ago. I get a discount at the local dealer, and the belts cost me $18 for a matched set of two, and the A/C belt (be sure to get this matched set - they're packaged together and also held to each other with twine). Let's see here, that comes out to $3/year for belts....

Was pleased to note that the anti-sieze I used years ago made the job a piece of cake - everything came off fine. The old belts were just slightly hardened and showed minor cracking of the top surface when I bent them - nothing structural, tho. I like how Toyota left an access hole for the A/C tensioner in the metal splash pan below the radiator.

I could not get the new A/C belt on with the tensioner fully retracted, so resorted to an engine bump to pull it onto the pulley the rest of the way. What an easy vehicle to work on this is. Room to swing a wrench, and Mr. T clearly used good fasteners (though I wish they'd moved the alternator tensioner lock bolt a TAD further from the belts..

IdahoDoug

 

[Landpimp]

yeah new belts are tight. nice thing is your old belts make great spares and sense they are ALOT looser they are a breeze to put on when on the side of the road

had a guy(that I didn't know) in a 91 fj80 2 weeks ago blow a belt down the road from me, we stoped(in the beater chevy truck) and I told him I had a spare at my place, he basicaly said "yeah right" finaly talked him into cutting off what was left of the old one and driving to my place without PS, they pulled into my yard and I'm pretty sure believed me by then that I had a spare took one off the wall, and had a new/used belt on in a matter of mins. They were shocked!....no place in town would have had a belt till monday. Of course they offered money and or beer......I took neither, but told him to replace all the belts very soon. BTW one owner, 140k miles and origianal belts........till one let loose.

think he broke down in the right place?

John

 

[IdahoDoug]

JH,

I suspect you'd agree that part of the overall enjoyment of doing things yourself and taking pride in being prepared is having an opportunity to help others. That's a perfect example of this attitude in action - nice. Bet he was blown away and will be talking about you for a long time.

rgds,

IdahoDoug

PS - funny you mentioned keeping the old belts. While cleaning up, I tossed them in the trash. By the time I was done putting tools away, I'd changed my mind and hooked them over the bench vice until the new belts had proven themselves for a few days. Then I came home from work and it was trash night so everything needed to go out front. I stood and looked at the belts weighing whether or not to toss 'em and move on before taking all the stuff out to the curb together. They're still on the vice...

 

[cruiserman]

Old belts go in the access panel above the jack.

 

[PHAEDRUS]

nah
on the mighty 3fe they are a bit too long (main belt) it goes under the middle row of seats with the haynes book and the spare fuel type line that lives in my truck just in case.
Dave

 

[IdahoDoug]

I prefer the "smuggler's doors" both my Monteros had. For a time, the 80 shared garage space with a 91, then a 99 Montero full size. They had a metal box under the center seat floor that went from rocker to rocker. It was accessed with discrete steel doors with carpet over them for concealment and big enough for recovery gear, first aid kit, spares, and the like. Great feature in otherwise wasted space.

IdahoDoug

 

[DRTDuck]

IDoug-

Since my spare is on the rear, I have seriously considered making a summglers box. Metal tool box, cut hole in floor in middle of cargo area, weld box to floor, hing door, presto!! Yet, I figured every time I would need something out of there, I'd have three feet of stuff stacked on top.

 

[GXO]

hmm, not a bad idea...

If you have 3 feet of stuff on top...just put the things that are normally on the bottom in the box and then you have 2 feet!

 

[cruiserdan]

Byron,

I have seen more than 1 80 with aux batteries in that location (Yomoma is one of them)