super tight new AC belt - can't fit (1 Viewer)

[Cnut]

Finally got around to replacing old belts. I can't get the daggum AC belt around the pulleys for the life of me. The tensioner pulley is bottomed out. Pull and tug as I may, I can't get the new one to fit. Prior to install, I lined the new belts (OEM from SOR) up with old and they appeared similar size, but I didn't measure. Any tips? Only thing I could think of it bump starting the motor to turn the crank, but am unsure which way it spins and don't want to mess up a new spendy belt. Lost a pair of safety glasses to frustration-induced spiking into the concrete driveway...

 

[Cnut]

Forgot - '88 3FE

 

[EscapeWagon62]

Just did my 88 a few weeks ago. I make sure the idler tensioner pulley was all the way loose, put the belt on the crank pulley first, A/c compressor second and used a screw driver to leverage the belt onto the tensioner pulley.

 

[Cnut]

I can't hook the AC compressor and crank. Pulley is all the way down and doesn't seem to be impeding the process.

 

[EscapeWagon62]

That is very odd. Assuming the belt is the correct size the location of the tensioner pulley is the only variable.
Check your pulley one more time....I’m assuming you loosened the lock bolt on the front of the pulley and loosened the tensioner bolt counter clockwise until it’s loose? Mine was a little bound up when I did mine. I had to make sure that the pulley freely moved left and right in its bracket.

Other than belt size or not free pulley I have no other ideas.

 

[Cruzerman]

Take a second and make sure you got the right belt. I've yanked, pried, and cussed at belts not fitting only to later realize that it was the wrong belt.

 

[Cnut]

Broke out the bump starter, got the belt started on the AC compressor, fired it up and it slipped right on. S.O.B. Beer time.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, There are two different belts for the fj62 from Toyota, one is slightly longer. Mike