V70: General Fitting new A/C belt

[Model flyer]

Hi I used an old credit card between the pulley and the ribbed side of the a/c belt and managed to get belt on with no damage. Very tough in a tight space but doable. Make sure it's an old card as that get slaughtered !

[Olaf Els]

Originally Posted by Model flyer

Hi I used an old credit card between the pulley and the ribbed side of the a/c belt and managed to get belt on with no damage. Very tough in a tight space but doable. Make sure it's an old card as that get slaughtered !

Thanks. I tried that, but found it much easier to work rib by rib as per my previous post. Each to their own, and it's good to have more than one method.

Believe me, getting that belt on is a piece of cake compared to replacing the water pump without taking the cam sprocket off! It's impossible. The VIDA manual lacks any detail about how to do it, apart from providing the torque settings for the six bolts. Getting a torque wrench in there is equally impossible!

[John Carter]

This is the method I use.If you go to the 30:45 minute point you can see that from the bottom you undo the power steering pump bolts, this then lets you put the belt on very easily, Hope that helps and any comments are welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRTS...nel=BenzMackan

[Markj7870]

Take the auxilary belt off, so the PAS and A/C are free running and gently feed the stretchy belt onto the pulleys while turning the A/C pulley and pushing the belt carefully into the correct position. There's no need for any special tools and there is no damage. Replace the auxiliary belt and all is good. I used a Gates kit.

[Model flyer]

I use an old credit card to get the A/C belt over the grooves . Note I said an old card as it tends to chew them a bit, the card not the belt. Its tiring on the fingers but not too terrible . It also helps if you have a helper ho can turn engine over with a socket on the crank while you guide the belt .

[leylandp38]

Just an update having done mine this evening. An improvement in the credit card technique; I call it the soup can technique.

I was fitting Dayco belts which are very tough. One of the belts I removed (which was shrieking) was a Gates. Very thin and light, like a rubber band. Probably easy to fit but terrible quality)

Take a discarded soup tin or other steel can (not aluminium). Chop it into strips about 30mm wide, 100mm long. Easiest if you go around the body of the can as the curvature is useful.

Loosen the 3 bolts holding the AC compressor on, this allows it to move, closing the gap between the pulleys which helps when using a good quality Dayco belt.

Rotating the pulley (I used a 10mm socket on the steering pump bolts) feed the belt around both pulleys, allow it to sit on the outer pulley for now.

Next, insert the soup can segments onto the upper pulley. If you leave the ridge on one side it helps to push it level with the larger pulley. Insert the second segment and rotate so that the metal is fully between the belt and the pulley.

Gently work the belt across the pulley, using the tin can to allow it to slide. Once in the correct location, rotate pulleys, remove the tin can and discard. Tighten the AC pump bolts.

This took me 10 mins once I figured out the approach, in a chilly North Yorkshire December evening.

[Kev0607]

I used my hands to get the ac belt on… not easy, but definitely doable.

I just cut the old belt off whilst it was attached to the pulleys (Wheel arch liner was off).

[XC70Virgin]

It's still a prick of a job! Poor design as a result of penny pinching.