Thread: Changing engine belt

I'll be doing a bit of under the hood work tomorrow. My GP has nearly 90k, and it doesn't look the drive belt was replaced. What is the factory recommendation on when to change it? Its got a few cracks on it, so I figure i'd probably change it since I don't think the belts are that much anyway. I have to hit Autozone from some supplies, so I'll likely get the belt there.

I dont recall the factory recommended mileage interval, but if you got a few cracks on it, I would definitely say its getting time to replace it.

Ok. I wish now that when I replaced the S/C belt for a smaller pulley on my Impala I'd done the drive belt as well. Just so I'm not having to again remove the S/C belt as well. Too late now, or just too lazy to do them both now.

Most will say that if your belt has more than 7 cracks in it per 1" of belt it's definitely time to change the belt.

I changed the belt on my F150, and it's at a bit over 100k. It looked pretty bad, and I'm hoping to sell it in a few weeks/months, so its just another thing I can say has been done. I changed the GP belt. I could have gone a bit longer, but I had to take the belt off for valve cover replacement anyway. I'll probably change the Impala belts at 100k as well.

According to Alldata back when I was in school, the belt in my 02 grand prix 3.8, is a "long life" belt, designed for 250,000 miles, so GM doesn't list an interval (other than inspections, that I know of) for changing, just look for cracks like stated above

Originally Posted by ChuckVA

So, I take it to replace the serpentine the s/c belt also needs to be replaced? or at least removed?

Yes, you'll have to at least remove the S/C belt. And if you've never replaced the S/C belt due to a change in pulley, I'd replace both at the same time. I wish I had gone ahead and changed my serpentine belt when I did the S/C belt, but oh well.