I think the technique was off. Lemme give you a quick how BillBoost would do it.
1. Watch the guy struggle with it and kinda shake your head and giggle.
2. Ask if he'd like a hand
3. Take the belt and lay it out in the sun. New belts have bends and let's go ahead and warm it up to make it easier to work with.
4. Put the belt on the crank pulley, AC pulley, then the other end over the WP, down to the ps pump and finish things up by going over the alt.
5. With my left hand I lift the belt off the water pump pulley toward the tensioner.
6. Sneak the socket in under the belt and onto the tensioner pulley bolt.
7. With ratchet or belt tool end down and to the front of the vehicle.. lift up to release tension and slip the belt on.
8. Now here's the key.. your belt isn't going on. At this point with all these things going on.. your socket is holding the belt. Reach your hand around and find the pulley that the belt isn't properly seated on and you can then slide the belt onto the tensioner pulley.
If that doesn't work and you happen to be localish to one of the NJ guys here.. One of them would likely stop over.. If it's Scottydoggs..lol you'll be quite impressed that a guy his size can toss that belt on like butter.
