Replace 24V VR6 Serpentine Belt

[eurostiehl]

If you need to replace your serpentine belt and don't want to pay the $300 stealership fee to replace it, then do it yourself. I have never touched a serpentine belt before and I decided to take this task into my own hands and after about 45 minutes I discovered it was very simple.

Do this procedure at your own risk. I am not responsible for any mistakes that you make, any parts you break, or any other thing you try to pend on me.

Tools Needed:
--Socket wrench--
--6mm hex socket bit OR 6mm allen wrench--
--socket to hold the 6mm allen bit above
--T20 bit--
--bit screw driver (fits the t20)--
--M8 1.25 pitch screw about 2 inches long (you can get this at home depot or ace hardware for 50 cents--
--and of course a new serpentine belt (part # 066 145 933J)--

To start off you may want to print this diagram, it displays the 24valve belt pattern.

1) If your old belt is still in there pull it out.
2) Start off by taking the front passenger wheel off and jacking the front passenger side of the car up.
3) Remove the t20 screws in the passenger fender liner (you don’t have to do this but it just makes life easier) just to give you an idea

4) Remove tensioner pulley by removing the 3 blue-green 6mm hex bolts in the picture below. I used a 6mm hex bit and a socket and ratchet to do this. This makes it easy to loop the new belt in, since the gap between the actual pulley and engine is tiny and makes it hard to get the belt into position.

Installing New Belt
5) Start off my looping the belt around the crank as shown below (if you don't know what all your pulleys are, refer to the first image as this displays them all for you).

6) Next loop it under the power steering pulley and up and around the A/C pulley as shown below:

7) Next loop it around the Alternator pulley as shown below:

8) Now were going to move back down to the crank, and from the top loop the belt under the coolant pump (water pump) shown in picture above ^^^

9) Now that you have done this thread the M8 1.25 2" Bolt you bought into the threaded hole in the tensioner pulley, shown below:

10) Thread this all the way until it looks like this (there is a stopper that will prevent you from going too far):

11) Now go back to your belt and pull it tight, loop the tensioner pulley in now (refer back to diagram to see how the belt is supposed to be) kinda tight area but tried to get the best pik as possible for you.

12: Once that is in line the tensioner pulley arm back up with the holes in the engine to bolt the 3 screws back in. Tighten them back on. (I don't know exact torque, I just did then tight with a quarter turn)

13: BEFORE YOU PROCEED
Check you belt make sure it is lined up around each pulley and not hanging off the edge of a pulley. If it is then proceed to step 14, if not line it up so its on track.
14) Back out the M8 screw you put in the tensioner (my bolt had a 16mm head yours may be different) Our cars have automatic tensioners and it will automatically tighten the belt to where it needs to be.

Here is what my whole system looked like after:
Bottom:

Top:


Tensioner: (notice the gap under the threaded screw hole--it should look like this...just incase your worried

Modified by eurostiehl at 5:19 PM 12-19-2007


Modified by eurostiehl at 5:48 PM 12-19-2007

[Astralplane]

Very Nice!
I have two questions.

What's the part# for the belt?

What was the condition of the Tensioner Pulley?

[eurostiehl]

i will get you the belt part number later i dont have it on hand. i got my from vw but ecstuning.com has them at half the price. as for my pulley it coulda been replaced..it has a little chatter to it, but i figured it would hold up for the time being. If you are planning on getting a new pulley i you can get that at the dealership or i think ECStuning.com as well


Modified by eurostiehl at 5:26 PM 12-19-2007

[koko5869]

i actually have a belt sitting here in my room.
066 145 933J sound right?

its in the "compilation of technical info" thread on the top

[eurostiehl]

yep that sounds like it thanks ill add it to the top
another funny thing is I got an OEM VW belt from the dealer ship, it even has a VW symbol printed on it, yet it also has this printed

Modified by eurostiehl at 5:50 PM 12-19-2007

[NOVAdub]

Just because its a VW part doesnt mean it was made in Germany.... most of these cars are made in brazil, why woudl the parts be any different? Nice writeup!

[eurostiehl]

not sayign that all parts need to be made in germany...but i figured the last place would be japan and china...

[orange1218]

How did you know I was looking for this? Nice write up. How do we add this to the DIY?!?


Modified by orange1218 at 9:09 PM 12-19-2007

[koko5869]

Quote, originally posted by orange1218 »

How did you know I was looking for this? Nice write up. How do we add this to the DIY?!?

hah, good luck.
the real question is how can we get a 24v guru as a mod?

[orange1218]

Quote »

This pic makes me think it might be a good time to put on some new pulleys. Anybody know anything about under drive pulleys for our engine? Read something about damaging the harmonics?

[chudzikb]

I got the tensioner assembly from MJM for like $89? Complete part, everyone else wanted like $180 for the part. Gruvenparts is working on a tensioner pulley for us. They have my old one as a prototype. They also wanted a crank pulley, but, I do not have a spare to send them. If anyone has a spare, send it to them, they will make you one and then we will have another part for us.

[supavr6lover]

OMG THANK YOU

[NOVAdub]

dont replace the crank pulley. it also acts as a harmonic damper and getting rid of it is bad.

[eurostiehl]

[QUOTE=orange1218]How did you know I was looking for this? Nice write up. How do we add this to the DIY?!?

its already added to the DIY lol

see the 24v diy forum below
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=804369

[DannyLo]

Quote, originally posted by NOVAdub »

dont replace the crank pulley. it also acts as a harmonic damper and getting rid of it is bad.

yeah but replacing other pulleys shouldn't too much of an issue, especially not on an NA engine...the harmonic balancer is a bad idea on any engine really...it keeps vibration away, and it also keeps the crank in balance...its a calibrated piece

[havoc783]

Does anyone know what the dimensions are on the belt. Does 15/16' x 54-7/8' OR 24mm x 1394mm look right? The only reason I'm asking is because I bought my part from NAPA and I can't check it with the part number.

[apstguy]

I'm not sure about the dimensions, they are usually right with the VW belts as they only came in one length in the US (with power steering and A/C), however, they always gave me the wrong width (7 ribs instead of 6). Most 24V VR6s are 6 ribs, but some are the 7 rib(like the 12V) so count to make sure!!!

[1_slow_mk3]

[Kevin0323]

On a 2.0 serpentine belt tensioner there isn't a bolt, more like a female star shaped screw hole. However I need to know if this is also reverse thread since I believe the pulley spins the other way. The 2.0 belt tensioner sits on top of the belt instead of the belt going over the top.

[Mr. Rictus]

Quote, originally posted by Kevin0323 »

On a 2.0 serpentine belt tensioner there isn't a bolt, more like a female star shaped screw hole. However I need to know if this is also reverse thread since I believe the pulley spins the other way. The 2.0 belt tensioner sits on top of the belt instead of the belt going over the top.

Try checking in the 2.0L engine forum?

[Kevin0323]

of course.

[coatofarms]

awsome write up! I know it's for mostly the pulley....but when I replaced my water pump, I repacked my bearings (barely any grease left at 60k) and it totally cleaned up all noises...besides my intake manifold.

[boykinla]

Can you re-pack the bearings on the tensioner pulley for the 24v VR6?

Great write up!!!!

[magman]

I doubt it. Much better to just replace the bearing.
The tensioner itself is fine. It's the bearing and pulley that fail.
Now if someone would just sell that part we would be golden

My belt snapped last night, same issues with 7 and 6 ribbed belts.
Found the correct one at a local indi store. Conti 6 ribs.
I love the routing diagram you have, it took me 30 mins to find it on my dvd Bently.
Should have checked here first

I left the tensioner pulley in place, yes tight and fiddly but doable.

[Mr. Rictus]

http://www.gruvenparts.com sells tensioner pulleys made from aluminum.

[magman]

NIce, I think i will swap mine out for one of those.

[Ld7w_VR]

Nice DIY. And wow those pullies really are big and ugly. hahah

[eurostiehl]

if anyone has any troubles or questions let me know, feel free to pm me. as for repacking the bearings..i would advise against that as well. and for the 2.0 tensioner pulley im not sure if it is reverse thread...stick a bolt in it and see...thats much easier than researching it

[wr3ck3dm1nd]

Some one told me that you will cause severe engine damage immediately if you use lighweight underdrive pulleys, as well as a lightweight fly wheel. Is this misinformation or truth?

[Veedub_junky]

That's a huge topic that's been debated extensively - let's not get onto that topic in this thread. Do a search, read up on it, and decide who's opinions you believe

[Mr. Rictus]

Quote, originally posted by Veedub_junky »

That's a huge topic that's been debated extensively - let's not get onto that topic in this thread. Do a search, read up on it, and decide who's opinions you believe

Exactly.

[ruetzal]

save

[WCoUtReT]

I repacked my tensionsr pulley bearing this time last year. I had the entire thing disassembled and I had all the balls out and everything. I repacked it with some really good high temp grease and it worked out great... And now it's starting to squeak again lol. So I'll just get the gruvenparts one if I don't supercharge the motor wihin the year. I recommend just getting a new pulley if you're contemplating fixing a squeaky tensioner pulley.

[Veedub_junky]

FYI - if your pulley starts to chatter, squeal, etc..., change it immediately! Here's what happened when I couldn't get to my wife's fast enough on her 12v:

BTW, that was less than 1 week after it started making noise... The pulley exploded/shredded - I think this is about all that was left of the pulley:

Moral of the story - don't screw around, get the Gruven pulley before this happens to you

Per Paul, his bearing is rated at 20k rpms - the OEM bearing isn't even rated to redline

[Zuber Speed]

I just changed my serp belt and tensioner because of the squeel. after like 100km, its making a slight squeel again, ideas?