95 1.9 escort
I ripped my serpentine belt(prematurely) today. Put on a new one from goodyear(gatorback)and when I install the belt and released the tensioner I have a gap between the tensioner and ps pulley but when I start the engine the tensioner moves it up against the ps pulley. This means to me that for some reason the belt is loosening and the tensioner is picking up the slack. The diagram in the book(and my friends car) shows a gap in between the ps pulley and the tensioner but I am pretty much sandwhiching the 2. When the tensioner pushes it agains the ps it rides on the edge of pulley which is why the last one failed early(I think). I have an extra 1.9 94 escort (long story) but I looked at it and it has room between the tensioner and the ps pulley. I took the belt and tensioner from it and put it on mine and I have the same issue any ideas?? I did a timing belt about 20k ago and at that time I put on a new serpentine belt.
I put the gatorback on,today and drove home about 20miles, inspected again and it looks like it already has wear mark where it is riding on the ps pulley. Also other posts I have read say they have to walk the belt on or have trouble getting it on. Mine was really easy, I loosened the the auto tensioner with a ratchet and slipped the belt right over the alternator pulley no problem. Does that mean my belt is too big? Maybe the last one I got from Napa was too big also and that is why the early failure? Or is there something I am missing. All pulleys feel fine, no binding or slop. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Alan

I have always found it easiest to get the belt around the lower pulleys first and then slip it over the alternator last... there is not much slack at all... it has always been a pretty snug fit.

Are the wear marks you see along the edges? Maybe the belt is just not getting fully seated into the grooves...

What Number Belt

The wear marks are on the edges. BUT i believe it is the wear is on the edges because the tensioner is pushing it agains the ps pulley when it isn't supposed to,it is pushing it against the ps pulley before it goes up to the alternator, according to the book the first pulley the belt touches after the crankshaft pulley is the alt pulley. Mine is touching one side of the ps and then the alt. I have pulled and installed the belt several times each time it looked like it was in the grooves because it rode centered in the other pulleys.
I think from talking to some people at work, they think I should go to napa and get a belt. The one that came off ends in a 35, the spare belt I have ends in 29(and it is old) so a new 29 may work. I wouldn't say the belt was snug when it went on, I moved the tensioner and it slipped right on. No squeaking though with the accessories on.
The part number of the Gatorback I bought I am not sure(it's at home) but the one from advanced comes up 4060470, but I bought mine from autozone. I will check tonight.
Thank you.
alan

I just went through this exact situation (except I managed to catch mine before the belt failed). The 35 that your belt number ends with is from the 535 size = 53.5" length. Some places also list a 537 (53.75") as a replacement size.

What I ended up doing was using a 53" belt. I tried a 52.5", but it was a hair too small. With the 53" one, I had to remove the top bolt holding the alt. in place, and rotate it toward the back of the motor slightly. This gave me just enough "wiggle room" to get the belt over the alt pulley and under the lifted tensioner. I released the tensioner, pushed the alt back into place and bolted it back down. I now have that desired gap between the tensioner and PS pulley.

(Hindsight - I may have been able to get the 52.5" belt on had I tried loosening the alt. to get it on - I don't think I thought about that when trying the 52.5" belt....dang)


Wade

Thanks for the detailed belt information. It sounds like I should go to Napa to get the correct belt before I go over board and start playing with parts that won't resolve this issue. It also sound like the belt I had on there being a 35 or (53.5) stretched a little to quick causing a rib or 2 on the belt to where faster then the others. The belt I have from the other car in my driveway is a 29, which if I am understanding the conversion correctly it would be a 52.9 and that should make a big enough difference. I just looked at the description for the gatorback I bought and it says it ends in 537 and the description says it is 53.74". So it looks like I will go to napa tomorrow, man I thought I was doing a good thing by buying the supposed better belt maybe the cheap on would have been the right size.

Thank you all for you help,
Alan

I don't know if the 29 translates to a 52.9" belt or not. But, you can certainly hold it up beside your existing belt to see the length difference - and it won't likely hurt anything to see if it'd fit on the Escort.

Good luck with it!

Oh yeah - when I got my belt, I asked for the cheapest one they had in stock. LOL!

Wade

You are certainly best off getting the correct belt. You shouldn't have to do anything other than pull on that tensioner to get the belt on.

Come to think of it... last time I replaced my belt I picked one up at AutoZone. I didn't know the size... just told them the make and year and they looked it up. They gave me the wrong size. I got one that was too small. They double checked it in the computer and the one it said to give was the exact one they gave me... so they were very surprised to see the different numbers on the one I took off the car. The computers aren't always right... they pay some bonehead to enter that information and that bonehead can make mistakes.

on a 1999 escort timing belt job = is there any crank seals,tensioners,etc that you guys usually replace at that time.

All that comes to mind is the water pump... if you feel like changing that out.

When I did mine I went to Napa and got a timing kit about $70 it came with the belt and tensioner. My first tensioner seized and shredded my 2nd timing belt with 40k on it, luckily nothing happened to my engine, because the belt started to shread on the hot engine and my wife noticed a smell coming from the car and stopped immediately(before you are too impressed she stopped the car rather then driving it home realize she was at the mall).. Either way the early failure was due to the tensioner seizing and I couldn't find at the advanced or autozone, pep boys wanted about $80 for just the tensioner. Water pump makes sense also just because you are there and it isn't that expensive. Good luck.