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AC is retarded so I'm changing the drive belt

9K views 28 replies 14 participants last post by  Med!c 
#1 ·
THis isn't a "something is wrong with my car so I'll throw parts at it" situation. From what I know the AC in this car has never worked. I personally don't care for AC. In the beginning I was fine. AC didn't work, car ran fine, I was happy and I'm sure the AC was happy too. Now however, the clutch on the AC rubs and makes a really bad noise even though it's not engaged. It wont engage either.. I'm not too sure on how to fix the issue and don't care to put in the time and don't want to throw out a few hundred to get it repaired. Instead I'm planning on just changing the drive belt, as it needs to be changed) and get a shorter one so it's without the AC. $30 bucks and the problem is solved. So once you put in the new belt how do you know when it's tight? Whats the process for that?

P.S. is the proper term drive belt or serpentine belt?
 
#3 ·
If you have the 3.2L and not the 2.2, it looks like your engine has a tensioner mounted to the alt bracket. You may be able to go with a shorter belt, but it will change the geometry of the the belt angle on the fan pulley and P/S pump. You will probably have to figure a way to measure the path the new routing will take to get the total belt length needed, noting of course that the tensioner will need to be retracted some to appoximate and allow for belt stretching and wear. I don't have a Rodeo, so I don't know if there might be some interference points on the path from the P/S to Fan pulley...like protruding casting or bolt heads, etc; That would need to be figured out, otherwise you would need to be an idler pulley close to the location of the A/C compressor so the belt would have a clear path, seems to me.
HTH One guys opinion.

 
#4 ·
THis is what I planning on going with. Online when I was looking at drive belts there were some labeled as without ac for the 3.2L v6 and this is the path that I just assumed. So I guess it wont work.

 
#5 ·
Looks to me like it could work. You'll have a little less wrap on the fan pulley, but it doesn't look bad at all. Might take some experimentation to get the right belt length.
 
#6 ·
Any ideas why it wouldnt work? I mean the fan is a pretty easy spin so I dont think the little bit less surface area from the drive belt will make a difference for it and for the power steering I dont see how it will hurt it. I can however see how the shorter perimeter with the same amount of force would mean faster and more cycles per minute or in whatever time frame, I just dont know how this will efffect the performance of the truck.
 
#7 ·
It should be not prob if there is nothing in the way between the power steering pump and the fan pulley. Yes the belt will make more rounds as it will be shorter but its speed will be the same as that is determined by the engine's RPM so everything on it will be turning at the correct rate.
 
#9 ·
Okay, yeah it makes sense if it's the same speed just shorter perimeters.

I checked and there seemed to be enough room to do this and I did see non ac belts for the 3.2L online. Worst case scenario is that it turns out to be with AC(just miss labeled) and I return it and get my money back.

So my question remains, how do you go with installing it? I know I undo the tensioner and the belt loosens and you take it off. After that, once you have the belt routed how do you know if you have enough tension? Obviously you can have too little tension and I'm guessing you can have too much as well.
 
#10 ·
You can source belts based on width and length even if a specific "non-AC" belt isn't available. I would be very surprised if you can't find something that would fit.

Re: install, you don't remove the tensioner, you just put a socket wrench on it and 'crank' it to swing the tensioner away from the belt.

As long as the tensioner is somewhere in the mid-range of its available swing when the new belt is installed you should be fine.
 
#12 ·
BigSwede said:
You can source belts based on width and length even if a specific "non-AC" belt isn't available. I would be very surprised if you can't find something that would fit.

Re: install, you don't remove the tensioner, you just put a socket wrench on it and 'crank' it to swing the tensioner away from the belt.

As long as the tensioner is somewhere in the mid-range of its available swing when the new belt is installed you should be fine.
oops, that what I meant, i didnt mean remove it. =p
 
#13 ·
for as long as rig came as a non A\C, you should be abile to just get any ajusters and belts that are for a non A\C, rig just like yours.

the only thing id be worreyd about is if for some odd reson somthing was being spun the rong way. i ran accrost that on a ford 4.9L once.
________
TACUMA
 
#15 ·
i have been running this exact thing for 4 years - no prob. use a string to find the right length.
and yes it is an auto tensioner. easiest thing in the world.


 
#16 ·
RodeoRed said:
i have been running this exact thing for 4 years - no prob. use a string to find the right length.
and yes it is an auto tensioner. easiest thing in the world.


Do you know what size you have by any chance? We have the same car so I doubt it will be different.
 
#19 ·
Stuck in Washington D.C. with a bad compressor on a 1998 Rodeo V6. I love the diagram that shows how to route the belt without the compressor in the loop. I measured it with a piece of phone cord and came up with 83 1/2 inches. Does anyone know if this is the correct length?

The car is parked at a friends house and i need to get it to the auto train station for the trip back to florida. Had to rent a car in D.C. to complete my sons baseball trip to Cooperstown N.Y.

If anyone has done this PLEASE advise of the correct belt size. I plan on calling Merlin at St. Charles Isuzu later this week if I get no answers.

The non A/C belt is 80 " , but the pulleys are laid out different on non-ac vehicles.

Any help would be appreciated.

98 Rodeo
190,000 miles
and was going strong.
 
#21 ·
The correct non- a.c. serpentine belt is 80.25 inches...goodyear #4060802..cross reference for another brand....it works great when the compressor goes out.

I recommend getting the Duralast brand ($18.00) and carry it as a spare on rode trips. It will save your #$@ when the compressor takes a dump.

98 Rodeo 3.2L
190,000 miles due to Royal Purple.
 
#22 ·
the length doesnt matter too much, because there is a tensioner that does the job, just as long as its short it enough it'll work, not too short though.
 
#24 ·
The belt I installed was the factory non-a.c. belt I listed in my previous post. I think I cound have gone a little smaller than 80.25" and it would still have fit. The Autozone belt is #802K6, but it is a special order belt. Either way get a 6 rib belt close to 80" and you should be able to save yourself a tow.

This is the third compressor install in 6 months. Thankfully it has all been covered under warranty!
 
#25 ·
kworkman01 said:
The belt I installed was the factory non-a.c. belt I listed in my previous post. I think I cound have gone a little smaller than 80.25" and it would still have fit. The Autozone belt is #802K6, but it is a special order belt. Either way get a 6 rib belt close to 80" and you should be able to save yourself a tow.

This is the third compressor install in 6 months. Thankfully it has all been covered under warranty!
I'm taking mine out to save weight. =D
Too costly to repair and what not even if I do it my self. Plus the 2nd gen rodeo AC system seems buggy in general from all the posts I see. I guess it may be because they are all old and they're probably starting to give out.
 
#26 ·
Hey medic, find out if your rodeo 3.2 uses the same A/C compressor as the 1997 trooper 3.2.

If it does then I have a perfectly working compressor for you. I'll sale it for $40 bucks plus shipping.

My mom is an excessive compulsive and hears even the slightest sound and totally freaks out. She wouldn't believe me that it was a normal sound but she had me replace it anyways (she has more dollars then cents). Believe it or not the new compressor makes the same excact sound (who knew?). So I have been hanging on to this compressor in a closed box for about two years now.

You are the first 3.2 engine guy that has voiced a need for one. Interested??? Let me know.

P.S I haven't read the whole post so if you have it figured out already then cool.
 
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