[bluesmini]

Changing my own serpentine belt


Well I was going down the front straight at VIR going at least 110mph and heard a very bad sound. I went around turn one and two very slow and pulled into the grass. The car was still running and I thought it had gone into limp mode. After I saw what I thought was smoke coming from under the hood I shut down the engine and popped the hood. One of the corner workers came running over with and extinguisher but it was just my coolant overflow tank boiling. I had broken my serpentine belt. Now that turns the alternator, A/C compressor and the S/C including the water pump. Just in case you didn’t know the water pump on the S is on the back side of the S/C.

I was more concerned about missing track time more than anything. I knew I could call MINI assistance and they could tow my car to the shop and fix it in a few days. Heck, they would even pay for a hotel, meals and get me home. I had paid for my driving school and didn’t want to lose the opportunity to have some fun and learn how to drive my MINI to its fullest potential.

There were a few mechanics around that said they could help out. These were all BMW people and none of them had worked on a MINI. Of course this would involve me spending money and replacing the belt would be new to them. I decided I’d do it myself.

I got started that day by trying to get the tension pulley pulled back. There is a very unique tool that you are supposed to use. I wish I had one of those. It would have made my day a lot easier. Check out “Randy W’s” how to post on pulley change method 2 to see what it looks like. If you have some free time make yourself one or buy one just in case. I did not have one of these so I used what I had or could get my hands on.

One of the workers at VIR (www.virclub.com) had a crowbar almost 3 feet long. It was the tool I needed. It is very important to know you can easily damage your car if you do this…..

You will need a small wooden block of some sort and a small screw driver to hold the spring compressed. I grabbed the edge of the tension pulley arm with the end of the crow bar and pried it back to reveal the lock points. Use the block to keep from scuffing your car. If you look in the tension spring there is a flat piece of metal with two holes in it. Once the spring is compressed the flat piece of metal sticks out the end to reveal the holes. You need to put a small screwdriver in there to lock the spring in the compressed state.

Do not pry the actual pulley. It is only solid on the very center and will bend. I called some people before I tried this. Again, you should be using the tool and not a crowbar. I pried the arm that holds the pulley back. That spring is strong. I bought a 2 foot pry bar and bent it beyond repair.

Once the pulley is locked back the hard part is over. Now you need to jack the car up high enough to get yourself under the passenger side of the engine. Only do this after you get the pulley locked back. You really have to pull hard to get the spring compressed. You can easily knock the car off a jack stand doing this. I had my knee up against the car bumper to keep the car from moving. Once the car is high enough for you, you will need to remove the dust cover. Remove 3 10mm bolts just behind the front skirt (that thing that scrapes when you go over a bump). Then there are two Phillips head screw that are about a foot further back that unlock and don’t come off. Now slide the dust/dirt guard back and off to reveal the bottom of the engine.

Back on the top of the engine there are some vacuum hoses that are in the way and should be removed to prevent damage. You have to push in some clips to remove the hoses on top and bottom of whatever this thing is(PCV valve). After the hoses are off it will slide off to the left/passenger side. Move it out of the way so you can get your hands down where the belt goes. Whatever this thing is it’s right beside the oil dip stick.

I needed an extra person at this point to help me get the belt in place. Also on Randy W’s pulley change method 2 page there is a picture of how the new belt goes in place. Someone told me there is a picture of it in the manual but I never found it.

It takes a few minutes to get the new belt in place. I found starting with the S/C is easiest. Once the belt is over that pulley have someone on top hold a screwdriver against the edge of the pulley so the belt will not come off as you fish the rest of the it around from the bottom.

Now release the tension pulley and reattach the PCV hose connections. At this point you may need to add some coolant depending on your belt break situation.

If you do have to add coolant, be sure to burp your system. The radiator hose just behind the radiator has a small plastic screw that goes in the top just for this. Fill the overflow tank and leave the cap off for now. Have the burp screw off also. Now start the car and watch for any bubbles coming out of the burp screw hole. I would turn the A/C on for this to make sure you get the whole coolant system flowing. After you stop seeing bubbles in the burp hole put the screw back and cap the overflow tank. This should be done in less than a minute so the car can’t heat up.

If all is well put the dust/dirt cover back in place and Motor on.

If your check engine light is still on start the car once or twice and it will go out if all is well.

Good luck. I’ll post some pictures with this when I get home and can take some. I’ll also put the non-MINI part numbers for a belt. Most part stores have them but can’t cross reference them to a MINI.

[bluesmini]

My belt was shredded. I’m not sure where but I picked up some trash that got stuck in my main crank pulley. It was some sort of aluminum. It was cutting the belt from the inside and the outside. As the pulley would spin faster the aluminum would start to spin out of the grooves in the pulley and cut the belt passing in the opposite direction. I guess most people need a picture to understand this.

As it turns out I replaced two belts in two days. After getting the first one on I was so happy to get my car working again I didn’t think to look at what may have caused the problem. I did see the stuff in the crank and just didn’t think anything of it. Once the belt had broken for a second time I decided to see what the problem was. By this time most of the metal had been flung out of the pulley. While I was replacing the belt the second time I used a screw driver to go around the affected main pulley grooves and clean them. This is how I know it was aluminum, Very soft and came out easily.

So far the car is back to running great. It’s will be a week tomorrow and all seems well. I’ve got another driving school next month. That should be the real test. I’ll let you know. I’ll also have a spare belt handy this time.

[bluesmini]

has anyone every even heard of someone breaking a belt?

[bluesmini]

Bump

[obehave]

Quote: Originally Posted by Max

Thanks for that blues.

From what I have read on here since I been on here (Apr 2003) mine - and now yours - are the only broken belts reported.

Guess I was just unlucky to have a sheared belt-tensioner assembly

regards

Max

A few broke at the East vs West race last month.
I remember Randy Webb saying his broke and a number of others. All running underdrive pulleys.