Ladies and Germs,

I've got a 92 300D 2.5 Turbo that needs a new poly-belt, accessory belt, serpentine belt, call it what you will.

At one end of the spectrum we have the service manual which says take the fan shroud and fan off.

At the other end of the spectrum we have the lazy red-neck part of my brain which says just lift the belt off at some accessory and put another belt on the same way.

What have you done, and what works? Will the redneck method still need some tensioner adjustment?

This could be the defninitive thread on 602 / 603 belt replacement. I know that is what everyone has been waiting for.... Yah, right!

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1983 240D Silver/Blue "Sadie", unknown miles. 100k miles on WVO single tank, converted to 2 tank about 10k miles ago, FPHE, Injector Heaters, Aux Fuel pump. Alcohol/Water injection. Frantz oil bypass filter
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo Green/Tan "Jade" 267K miles Stock.
1992 300D 2.5 tan/tan "Rocky" on 2 tank WVO. Pressure actuated Turbo "rat's nest" surgery completed. 197k miles

I don't understand what you're implying about moving an accessory out of the way, as the belt still needs to go over the fan. I didn't have a manual available when I replaced mine, so I took the obvious route of removing the fan. No big deal, very easy and straightforward.

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1987 Mercedes 300D

Cannot speak for the 602, but, the 603 works perfectly fine using the redneck approach. Get the belt completely around the fan and the only trick is to thread it up and around the tensioner. The end won't fit through two of the pulleys, so, some thought is required on how to slide it from the side.

It can be done in 10 minutes if you have the right pattern over the pulleys and don't get hung up with the tensioner.

No need to remove the fan. The tensioner is spring loaded so tension is automatic. Remove the tension from the belt and it will come off around the fan-shroud gap. New one goes on the same way. Make sure it is routed correctly.

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BillS

Go to http://www.carsoft.ru/avtorepair/mercedes.html
Click on "Belt Drive" open the PDF and go to page 7 for more ideas.

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1999 E300DT (131,800) 154,000 Black on Black SOLD

2006 CLK 500 coupe Capri Blue on Grey (zoom,zoom)
47,000mi

04 VW TDI Passat 80,000mi
(Techno)

How to eliminate oil dependency through market-driven approaches.
“We could cut oil use in half by 2025, and by 2040, oil use could be zero,”
The Sound of Diesel Speed
Ode to MB

I pull the fan, takes maybe 5min for FAR more room.

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Thanks chaps!

I think that is lots of info for anyone else wanting to do this.

So far, the redneck method, combined with taking the fan off seems to be the winner.

Pmari - that link goes to a site in Russian, which I don't speak.

Billybob also sent me something with details -

Loosen the tensioner using the lug wrench handle in the hole as a counter hold and a 13 mm wrench on the nut. With the nut off use the lug wrench to lever the plastic cam block then slide the securing bolt rearward out of the way. The cam block will now be able to rotate in the other direction releasing the tensioner's force. Get the belt off from around the accessories, pull the loop of the belt out and off the tensioner pulley wheel. The belt should now be loose around everything including the fan. You can then work the belt off around the fan by a combination of getting a section of belt around a fan blade and rotating the fan with your hand. All this may or may not be easier with the fan shroud loose. You can also simply cut the old belt if you aren't saving it as a spare. If you decide to remove the fan, the easiest way is to loosen the shroud, get an 8mm allen wrench and cut the short leg to about 1/2" either weld it to a bar or pipe or find a small diameter pipe to fit over the long leg, often times the detachable handle from a hydraulic floor jack will work quite well, you might have to remove the plastic handle because the working end will have a bar welded inside the pipe to close and release the valve on the jack. The cheapest and easiest way to hold the fan pully is to use a loop of old serpentine belt clamped around it with a pair of vice grips, I usually use a large Klein strap wrench to do this. The proper tool clamps the rim of the pulley, you can use any method as long as you don't damage the pulley's running surfaces.

When installing the new belt get it over the fan if its in place, then use a string, bent wire or a hook to bring a loop of belt up between the crank pulley and the fan pulley. The loop will have the belt's flat back on the inside and the ribs on the outside. Pull the loop up between the pulleys' and work it over and around the tensioner's flat pulley wheel. You can then work it around all the accessories. Make sure you've got it routed correctly there is a diagram in the owner's manual and the FSM. Use the lug wrench handle to lever the cam block over and push the securing bolt forward and through the block, tighten the 13 mm nut, your done! That is a great thng about the serpentine belt design, using the lug wrenck and the 13 mm wrench that comes in the tool kit you can replace a belt on the roadside if you have a spare with you! Try doing that on a 617 engine!!!!

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1983 240D Silver/Blue "Sadie", unknown miles. 100k miles on WVO single tank, converted to 2 tank about 10k miles ago, FPHE, Injector Heaters, Aux Fuel pump. Alcohol/Water injection. Frantz oil bypass filter
1992 300D 2.5 Turbo Green/Tan "Jade" 267K miles Stock.
1992 300D 2.5 tan/tan "Rocky" on 2 tank WVO. Pressure actuated Turbo "rat's nest" surgery completed. 197k miles

Plenty of English to read IF you actually go to the link

__________________
1999 E300DT (131,800) 154,000 Black on Black SOLD

2006 CLK 500 coupe Capri Blue on Grey (zoom,zoom)
47,000mi

04 VW TDI Passat 80,000mi
(Techno)

How to eliminate oil dependency through market-driven approaches.
“We could cut oil use in half by 2025, and by 2040, oil use could be zero,”
The Sound of Diesel Speed
Ode to MB

I had to remove and replace the belt again last night and did it without removing the fan. It was not difficult at all (I did have the shroud unclipped and pushed back over the fan). Disregard my earlier advice to remove the fan - completely unnecessary.

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1987 Mercedes 300D