Got the drive belt from Partshop, installed it this Saturday, it only took my 15 minutes, I didn't remove anything but the old belt, the fan shroud blocked the 19 mm bolt a little bit, but it was very flexible, I was able to loose the bolt easily with my 3/8 torque wrench.

Before that my old belt was very loose, and it showed a lot of cracks on it, I also worried that my tensioner was dead. It turned out that my tensioner was still good, I was able to tighten the belt. Unlike someone said, I feel removing belt and tensioner is a pretty easy DIY job.

My engine now is 10 dB quieter than before, no more squeals from the belt!!


D. J

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99 BMW 540i 6-speed 110K Km
03 SAAB 9-5 wagon 80K Km
92 400E (Sold) 245K km
Still missing the days with the Benz, it kept me busy.

Great job on the belt D.J.!

Just as a FYI, a torque wrench should not be used as a ratchet for loosening bolts. It should only be used for it's intended purpose - setting the final torque. Using it as a ratchet, and putting it away without releasing the spring tension are the common ways to damage one.

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D.H.

04 ML500
02 E430

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.