Does anybody know a painless way to R&R an M103 Belt?
 

I've had to take the serpentine belt off my M103 several times and I may have to do again. I got to wondering if there is an easy way of doing it, it always is a wrestling match for me.

Jim,

Are you loosening the big bolt on the front of the tensioner, then releiving the tension with the adjustment? Also removing the fan from the fan clutch eases the job.

Good luck,

Bolt? What big bolt? Where? Do you have pictures?

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=68158

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

With the fan off this is easy -- loosen 19mm bolt right beside the PS pump pulley, crank the tensioner down, slip belt off.

With the fan on this is almost impossible.

Fan is easy, too. Unclip shroud and pull up, then lean back over the fan. Bend a 45 degree elbow on the the end of a piece of coat hanger wire. Slip down between the "bumps" on the fan bearing, insert 8mm Allen into the center bolt on the visco clutch, turn until you get the wire into one of the holes on the clutch, loosen bolt. Remove bolt and fan, then shroud. Makes the job so much easier.

Peter

Peter

I now do two things when changing the belt on the 124-

-(As long as there is a belt and it is tight) I put a 13mm wrench on the PS pump to keep the belt from turning and use the 8mm allen w/o the 45degree wire behind the pump. I then turn the motor (in the right direction) to advance the fan pulley the next position.

- I remove the upper bolt to the alternator which enables it to swing just enough to get the belt to go over the pulley easily.

Haasman

Feel your pain...

I think the shroud is the biggest annoyance.

I cut the shroud in half horizontally. The 2 pieces are then held together with zip ties through drilled holes. Setup is actually far more secure than it sounds...

My 91 300SE had a 2 piece shroud. Maybe you can retrofit a 2 piece shroud from a junker.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL