Hey fellas, I've got a 2001 1500 with a small v8. I have gone through 2 belts this month. I think the belt tension is bad. Do you need a special tool for it's replacement? Any tips would be appreciated. Steve

 

Just the pulley or the bracket and spring part too? Either way no special tools required.

And Welcome to DF

 

Thanks, Since I really can't tell I was going to replace both. Any way to know which is bad?

 

Well what is it doing that you are replacing it?

 

The belt is moving off the pulley causing it to wear and break up on the outside edge.

 

Are you talking about the metal pulley or the plastic one with ribs?

 

I am sorry I took so long. I did not know it was plastic so I checked. It has ribs and is plastic

 

Where did you buy the belts from? Make sure the belt has the same amount of grooves in it as the pulley's do. Take the belt off and spin all the pulley's by hand and make sure they don't make any grinding noises and don't wobble around. And make sure the metal bracket that that pulley is connected to travels as far as it can counter clockwise. Spray some penetrating oil in the space where you can see the spring and work it back and forth using the bolt in the center of the pulley. As I assume you've been using to release the tension to remove the belt in the first place.

 

Thanks for your help. I do use the center bolt on the pulley to put the belt on and off. I will check all pulleys for noise and wear. I bought the more expensive replacement
belt after the original came apart. I have 60,000 miles on the truck so I thought is was just time to replace it. The replacement lasted a month and this is what led me to believe it was the tension er. I did not count rips so that remains an unanswered question.
Thank you ,Steve

 

The ribs are the reason I asked where you bought it. I needed a belt one Sunday and my regular auto parts store is closed. So I had to go to Advance, The guy asked me if it was 6 or 7 rib ? And I was like HUH?, because I've never been asked that question at a real parts store. And BTW, if you are getting it at autozone for istance, and it's not a Gates or at least a goodyear belt, don't buy it.