I have an '03 XK8. It's recently developed a squeal that sounds like it's coming from the serpentine belt. It mainly happens when it's cold and then goes away. I've read similar posts that mention timing chain tensioners and an upgrade but I'm not sure when the cutoff is.

Anyway, how hard is it to change the serpentine belt? Is it recommended to change the idler pulleys? It has about 43K miles on it.

If it's as much fun as the ridiculous heater hose, I guess I'll break down and go to the dealer.

-Joe

 

The belt is a very easy repair. Not nearly as much fun as the heater hose. The belt tensioner and idler pulley have generated a number of post over the recent cold period. Might consider them too.

Your car is beyond the cam chain tensioner issue period.

 

Thanks for the info. Are any special tools required? It doesn't look all that accessible. Is it easier to do from underneath?~40K seems low miles to replace pulleys. Are they that lousy?-Joe

 

You can change all in about 30 min from the top and no special tools are required.
Use this link http://www.gusglikas.com/AutoRepairBeltTensioner.htm

 

Thanks, I'll take a look.-Joe

 

gus to the rescue...again

 

Indeed, and upon further review, it doesn't look too bad. Hopefully, I won't break anything this time. ;-)

-Joe

 

How have you been Matt?

 

doing good gus, thanks for askin!

 

In case you have not noticed, you car has moved!

 

Well Matt, now it is gone!

 

you're losing it gus...car is still there (poor guy)

(I did, however, rotate it a bit)

 

I was about to start this project and I've got the new tensioner, pulley, and belt; however, the tensioner that's on the car looks entirely different than the new one. I'll post an image a bit later but are they supposed to be different?

The new one looks like the one in Gus' article. The one on the car is designed so that the pulley faces the engine block and it has a square hole directly behind the pulley to place a socket wrench to release tension. The new one does not. How do you release tension on the new one?

-Joe

 

Just use a socket and breaker bar on the bolt on the wheel. I am concerned why the existing one is not the same. What year is your car and is yours an “R” Check your PM

 

It's an XK8. Here's the image:


Completely different. It's an '03.

-Joe

 

Well, the story of my life continues. Every car I've ever owned was one of those "we've never seen one like that." :-p

Here's the comparrison:


Quite some difference, no? The replacement idler pulley does fit fine but perhaps for some odd reason, they used a different bracket for whatever that is next to where the tensioner goes:


To add to the fun, the replacement belt is too wide. It has six grooves where mine has five. What do others have in the way of grooves?

And for Gus, the gap seems to be about 0.34.

UPDATE:

I ended up going to NAPA to get a belt. They don't show an application in their book, er computer, for '03 XK8; however, since I had the old one, they cross-referenced it to something they did have. For giggles, I asked the guy to look up the tensioner. Interestingly, their computer screen showed the one I have. And surprise, surprise... they didn't have one. :-)

UPDATE #2:

Apparently, the older style only fits up through VIN A30644. So if you have an '03 built after that, you can join me in our special status and we can lord our specialness over the rest of you commoners. ;-)

-Joe