If you see cracks, they need to be replaced..

 

awesome write up. helped alot thanks.

 

Worked like a charm...very easy!

Has anybody used the gatorback belts from autozone? How do you tell if they need replaced? I imagine it would be tough to see cracks in them.

 

question about the adjust bolt. since its a bolt that your turn to adjust the tension, couldnt one just use like "white out" or something on the threads to mark the original location of the bolt and return it to "approximately" the same location when retensioning the belts?

 

I did this this past weekend, Very easy took 30 minutes. Felt good doing it my self. I have a questions 3 days later my belts made a noise at start up just for a minute, Should i just tighter or looser?

 

Have you tried looking at your belts? It's not hard to see cracks, when they're there. You can definitely see wear on them, so when you see signs of cracking, you should probably replace the belt.

You can, in theory. However, in real life applications, things aren't always mathematical. The belts aren't always the same exact length, nor do they provide the same amount of tension. It's best to follow the guidelines for optimum results.

You should tighten it a tad bit and slightly more for good measure.

 

had to tighten, Worked like a charm, Thanks 3hree5iveOero

 

so after changing the Oil,filter and spark plugs i preceded to move on to the belts. problem now is that i kinda rounded off the bolt that holds the tensioner in place(not the one that brings it up and down the one that locks it place).

What should i do? should i try to take it out with vice grips then get a replacement bolt?

 

i almost did the exact thing this passed weekend. i hope the dealer sells a replacement bolt for that and not require to buy the entire tensioner assembly =/ i think the bolt is made out of brass thats why it was so easy to round.

if the bolt is complete rounded and a socket no longer holds on, yes use a vice grip and buy a replacement bolt.

 

Goodness, just did this this past week. Took me a while because instead of going to the dealer to get replacement belts (dealer is farther than I wanted to drive), I went to autozone and got the goodyear gatorback belts. The belts were fine, but the problem is that they dont have the correct sizes in the computer for the Z, so after I get them and try to install them they are way too big, so even after bringing in the old belts it still took another trip to get the correct size.

biggest hassle ever.

the actual replacing the belts was super easy though. hardest part was removing the plastic undertray, so to take advantage of the opportunity I changed the oil/filter and cleaning my air filter while I was down there

 

i will be doing this project in two weeks..

 

it does happen maybe 5 out of 10 350z i see but just use vice grips and the dealer should have replacement bolt in stock.

 

i will be doing this soon. i just wish there was an easier way to make sure belts were perfectly tightened but i will attempt it next weekend or the weekend after

 

very nice ... will def. look into this

 

Has anyone completed this on an HR motor? I noticed a strange sound from under the hood over the weekend and noticed the belt(s) was frayed. After calling my local Nissan Parts Dept, they said the HR only has one belt and they had it in stock so I'm swinging by at lunch to pick one up. Then hopefully knocking it out when I get home this evening.

 

A handheld fish scale and ruler might work if you have one laying around for the tension/deflection.

 

I got some DAYCO belts... are they any good?

 

Which hoses did you replace? You have the part numbers? Is there a DIY?

Thanks.

 

Might as well get Nissan belts because they are so cheap anyways.

I got mine from Worldpartsexpress.com. One was $13.87 and the other was $15.47. They have flat rate shipping of $7.50 plus $2 handling so I went ahead and got some other parts.



Did mine today with the oil change. A piece of cake. I had more trouble getting the oil filter off...lol. Used the old thumb-o-meter. Tested the belts before hand and tried to get it a little tighter for good measure...lol. My car is 7 years old. Both belts were cracked pretty good and the smaller of the two belts looked like it was about to break.

To the one that said something about marking the adjuster bolt...doesn't look like it's possible because the visible parts (from underneath) of the bolt does not move.

Might want to add that the adjuster bolts are 12mm. The alternator adjuster bolt was hard to get to and the socket didn't sit in there very well because of the angle so I used a 12mm wrench so I didn't strip it like some here said might happen.

Thanks for the DIY. Awesome.

 

just did my belts...it was nothing...SUPER easy to be exact..from a scale of 1-10...this was a 3.. awesome write up..