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How to Replace Serpentine Belt Idler Pulley 1996-2008 GMC Savana

Created on: 2013-09-17

How to remove, replace and install a squeaky, cracked, broken or noisy serpentine belt idler pulley to the Chevy Express and GMC Savana, model years 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 12, and 13.

  1. step 1 :Removing the Air Intake
    • Remove the two 10mm bolts from the air intake box
    • Disconnect the air intake box wiring harness
    • Loosen the air intake box hose clamp with a flat blade screwdriver
    • Pull off the air intake box
    • Loosen the air intake hose clamp with a flat blade screwdriver
  2. step 2 :Removing the Coolant Tank
    • Remove the 10mm bolt from the coolant tank
    • Pull the coolant tank aside
  3. step 3 :Removing the Serpentine Belt
    • Attach a 15mm socket and ratchet to the serpentine belt tensioner
    • Turn the tensioner down to loosen the serpentine belt
    • Pull the belt off the alternator
    • Pull the belt off the other pulleys
  4. step 4 :Removing the Idler Pulley
    • Remove the 15mm bolt from the idler pulley
    • Pull off the idler pulley
  5. step 5 :Installing the New Idler Pulley
    • Put the 15mm bolt through the idler pulley
    • Put the idler pulley into place
    • Tighten the 15mm bolt into the idler pulley
  6. step 6 :Reinstalling the Serpentine Belt
    • Familiarize yourself with the belt routing diagram
    • Loop the belt around the power steering pulley
    • Bring it over the water pump pulley
    • Bring it over the alternator
    • Bring it around the idler pulley
    • Bring it around the crankshaft pulley
    • Pull it over the tensioner pulley
    • Check that the belt is routed correctly
    • Attach a 15mm socket and ratchet to the serpentine belt tensioner
    • Turn the tensioner down to loosen the serpentine belt
    • Pull the belt onto the pulleys
    • Release the tensioner
  7. step 7 :Reinstalling the Air Intake
    • Put the air intake hose into place
    • Tighten the air intake hose clamp with a flat blade screwdriver
    • Put the air intake box into place on its locating pegs
    • Tighten the air intake box hose clamp with a flat blade screwdriver
    • Insert the two 10mm bolts into the air intake box
    • Connect the air intake box wiring harness
  8. step 8 :Reinstalling the Coolant Tank
    • Put the coolant tank into place
    • Insert the 10mm bolt into the coolant tank

Tools needed

  • 10mm Socket

    15mm Socket

    Flat Blade Screwdriver

    Ratchet

Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.

Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.

In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the idler pulley on this 2005 GMC Savana 2500. It has the 6-liter V8 engine. The tools you will need for this are a 10 millimeter and 15 millimeter socket, and ratchet, and a flat blade screwdriver.

The first thing that you want to do is remove these two 10 millimeter bolts that hold in your air intake box. Now, disconnect the harness to the air intake box, and set it aside. Then you want to use a flat blade screwdriver to just loosen up this clamp. With the clamp loosened up, you should be able to just lift and pull out your air intake box.

Now, using a flat blade screwdriver, loosen up the clamp on this part of the air intake. Once that's loosened up, you should be able to just pull that up and out. Now, you want to remove your radiator overflow bottle. Just remove the 10 millimeter bolt that holds it in place, and then it'll just lift up and pull out, and you just want to set that aside.

Now, that you can see the serpentine belt, you want to use a 15 millimeter socket and ratchet, and place it on the tensioner pulley, and you just want to push that down and it'll loosen up the belt, and you'll be able to pull it off the alternator, and then pull it off all the other pulleys. Just pull it up and out.

Your idler pulley is right here. What you want to do is take a 15 millimeter socket and ratchet and just remove the bolt in the center of it. We'll just fast forward as he does this. Now once you get that bolt removed, the idler pulley will just come right off.

Now, to install your new idler pulley, what you want to do is, you want to just put it into place with the bolt already throughout. This helps you line it up. Then, you just want to twist the bolt by hand, and then using the socket, you can twist it in a little further. Then, add the ratchet, and just tighten it the rest of the way. We'll just fast forward through this process.

Here we've drawn up a handy little belt diagram for you, and obviously the quarters are way too tight for us to be able to film the whole process of putting the belt on, but basically you want to feed it down around the crank, down there on the left side, and around the power steering pulley. Bring a loop up on top of the water pump, and then up on top of the tensioner, under the idler pulley. Then basically, just hold onto it, at the alternator, pull the tensioner and wrap around the alternator. Then release the tensioner.

We are going to try to show you the best we can. You can see he's feeding it down over the power steering, and then up over the water pump. Then he puts it up over the alternator, and down around the idler pulley. You can't really see it, but he's trying to feed it down around the crank. Then he's going to pull it up and place it on the tensioner. We can kind of see he's feeding it down around the crank right there. All that's left is getting it onto that tensioner. Now, with the belt in place you want to put that 15 millimeter socket on the tensioner. You want to push down on that, and that will allow you to align the belt on all of the pulleys. Make sure you have it in place, and then, you just want to tighten the tensioner back up.

Now, just take that part of your intake and put it back down. Put it into position and just use a flat blade screwdriver to tighten up the clamp. Now, you can reinstall your air intake box. You can see there's two holes there. They line up with the two pegs on the van. You just want to feed that down in there. Get it into position, and then, using a flat blade screwdriver, you just want to tighten up that clamp where it connects. You can see there he actually loosened up part of the intake he put in before this. He loosened it up just so he could angle it and push this part down. Then, you just want to tighten both of those clamps back up if you have to do that. We'll just fast forward here. You want to put in those 10 millimeter bolts that secure the air intake box, and reconnect the harness. Then you want to realign your radiator overflow bottle. Put it into position and replace the 10 millimeter bolt in that.

We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.


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