Hey Guys,

I drive a 97 Civic HX. My Serpentine Belt snapped today. Does anyone know if this controls the water pump? I need to drive it across town tommorrow, but I dont want to overheat it.

Thanks

 

None of the three visible belts runs the water pump.

Which belt broke (see picture)? The middle and right belts are for the A/C compressor or alternator, respectively.

 

ya your fine BUT if its the alternator belt is what snaped them KEEP ALL POWER OPTIONS OFF as much as posible! otherwise your battery will drain VERY FAST and the motor will die on you!
but if its either of the front belts, AC or PS then its no big deal!

 

This may be the best time to ask.

Anyone install the aftermarket underdrive pully kit? It seems like this project would be a b*tch! Are there any noticeable power gains?

 

It definately seems to be my alternator belt. I just replaced the battery yesterday and it barely started this morning. How hard is it to replace? anyone have a walkthrough or something?

Thanks.

 

Take the power steering and A/C belts off (if equipped). Loosen the bolt on the top of the alternator, the one on the engine that holds the slotted alternator bracket, and the nut underneath the alternator. Push the alternator toward the engine. Put the new belt around the alternator and engine pulleys. Swing the alternator away from the engine to tighten the belt. Tighten the top alternator bolt first to hold it in place. You want the belt to deflect about 10 mm when you push on the center with your hand. Once proper tension is set, tighten the other bolts. Replace the A/C and PS belts if they were removed.

 

aftermarket pulleys are a joke and will ruin your engine. they arnt balanced and i had to learn that the hard way. Plus there a b*tch to get off worse than the stock pulleys when you are about to throw them away

 

Hey MK, will your procedure above aply to my 01 civic ex?

Tanks
Joe

 

I probably wouldn't even try to drive it until you get the belt replaced. I recently replaced my alternator but the setup looks different on yours. I have the 98 LX. On mine, I didn't have to remove any other belts. The actual install on the alternator was similar. There are two bolts that keep the alternator in place. You will need to loosen both in order to install the new belt and then tighten it. In my case, it was much easier to remove the lower bolt by removing the driver's front wheel first but yours might be different.

Hope everything goes well.

 

LOL, how did this thread get revived 4 months later? I did get the belt replaced that week, and got where I needed to be with no further troubles Funny thing though, I just sold my civic at 187,000 miles... and this is the only major problem it ever had. Now I have a Scion tC. Still a civic guy at heart though.