How to change a belt on a 2000 Chevy Astro van?

Answer 1

Replacing the Serpintine belt

remove top of air intake (hose clamp, and air sensor)

remove Lower Air intake (just snaps onto Fan shroud)

remove Fan shroud (3 bolts along top and 2 bolts on the sides) you'll need wratchet with a long extension

once you can see the front of the motor take a second to note routing

take your wratchet and extension insert it in the tensioner (under alternator Pass. side) and relieve the tension on the belt. I've found sliding belt off tword engine easiest (you may need to twist flat to clear the tensioner). once off tensioner you should be able to work the belt off. I usually take off the alternator first that gives me enough slack to get the belt out from behind the tensioner.

start routing the new belt. get it inplace as best you can then i use a spring clamp on the belt and crank pully. this helps keep the belt in place as it tends to fall off the crank pully while your messing with final routing and the tensioner

route belt leaving the alternator off, release the tension and slide the off the tensioner twords the engine release the tensioner. place belt on alternator. release tensioner slide belt onto tensioner

sliding the belt onto the tensioner from behind is the easiest way I've found as I've done this several times

reinstall fanshroud, lower air intake and upper air intake

AnswerReplacing the Serpintine belt

remove top of air intake (hose clamp, and air sensor)

remove Lower Air intake (just snaps onto Fan shroud)

remove Fan shroud (3 bolts along top and 2 bolts on the sides) you'll need wratchet with a long extension

once you can see the front of the motor take a second to note routing

take your wratchet and extension insert it in the tensioner (under alternator Pass. side) and relieve the tension on the belt. I've found sliding belt off tword engine easiest (you may need to twist flat to clear the tensioner). once off tensioner you should be able to work the belt off. I usually take off the alternator first that gives me enough slack to get the belt out from behind the tensioner.

start routing the new belt. get it inplace as best you can then i use a spring clamp on the belt and crank pully. this helps keep the belt in place as it tends to fall off the crank pully while your messing with final routing and the tensioner

route belt leaving the alternator off, release the tension and slide the off the tensioner twords the engine release the tensioner. place belt on alternator. release tensioner slide belt onto tensioner

sliding the belt onto the tensioner from behind is the easiest way I've found as I've done this several times

reinstall fanshroud, lower air intake and upper air intake

AnswerIf the 2000 & 2001 astros are the same, you can save a lot of time by not removing anything. You can get to the tensioner from underneath the van. Release the tension, slide the belt off any of the pulleys. When installing the new belt, put it on the engine side of the tensioner first so you can get your ratchet back on. If you have someone who can hold the belt on the a/c and alternator, it's only a 5 minute job. Solo it takes 10 minutes tops.