How to get this belt on? Excalibur 330 belt - water pump

[toolmankan]

Guys, I'm feeling dumb right now. I cannot get the water pump belt on, and there's no adjustment. I cannot find other woes posted, so maybe it normally slips on rather easy normally? Which makes me think I'm missing something obvious, or that maybe this belt from nautiqueparts.com happens to be incorrect?

2003 Air Nautique, Direct Drive 330 Excalibur. Non-Serpentine. Pics attached. Help this dumb boy out! haha

[glassywaters]

I believe you loosen the bracket so it has some play, slide the belt on and bolt the bracket back on.

[bturner]

Unfortunately you posted basically the view of the belt and neither show the front of the water pump bracket. It kind of looks like there's a square hole by the mounting bolt on the left. If I had to guess or was there attempting to install the belt, I would.....

• Remove the bolt on the left or top depending on how you look at it (circled in yellow below).
• Loosen the bolt on the right or the bottom depending on how you look at it (circled in yellow below).
• Adjust the bracket so the belt will install.
• Use a ratchet wrench or square bit that will fit in the square hole (circled in red below) to adjust the belt so the left bolt will fit, then install the bolt.
• Torque both bolts.
• Go get a beer and marvel at my mechanical reasoning powers.....

If that's not a square hole, I would probably look for a way to use a pry bar to tension the belt and install the left bolt.

[SilentSeven]

Dat bilge oil though......

[core-rider]

Unfortunately you posted basically the view of the belt and neither show the front of the water pump bracket. It kind of looks like there's a square hole by the mounting bolt on the left. If I had to guess or was there attempting to install the belt, I would.....

• Remove the bolt on the left or top depending on how you look at it (circled in yellow below).
• Loosen the bolt on the right or the bottom depending on how you look at it (circled in yellow below).
• Adjust the bracket so the belt will install.
• Use a ratchet wrench or square bit that will fit in the square hole (circled in red below) to adjust the belt so the left bolt will fit, then install the bolt.
• Torque both bolts.
• Go get a beer and marvel at my mechanical reasoning powers.....

If that's not a square hole, I would probably look for a way to use a pry bar to tension the belt and install the left bolt.

This is it... that square hole fits a 1/2" ratchet/breaker bar to tension the belt while tightening the bolts. Unless you have the wrong size belt there is more than enough adjustment with both those bolts loosened to get the belt on.

[bturner]

That's it, I'm off to get a beer and celebrate my senior level skills in mechanical reasoning powers!

[MN Ryan]

bturner for the win! Come up to Minny next fall and give me a hands on winterization tutorial and I'll provide all the beers you can handle!