Drive belts replacement
 

Anyone here know how to replace Alternate belt and AC belt? Delear told me the belts are cracking, the job to replace these belts include parts is $180. I'm looking for DIY, anyone here done this job before?

I replaced both belts when I replaced my radiator. It's a big job. Not really hard but you have to remove quite a bit to get to the belts. $180 is not a bad deal. The belts alone are $20-$30. It was simlpe for me since I had to remove everything to get the radiator out. If I remember correctly you have to remove the intake near the front of the engine, Remove fan, fan shroud, Under engine splash guard, and then you can get to them. If you have the time go for it and goodluck!

it not a difficult job but it'll take an hour or two. I only took off the fan and under shield to do it.

The belt is actually very easy to replace...the hardest part is removing the fan and fan shroud. You need a 32mm wrench and a way to hold the fan blade from turning...there is a special tool that you could buy from BAVAUTO that hold the fan blade by the screws...I replaced the belt on a 330i and I just wedged a screwdriver in to hold it...that is why I am confindent to do the belt on the X myself...also pulling up the tensioners and locking them in place makes the belt install pretty smooth. My dealer wanted $185 to do the belts, I just bought the AC and drive belt for around $35 with my CCA discount.

Fan is reverse threaded !!!! don’t forget that. As for holding it, you can make a tool for about 3 bucks. Go to lowes for something and get a thin FLAT metal rod, I used a aluminum flat bar 1inch by 3 feet I got at a hobby shop.

Anyway drill a hole large enough for the bolt of the water pump pulley to go through it. Do that about 1 inch from the one end of the rod. Put the rod over one bolt on the pulley and mark where the next bolt will need to have a hole drilled. Drill a hole for the second pulley bolt to go through. Be advised the bolts are not evenly spaced.

Tool finished. The fan clutch is not on very tight so you can almost always get away with the screwdriver or ugly stick jammed into the bolts to hold them.

Remember reverse threaded !

:doh: Totaly forgot about the reverse thread..good call!

I actually didn't even need the special tool. Just a few jabs with my hand and a 32mm wrench did the job.

Easy to do. Remove the cowling over the engine, remove the fan (left hand threads as mentioned), It was last year that I did it so I dont recall exactly if it was an allen head or a regular bolt head that needed turning on the tensioner. Either way, not too difficult.

Thanks for you all giving hand, I did not quiet understand what do you mean by reverse thread, does that mean counter clockwise is lock and clockwise is open? Anyone has pics? So to replace the belt, the fan must be removed?

Yes the fan is a must to remove. Reverse thread just means, if standing in front of the engine. Use a 32mm wrench and and try breaking the fan loose by turning it clock-wise. Normally clock-wise would tighten a bolt but these are reversed.

Left hand threads means hold your left hand in a fist, and point your thumb out (like you're hitch hiking :thumbup: ), and you point your thumb in the direction you want the fan to go (in this case, standing in front of the car, you would be pointing your left thumb at yourself), then you will turn the fan in the direction your fingers are pointing. Get it? Left hand. Right hand threads are the same way except you use your right hand.

Any one know what tools will I need to use and where the tension locate on the drive belt and a/c belt? I also wonder why do we need to take the fan off? Is it because you need more rooms? I was thinking if I can wrap the new belt through the fan then I can be able to cut the old one off and put the new one on without taking the fan off.

You Might be able to do that, but keep in mind that fan is plastic and over time gets brittle, break a blade and you are off the road.

Any tips where to lose the tensioner?

Any diy for belt replacement?

Here's a DIY for an E38/M62 engine which should apply to an X5 with minor variations. I used parts of the DIY for my 540i, but I replaced my belts at the same time I removed a cracked radiator, so I had alot more working space when I replaced the belts.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/119957

The homemade tool described by the Cleaner is also described and photographed in this article.

Thanks Asawadude! At least there are something to look at. I have been looking for the top tensioner but now I found it. Thanks man.

For those that never done your belt replacement, here is a hints. I just did my belt today. Removing the fan is a must the reason is that you need some rooms to unscrew your tensioner from the top part.

What I did was I unscrew the the screw at the spiner where it attach to the fan pivot, this was you can get the screw stick out a little. Then you can made a special too and hook on the screw that stick out. Once the spiner don't move you can turn the fan's nut.

Next job, I am going to do is flush my radiator and replace them with new fluid.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/121268
some pics here how to remove the fan

Part numbers bavauto has several which do I choose?