I need to replace the both belts on my 07' M45.
I was wondering what all is involved in performing this procedure?
Yes, I'm mechanically inclined and have plenty of tools.
I've never replaced the belts on this vehicle and just need to know if there is anything particular I have to do and how long does it take to perform on average?
I am really just wanting the feedback due to my wife constantly using the car and the amount of time it will take to complete from the time I start.

Thanks,

J

>> howto-change-engine-belts-t529305.html

Thanks for the link!
Wish I had a lift like he used!
Drive up ramps are just going to have to suffice for now!
I was thinking it could have all been done from up top. Guess not due to the idler tensioner pulley bolts facing downwards and the engine being down so low in the engine bay.
My dealer wanted $300 to change mine.
I usually wouldnt change them just because they're cracked, but I'm getting tired of them stating they need to be replaced everytime I bring it in for service and have to go through the waiting game with them bringing me an estimate!!

J

M4T5 wrote:I usually wouldnt change them just because they're cracked, but I'm getting tired of them stating they need to be replaced everytime I bring it in for service and have to go through the waiting game with them bringing me an estimate!!

J

Once you get the belts replaced they'll start telling you that something else needs to be replaced! There's no escaping it!!

Well, I already replaced the brake pads and rotors so thats out. I also did the 30K service with them 15K miles ago, so thats out too.
The only things left are the belts and air filter. Bot of which I have to install.
Guess we will see.
One thing I havent figured out how to reset is the TPMS system!! Everytime Discount tire rotates and balances the tires, the damn sensors wont reset. Thats even after they perform the reset themselves.
So everytime, I have to take it to the damn dealer for them to reset the TPMS system! Annoying!!

J

Damn...this link is for a M35....not my M45!!!!

It not that hard..took 2 hours for me and my bro.. inside belt was a pain in the a**... Watch out for your tenison bolt though, it will brake if you pull on it too hard..that what i did to mine.

Well like an A$$.....I'm under the car looking for idler pulley adjustment bolts!!
The 4.5L engine utilizes spring loaded belt tensioners for both belts!
The inner belt was the easiest IMO. The outer belt took a tad longer due to having to route it through more pulleys.
Both belts were replaced in less than 20 mins once I understood what was needed to replace them. That doesnt include prepping the car to be worked on (Lifting the front of the car, getting all tools needed, removal of the lower engine cover, and removal of the upper intake tube). Entire start to completion time should be 1 hour.

J

Tools needed for the job:
- 10mm socket and ratchet: For removal of lower engine cover & upper intake tube.
To make the job easier, I used my cordless drill.
- 14mm socket and ratchet(3/8 drive) to pull back the belt tensioners to release the pressure off of the belts.
I recommend the use of an extended length handle 3/8 drive ratchet to minimize the effort needed to release pressure off of the belt. I used a regular length handle type 3/8 drive ratchet, but it took some force and positioning to pull it back. I am not a small guy so this was not too difficult for me to perform.
They also make belt tensioner specific tools for these type of jobs, but are not necessary.
<NOTE> I highly recommend the use of a 14mm (6 POINT) socket for the inner belt tensioner's hexagonal release stub due to it being made of cast aluminum.
Other than that, it's a simple procedure to perform.

J

I'll add this thread to the FAQ link...and yes...I am blessed to have a lift lol.

I wish you lived near Houston!!!

J

Jim/anyone: Since I am going to be doing this in just a few days myself for the first time....

For the OUTER (Alternator, Water Pump, A/C compressor) belt:
you just use the 14mm socket on the center pulley hexagonal part (looks like a nut --the red box) turning it COUNTER-clockwise [direction of the arrow] to release enough tension so the belt will come off. seems like they are recommending placing an allen wrench in one of the holding boss holes to keep the auto tensioner pulley arm locked while you work the belt off, is that right?



For the INNER (Power Steering, Oil pump) belt:
same deal as above...turn the "hexagonal protrusion part of auto tensioner pulley" the bit that looks like a nut COUNTER-clockwise to loosen tension and allow the belt to be slipped off. it looks like it's a lot further down in the engine bay--can you reach it from above with a long enough ratchet handle (i don't have orangutan arms so this might be too much of a stretch for me) even though from the FSM it looks like they're going at it from below?--"that's what she said"-LOL




sorry for all the questions, just don't want to f*k anything up, but i figured i changed out my rotors and pads after seeing it done once and i replaced my washing machine's drive belt, this doesn't seem too difficult.

thanks--this forum is great for learning a ton of stuff...might snap a few pics once i've got bits off and i'm down and dirty

Craig

If you do take pics, do you mind following the HowTo setup of my M35 belt replacement link (from a couple posts up) and creating a legitimate howto?

Ilya:

yessir! happy to oblige--i certainly will take some pics from above to see how easy it is to get at the tensioner pulley and if i can see everything i need to, but if it turns out to be a feel around job--"that's what she said"-LOL...i'll take pics from below after i get the girl up on ramps. may change my oil if i've got the bottom cover off while i'm down there anyway. we'll see how it goes...

craig

Doc,
I did mine and didn't try from above because it looked like too much of a reach. Seems like you can see everything from below, but I may have went from above to below a couple times getting the belts routed around all the pulleys, I don't remember. My only problem was getting the new belts on, even taking the allen wrenches out of the boss holes and pulling the tensioners just a bit further didn't seem to help. Once I got the belts on, all was well. I'm sure there's a trick to that part that ma ore experienced person would know. Now that I think about it, it seems like one of the pulleys on each belt has no lip and goes toward the back (non-grooved) side of the belt, and perhaps doing it last instead of one of the pulleys with a lip to stretch over would have been easy, but I changed them a couple years ago, so I could be totally making that up from memories of some other car.
Dustin

The00Dustin wrote: but I changed them a couple years ago, so I could be totally making that up from memories of some other car.

-LOL

thanks for the feedback Dustin--i was hoping someone who had done it recently, like Jim, could comment if there was some trick to making it easier to get the belts on (Ilya seemed to have problems with one of the belts too-altho' he's got a M35) i'll be sure to take a good look around to see if one of the pulleys doesn't have the lip.

i think that's why Ilya wants a "How To" if someone is going to go thru all the effort of taking the parts off, etc....

I had a problem for sure with the bigger belt...but I guess I didn't loosen one of the pullies or something? Someone mentioned it in my thread...oh well, I had the dealer do it for me lol.

So I changed the engine oil and filter today..made a little bit of a mess when the oil drain plug slipped out of my hands and plugged up my oil drain pain hole until i could fish it out.

while the bottom cover was off I decided to tackle the belts:
btw i have a 2006 M45
1. big belt-the alternator, water pump, A/C compressor belt was pretty easy to get off and on from above.
2. the small belt-power steering oil pump belt (inner) was a lot harder, no way I could have gotten it on from above alone. maybe the belt was a wee bit shorter than OEM, I used Goodyear Gator belts. I had to struggle to get that sumbish on to the power steering/oil pump pulley just working it little by little.

no tricks, just used the FSM and a lot of muscle and patience to change them.

Hey man, how are the gatorbacks ?! I bought them and want to change them aswell... are they noticebly quieter than OEM ?!

They seem to be of really nice quality--i didn't even have OEM belts on previously--they were NAPA parts! (previous owner may have had them changed or changed them himself) so I can't comment on how good they are compared to OEM.

They don't seem as loud compared to what was on previously, but could be my imagination.

As importantly, i paid about $22 +S&H compared to prolly close to $65 if i had gone with OEM belts-bought on line

Another "Thanks" to the forum. Was always afraid to tackle the belts, but once I read the guide here I went for it and saved $130. Love the site. Thanks for the help.

Anyone have the part numbers for the gatorback belts for a 06 M45?

16volt wrote:Anyone have the part numbers for the gatorback belts for a 06 M45?

from the How To & FAQ, 2nd link on changing your belts M45:

I used Goodyear Poly-V Gatorback belts that I bought from Rockauto.com
Alt/Water pump/AC belt (part #4060770): $7.97
PS/Oil Pump belt (part #4040372): $14.10

I did this a while back - hopefully part numbers haven't changed.
Good luck - pretty easy to do.

Guys, I just used the Gator 4060770 and it’s a tad too long. I can hear my tensioner bumping the hard stop for its allowed travel.
I’m gonna order the Infinity $58 belt. I don’t like the tensioner being on the last mark.

4060770 Gator Back belt is 77 inches of workable length. The OEM is 76.38 inches. That’s the problem.

Also, let’s talk about how much BS it is that you can’t order the spark-plug-tube gaskets that are in the valve cover. Infiniti wants you to buy the whole valve cover instead. I have one that’s cracked but I’m just going to let it seep. That’s ridiculous.

Sstupid wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 11, 2019 4:13 pm

Guys, I just used the Gator 4060770 and it’s a tad too long. I can hear my tensioner bumping the hard stop for its allowed travel.
I’m gonna order the Infinity $58 belt. I don’t like the tensioner being on the last mark.

Good job keeping an eye on these indicators.

OEM is certainly best, but have you considered parts store options? O'Reilly and AutoZone have house brands but also carry Gates, which is a decent name in belt tech. Their costs are about half OEM, and I've had good experiences with various ones from the auto parts stores.

The tapping of the tensioner against the hard stop was hard to miss. . Thanks for the bearing reference, btw. I ordered a four pack of bearings for the tensioners for $7.80. I wish I would have seen this before I replaced my $128 idler last month. It turns out that Dayco has a 76.38 inch workable length belt at Autozone. Gonna go grab it today.

So looking at the additional comments on my original How To & FAQ thread: https://forums.nicoclub.com/how-to-chan ... 92214.html

there are a variety of lengths which could vary as much as 0.8 inch, for the shorter ie power steering/oil pump belt, if you are not using OEM.
I reckon that there is the same degree of variability for the longer belt as well

I had just assumed that there wouldn't be significant variances in the specific dimensions....we all know the problem with ASSuming

Btw, sstupid the 76.38" you are measuring from the OEM belt is most probably the stretched or current length, right?
I see from the linked thread that Doc found it to be 77 inches, like your first belt.

My point is that, if you can't find a significantly shorter belt that doesn't chatter the tensioner at OEM length, the tensioner itself might be bad.

But please, let us know how the Dayco belt turned out.
Also, what happens when you reinstall your old belt?

I got the 76.38 workable length from the OEM belt spec.

ThenDayco belt worked great it is part number 5060763. The last three numbers obviously spell out the workable length inches.