2012 Kia Forte Serpentine Belt Diagram
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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Okay so before anyone goes to say there are already other topics, I'm going to reference the only two I found and that I did not find helpful:
This one doesn't reference the installation itself aside from one bloke who tried the same thing I did: http://www.forteforums.com/forums/kia-forte-2-0l-engine-discussion/40769-kia-forte-drive-belt.html
And this one shows a video of a guy loosening the pulley on a lancer with much more room than our koups and a custom welded tool (if you look carefully): http://www.forteforums.com/forums/k...3947-serpentine-belt-removal-2-4l-anyone.html
I looked EVERYWHERE in KGIS about how to get a tool on the stupid pulley to loosen it. For a website that tells you the tightening torque on your oil filter, it's pretty useless for helping you figure out things like this.
I've tried 16MM open end wrench from top and bottom (wheel well with splash guard removed); not long enough. I've tried serpentine tool from auto parts store (what a joke). Do I really have to remove the motor mount and jack the engine up so I can get a wrench down there? This is a little ridiculous. The engineers in Korea really didn't have an eighth of an inch to give you access? Sorry if I seem frustrated but several trips to the hardware and auto parts store will do that to you.
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I feel your pain..I did this by myself and ended up putting it on the tensioner first and then by pushing down on the tensioner slipped it on one of the idler pulleys where I could get enough access with my hand while trying to get the belt on while keeping it on the pulleys etc. You must use a wrench because the serpentine belt tool is worthless. You also may have to find a flat wrench with no offset or angle. I used the open end of the wrench on the tesioner bolt and took the serpentine tool bar that had an adapter that can be removed and put a bolt through box head part of the wrench and that piece of the serpentine tool and positioned it just so and pushed down enough to allow me to slip it on the fixed idler pulley not the tensioner pulley because there just wasn't enough room for the belt and wrench and your fingers in that area. Be a lot easier with extra hands!!~!Good luck...
Tip..use some spring clamps to hold the belt on the crank/AC and alternator pulleys.
Make sure it all aligned correctly before staring it up! I KNOW it would have been a lot easier with extra hands.
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I've got 104k miles on my belt and the manual says to change when cracks appear. My belt still looks like new, so I'm debating about leaving it on for the remaining 18 months and 40k miles I will be keeping the car. Makes me nervous, though. If it was easy to change, I would just do it and alleviate my worries.
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I would change it..After I removed my old belt (had no cracks at 100.000 miles) and felt how hard the rubber was compared to the new KIA belt. It definitely causes more wear to the pulleys and idlers. It also is quieter because the softer belt absorbs the normal running noises an old belt generates much better. I did mine for peace of mind. I travel 150 miles round trip a day. Yes it was a beeeech!!!
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it's a pain, I had to use two wrenches linked together to do mine. Just gotta nut up and expect a few busted knuckles. You may can get a serpentine belt tool with a shallow socket on it, but two box end wrenches worked for me.
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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
This is absolutely insane. Can not WAIT to get rid of this junker little Kia. Too bad nobody wants to buy it because of these reasons. What a shame Kia doesn't like their belts to be changed. This is a SERIOUS design flaw.
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This is absolutely insane. Can not WAIT to get rid of this junker little Kia. Too bad nobody wants to buy it because of these reasons. What a shame Kia doesn't like their belts to be changed. This is a SERIOUS design flaw.
Really? You can't be serious? Can you? Can someone really be this ignorant? You've put 80k miles on this "junker" and you finally had to change a serp belt.
I mean, this is so hard.... http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...e-and-Equipment/Serpentine-Belt-Tool/_/N-25ey
pay $30 and get your $30 back when you're done. The REASON for this tool is because 90% of FWD cars today are a motherfucking bitch to change the belt on without it. Not exactly a SERIOUS design flaw. More like a "loose nut behind the wrench" flaw.
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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
Really? You can't be serious? Can you? Can someone really be this ignorant? You've put 80k miles on this "junker" and you finally had to change a serp belt.
I mean, this is so hard.... http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...e-and-Equipment/Serpentine-Belt-Tool/_/N-25ey
pay $30 and get your $30 back when you're done. The REASON for this tool is because 90% of FWD cars today are a motherfucking bitch to change the belt on without it. Not exactly a SERIOUS design flaw. More like a "loose nut behind the wrench" flaw.
Obviously you haven't read the entire post so I'll reiterate.
-I bought the tool from autozone you just linked to: it doesn't work
-I've had MUCH MUCH more in repairs for this vehicle besides a serpentine belt. I apologize for not listing my entire service history for you.
- I would say when there's nearly 2 feet of clearance on the other side of the motor and literally nothing on the belt side, that's a design flaw. (The engineers did not think ahead). I literally only need 1/16" to fit the tool in there to release the tension.
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Obviously you haven't read the entire post so I'll reiterate.
-I bought the tool from autozone you just linked to: it doesn't work
-I've had MUCH MUCH more in repairs for this vehicle besides a serpentine belt. I apologize for not listing my entire service history for you.
- I would say when there's nearly 2 feet of clearance on the other side of the motor and literally nothing on the belt side, that's a design flaw. (The engineers did not think ahead). I literally only need 1/16" to fit the tool in there to release the tension.
Clearly you have no idea how a FWD engine sits in the engine bay. Of course there's "2 feet of clearance on the other side", that's where the fucking transmission sits. Serp belts on ANY FWD car suck because the engine has to be against the passenger frame rail. HAS TO BE. Thats not a design flaw.
Like all of these:
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Discussion Starter · #10 ·
Bobzilla- If I had NO understanding of how a FWD power-train sits in the engine bay, I wouldn't be attempting to change my own belt. I DEFINITELY wouldn't have changed my own clutch/flywheel at 60k. I've done several FWD belt changes on transverse engine layouts before and NEVER have had such tight clearances. Even the pictures you use as examples show vehicles with ample room to fit the SST from autozone onto the tensioner.
I'm sorry I offended you with my "junker little Kia" comment but with all the repairs I've done on this vehicle, I believe it's perfectly justified. If you have nothing but more curse words and negative personal remarks, I ask you keep them to yourself as it's not productive in helping me. Leave that kind of junk to PM and we can make personal jabs at each-other all day long.
Thanks to anyone who's given some productive insight to the job.
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I've actually changed the belts on most of those (not the fusion or malibu).... they ain't any easier than the Forte. The only car that didn't suck to do was the '00 Accent we had. Mostly because most of the engine sat below the frame rail and you had pretty decent access with the tire off.
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Discussion Starter · #12 ·
I've actually changed the belts on most of those (not the fusion or malibu).... they ain't any easier than the Forte. The only car that didn't suck to do was the '00 Accent we had. Mostly because most of the engine sat below the frame rail and you had pretty decent access with the tire off.
But with the vehicles you have done, the serpentine SST did fit in between the idler pulley bolt and the frame rail correct? That is the issue I'm having. I can't find a tool narrow enough (unless I improvise with an open-end wrench) to fit between the tensioner pulley bolt and the frame rail. I've done an Si with the K20 (2009 or 2010, can't remember) and had no problem getting the SST down there to release the tension.
I guess I will have to improvise like others have done with an open end wrench from the wheel-well and a second set of hands.
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actually the TSX did not, I had to use a couple of wrnches together. I've made my fair share of "special tools" to get jobs done. Hell, I had to cut down a 5/8" spark plug socket, and grind a cheap 19mm wrench to be able to change spark plugs on the 88' vette I had. such a mess that was. You want to talk about "serious design flaws"... I could go on for days with some of the shit I've been conned into doing.
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I did mine from the top of the engine bay... it wasn't ermehgerd hard or anything, just had to take my time.
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Discussion Starter · #15 ·
So just an update: I was able to buy the longest open-end wrench (had to use 17MM) Harbor freight sold and access the pulley from the bottom. There is almost no way to do this by yourself unless you REALLY take your time.
As for anyone with the 2.0L, you should have no problem fitting the SST (serpentine tensioner tool) between the frame rail and tensioner pulley.
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Yeah... this sounds like a case of someone making it harder than it needs to be IMO.
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yeah... BTW for those who don't know, that is a picture of a serpentine belt tool with a crow's foot on the tensioner pulley.
Source: https://www.forteforums.com/threads/serpentine-drive-belt-very-frustrating.53370/
Posted by: halinnese0194805.blogspot.com
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