which serpentine belt / routing? (2024)

Hi to all....some help please...

UK based, I have an '03 T1N 311CDi 2.2litre

An idler pulley disintegrated so I have replaced with new & have a new belt to fit.
I have got myself somewhat confused about which length of belt I should be fitting & the route it should take.
So, working from a Haynes manual: if I have air/con there are a total of 8 pulleys to fit the belt around & if I do not there are 7. I do not have air /con but have 8 pulleys! Do I therefore ignore pulley no 8? Which length of belt should I use: Ive purchased a DAYCO 6PK2275 & a DAYCO6PK2263

Thanks, JD.

JD1 said:

Hi to all....some help please...

UK based, I have an '03 T1N 311CDi 2.2litre

An idler pulley disintegrated so I have replaced with new & have a new belt to fit.
I have got myself somewhat confused about which length of belt I should be fitting & the route it should take.
So, working from a Haynes manual: if I have air/con there are a total of 8 pulleys to fit the belt around & if I do not there are 7. I do not have air /con but have 8 pulleys! Do I therefore ignore pulley no 8? Which length of belt should I use: Ive purchased a DAYCO 6PK2275 & a DAYCO6PK2263

Thanks, JD.

Click to expand...

Hi JD,

I've got a UK 313 CDi and am going to change my belt for the first time next week. I had a look yesterday and am certain I have eight pulleys and, like you, do not have A/C.

My routing looks like the upper right hand diagram on your photo.

I'll have to check belt length later as it's out in the MH. I purchased mine from the local MB dealer against my VIN.

Keith.

Edit to add, in your final photo the belt needs to go under the pulley on the lower right hand side.

Thanks for the reply Keith.
Perhaps then it's not unusual to have the 8 even if there is no air/con.
I didn't get the belts form MB direct like you...sounds wise!
Well, I think then, I will try to fit the longer belt I have, fitting it to include the air/con pulley..

JD

Haynes manual?

Nothing better than factory service manual, Isn't there a 2003 SM here?

http://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/

Bob, it's a UK Sprinter with a different engine than the US model.

Instead of an air conditioner, do you folks have a 2nd alternator?

Or, simply enough, what's behind that mystery pulley?

(and i think it's safe to say that MB wouldn't put a pulley in there that they didn't expect the belt to spin)

--dick

Bobnoxious said:

Haynes manual?

Nothing better than factory service manual, Isn't there a 2003 SM here?

http://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/

Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up Bobnoxious but I can't find it there if it is. Would you mind giving me another clue?
Thanks in advance,

JD

autostaretx said:

Bob, it's a UK Sprinter with a different engine than the US model.

Instead of an air conditioner, do you folks have a 2nd alternator?

Or, simply enough, what's behind that mystery pulley?

(and i think it's safe to say that MB wouldn't put a pulley in there that they didn't expect the belt to spin)

--dick

Click to expand...

Hello Dick,
Thanks for your input.
I don't believe there is a 2nd alternator, no. The mystery pulley, as you put it, doesn't seem to do anything at all. I will get underneath & take another picture if i can.

JD.

doug022984 said:

Interesting. If the lower right pulley is just a dummy pulley to replace an A/C compressor, and you have to replace the belt anyway... why not just remove the dummy pulley and go back to the shorter belt? If nothing else, it removes one of the pulleys that can fail from the equation. If it's like most A/C compressor-delete options, its just a bracket that bolts where the A/C compressor would go and can just as easily be unbolted and removed entirely.

Click to expand...

Hello Doug,
Thanks - that's a very good point & I agree, it's logical to remove it. I will investigate further...take a picture & post it on here shortly

JD

There are angles at play here which impact force on individual bearings. I would NOT remove the dummy wheel and put in a shorter serp belt. Well, there again, do it and keep us informed on how it all works out..

ps.. I've seen the dummy wheel here in the US on NAFTA sprinters.. Fed Ex types.. I installed AC on a non AC 2003.

vanski said:

There are angles at play here which impact force on individual bearings. I would NOT remove the dummy wheel and put in a shorter serp belt. Well, there again, do it and keep us informed on how it all works out..
.

Click to expand...

Yeah I thought about that too after my post, but since the picture which looked like it was from a service manual showed a version w/o A/C that used a shorter belt, it seems to me that Daimler already engineered it to handle that configuration. I could see offering a dummy pulley option as a way for fleet owners that have both A/C and non A/C vans only having to stock 1 belt type for maintenance and avoid the possibility of someone putting on the wrong belt.

JD1 said:

Originally Posted by Bobnoxious
Haynes manual?
Nothing better than factory service manual, Isn't there a 2003 SM here?
http://diysprinter.co.uk/reference/

Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up Bobnoxious but I can't find it there if it is. Would you mind giving me another clue?

Click to expand...

The North American 2003 service manual set is packed into this zip file: http://www.diysprinter.co.uk/reference/05 service manual.pdf

Yes, i know the file name starts with "05...", but it IS the 2003 kit.
5 cylinder 2.7 liter OM612 engine.

--dick

doug022984 said:

...since the picture which looked like it was from a service manual showed a version w/o A/C that used a shorter belt, it seems to me that Daimler already engineered it to handle that configuration..

Click to expand...

yes, if this 100% accurate to your config.. sounds reasonable! The 2003 I put AC into was a FedEx, so this could align to your theory.

First. A reminder that the OP was for a 2.1L 4 cylinder engine.

doug022984 said:

Yeah I thought about that too after my post, but since the picture which looked like it was from a service manual showed a version w/o A/C that used a shorter belt, it seems to me that Daimler already engineered it to handle that configuration. I could see offering a dummy pulley option as a way for fleet owners that have both A/C and non A/C vans only having to stock 1 belt type for maintenance and avoid the possibility of someone putting on the wrong belt.

Click to expand...

vanski said:

yes, if this 100% accurate to your config.. sounds reasonable! The 2003 I put AC into was a FedEx, so this could align to your theory.

Click to expand...

I recall a thread where someone installed a belt that left the A/C pulley out of the routing on a 2.7L 5 cylinder. I don't recall if the A/C compressor needed to be removed for that to work or not. I asked for the belt number. I don't believe that I ever got a reply.

A search did reveal that Skippytdi measured the short belt to be approx. 7 ft. 1.9" long = 85.9" L = 2181.86 mm converted.

The A/C pulley does interfere with the shortened routing.

BUT...
A inches to mm direct conversion doesn't seem to work.

This listing doesn't compute to a 6PK2182 or even a 6PK2180 belt being near 85.9" long.

D&D PowerDrive 6PK2176 Metric Standard Replacement Belt, 86.55" Length, 0.86" Width
https://www.amazon.com/PowerDrive-6PK2176-Metric-Standard-Replacement/dp/B01AGQ9YJA

Unless a definite length can be established, trial and error may be needed.

Maybe start with this?
This Ford Taurus Serpentine Belt [6PK2165] has an outside effective circumference length of 85.2"
https://mechanidrive.com/852k6-6pk2165-1994-ford-taurus-equivalent-serpentine-belt-abz27142/

or

6PK2170

Anyway.
The info and pics from Skippytdi starts here.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=699216#post699216

FWIW.

vic