Pls help! 1990 Winnebago Chieftain 454 belts installation help! Please!

Lmnakamura · November 13, 2018, 01:05 PM

After a month of forum hunting, here I am posting my question:

***Replacing belts***
-> diagram of each belt. Each belt, dif color
-> order to go back on/ which slot / which pully

I have a 1990 WInnebago Chieftain with a 454 c/i block w/ stock a/c.

*** color code belts, point out which pully slot***

I have found a diagram on this website, but am unable to differentiate between the belts and pullys. Hoping there is someone that can possibly color code the 3 different belts along with which slot on which pully. So yes, hoping on a prayer, someone can brake it down in the simplist form so that this novice can do it.

I do have the adjusting bolts loose, & old belts off. Now, stuck.

Unfortunately, I am in desperate/time-sensitive need of replacing my belts. On residential street, going into a housing track. Cannot afford a tow, mechanic, etc. As you know, there is extremely limited visual/physical access, which makes this task more difficult. Add in that I am a 5'2 woman, access is more challenging, but do-able! I will do this, but pls, a bit of help.

Thank you in advance for any and all help and assistance.

tmsnyder · November 13, 2018, 02:03 PM

Are you still using the smog air pumps?

tmsnyder · November 13, 2018, 02:04 PM

I'm pretty sure everything you need to know is here:

http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11119.0.html

tmsnyder · November 13, 2018, 02:08 PM

The order that they go on is closest to the block first, then the next one, then the next one, working your way toward the radiator. At least that's the way I do it, seems impossible to do it any other way.

Also, if it were me I'd run a piece of clothesline around the pulleys to verify that the lengths listed in the 'sticky' page I posted were actually correct. The length of the belt is as if you cut the belt, stretched it out for total length and measured how long it was. If you get a belt and it seems a bit too long or short or if the rope measurement seems off, it's pretty easy to decipher the belt number to see which numbers specify the length, and adjust from there.

Also personally, I'd exclude the AIR pumps too, those are just one more thing to lock up and ruin the belt. Your's being a 1990, maybe it doesn't have them though.

Rickf1985 · November 13, 2018, 07:47 PM

And I will post Daves thread again.

http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11119.0.html

Lmnakamura · November 14, 2018, 03:07 PM

Yes, regarding the smog pump.

I have looked over those pics for weeks. There is a part on the right side of the pic w/ a.c., that isn't making sense to me. With no visual of what I am doing, this is quite intimidating, which is why I am asking if there is a way to draw over the pic with a designated color for each belt. I am not sure if this is an "over-under pully" issue or what exactly this belt is doing.

It's the belts wrapping around the a.c. that has me confused.

Thank you for such speedy responses!

Lmnakamura · November 14, 2018, 03:59 PM

Light bulb just went off! Got it , I think...

Rickf1985 · November 14, 2018, 09:03 PM

One belt goes between the crankshaft and the power steering. One belt goes from the crankshaft around the steering, air conditioner and water pump. The last belt goes between the power steering and the emissions pump on top. The wide belt goes around the other side and hits the crankshaft, water pump, alternator and lower emissions pump.

Lmnakamura · November 16, 2018, 11:59 AM

Ok, way too much slack on belt 3. My engine does not have one one the air compressor's. My engine is close, but not either of the graph's. I do have a.c. stock, but not one of the pumps on the far left of graph. The top pump and power steering are verticle to eachother without a pump on the outside of the belt. I am not sure where the problem is. The belt that was hanging down off my engine was .38X40" the one I am trying to put back on has a good 3" slack, of the same size. Hope yhis makes sense

tmsnyder · November 16, 2018, 01:38 PM

I keep staring at that diagram from GM and it doesn't match what I have. What does match is the more simple one from 'Engineer Bill' Just focus on that one. If you skip the AIR pumps for smog control system, here are the belts on my late 1989 / early 1990 chevy 454.

Closest to the block is a V belt running just the power steering pump off the crank. It's a 41 inch belt, p/n 15410. The adjustment for this is a bit of a pain b/c it rocks the P/S pump over to tighten the belt. Then other belts run on the P/S pump as well so this has to be replaced and tightened first. Also, it's closest to the block so it's first on and tightened. Notice the reason for this is that it's a very important belt since it powers the hydroboost brakes and steering, don't want to lose those.

The next one away from the block runs the power steering pump (redundancy! see, the P/S pump is important) , A/C compressor, and water pump/fan off the crank. It's 59.5 inches long, p/n 15595. I would have liked it to be a little longer, had to loosen and pull in the p/s pump to get it on.

And the third away from block is a serpentine flat micro-v belt running only the waterpump/fan and alternator from the crank. It's a 52 inch belt 060520. Earlier engines used a V belt for this, which do you have, micro-v flat belt or regular v-belt?

Those are the groupings for the belts, if you decide you want to run the AIR pumps, then you would need the longer belt specified in the link Rick and I posted. That's the stock setup, the above eliminates the AIR pumps.

Which belt is too long for you? The third one is supposed to drive the alternator and water pump from the crank. If there's no AIR pump on the passenger side down low and you bought the belt that was in the stock diagram , then yes it would be too long. If you have a flat belt there and no AIR pump, then it should be the 52" belt listed above. But if it's a V belt you'll have to measure the length by wrapping some rope around and getting the length that way. What was the belt you tried to use there that was too long?

Rickf1985 · November 16, 2018, 02:09 PM

A 40 inch belt sounds like the upper air pump belt that would go between the power steering and the upper air pump only. If you do not have the air pump on the left side then you need the 060520 if it is the stock flat belt that should be on that year. By the way, if you have a 1990 Winnebago hen it is on a 1989 Chevy Chassis. The 1990 Chevy chassis had fuel injection and no air pumps. If this is what you heave then it may be different but I don't think so.

tmsnyder · November 16, 2018, 02:12 PM

She must have the carbureted version if she's got an AIR pump.

Rickf1985 · November 16, 2018, 05:45 PM

The way she is describing the " The top pump and power steering are verticle to eachother without a pump on the outside of the belt" sounds like she is describing the AC compressor and not an emissions pump.

Lmnakamura · November 18, 2018, 04:57 PM

On the pics, I did not realize they were showing 2 seperate options.

Eurika!

What I did:

Belt 1 - Pwr steering belt: crank shaft -> pwr steering

Belt 2 - crank shaft -> fan -> (had to adjust due to belt having 1 1/2" slack (no signs of previous adjustments but obvious ability) - air pump -> pwr steering

Belt 3 - alt belt -> obvious....;D

Thank you so very much! No squeek, quiet, smooth, more importantly, on the road! Thank you, y'all saved my skin.