Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

As expected, my supercharger belt died today. Ok, I didn't expect it to die today but I expected it to go soon. So I'm begging for help to A) fix it and B) to borrow a belt tensioner from someone so the people that fit A can help me do it.

Also, with a pulley, do I need to get a different belt? I can't imagine a stock one fits, but I have no idea.

Anyway, I'm garaged for a while. Again.

Ah ha! Alta website has the belt info. For my Alta 15% pulley and stock crank pulley, looks like I need NAPA Belt 060539. That's at least some good news.

It's a bit of a job, and you absolutely need the tool. While you're at it, consider getting a new tensioner too - they do wear out.

Is your garage heated?

I can help with some pointers BUT you need the tool to remove the belt. minidave and I replaced mine but we borrowed the tensioner tool from JRutherford(?) I think. Maybe minidave remembers who it was. If its warm in your garage im willing to help.just let me know--- David

i think minidave and i think alike (warm garage)

Our garage is semi-heated (currently about 45-50ish) if you need a warmer-than-outside spot to work, but to get it here, huh?

Where are you located? I'm sure if you don't have one, I'm sure someone has something heated close by.

I have a garage that is only sort of heated, and is certainly to crowded to do any work in right now anyway.

Because of my super busy schedule, I don't think I'm going to even look at it for a week or so anyway. It's in the garage and safe, and I've got transportation. That'll give me time to track down a tool and/or clean out my garage enough so that we can work in it... I started to go do that today and decided that it was WAY to cold in there to do anything...

Make enough room on the front passenger side of MINI. You have to remove the wheel and inner fender liner to access the belt removal and to reinstall the new belt.

I'd like to try a different way.....I read that if you loosen the motor mount on that side and jack the engine up a little the job is much easier....

So after doing some research, all of the references to a special tool to do this are for removing the supercharger pulley. Do I need to do that to replace the belt?

NO,you need the belt tensioner tool to take the tension off of the belt to remove the belt. Clear as mud huh!
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/ma ... 083/cat/22

this is the tool to remove the belt

someone said that someone has one of these tools locally. is there any way we might get together and have a belt and pulley install meet? I have an ALTA 15% I got for Christmas and am itching to put it on

I have the pulley removal tool.....but I don't have the belt tensioner tool.

The belt tensioner tool has been ordered for the MINI club members use.

So MiniGeoff, set the time and place and what kind of Krispy Kremes will be served and we'll be there to help!

BTW. do you think you have all the tools (other than the belt tool) to do the job, or do we need to bring some stuff with us?

heard from the seller of the tool and he said 5 business days before arrival of the tool. maybe next Friday

Well, Dave, keep me updated. I'd like to schedule the repair next Sat, but obviously that's dependent on the availability of folks to help me, and the tool to arrive. Sunday is my daughter's birthday, so I can't do it then, and so it's Sat or we wait a week.

Also, it looks as if we'll have to do it at my house, since I can't move it without a tow. I don't even have any power, which isn't a real surprise considering I had to drive it about a mile w/o any alternator at all. I'm working to clean out the garage so that we've got space to work.

I've got jackstands and floor jacks, but the rest of my tool supply is mostly limited to poorly organized construction tools, so my wrench/socket selection is poor/lost/unorganized at best. My NY resolution was to fix that, and it's an ongoing project, but you don't want to know how bad it was.

OK, let's plan for Sat if that works for you, and assume the tool will be here by then, if not we can reschedule, weather permitting.

Pic a time and PM the address and such, we'll plan from there....do you have a battery charger, or do I need to bring one?

I like maple coated KK's BTW, with 2% milk............

I will keep y'all informed of when the tool arrives. BTW, I like chocolate KK and coffee----d

I'll endeavor to have some KK. I can hardly argue with that.

I also do not have a battery charger, so if you could bring yours Dave, that would be wonderful.

I will also work hard to make enough room in my garage to work, but it's very narrow and that would be difficult. I've got enough level-ish surface to do it outside the garage, weather permitting. I'm going to hunt down a belt this week using the part number.

If it's mid 50's and not raining, outside will be OK.

I'll bring the battery charger....

Davester, if you still have the article and want to bring the appropriate tools, I also have plenty of shop rags and a creeper I can bring.

MiniGeoff wrote:Ah ha! Alta website has the belt info. For my Alta 15% pulley and stock crank pulley, looks like I need NAPA Belt 060539. That's at least some good news.

I think you need the NAPA Belt # 060535. Thats the # I installed on my MINI with a 15% pulley. Do a search on NAM for the correct belt # and it should be 060535---

Still waiting on the tensioner tool in the mail. Dont know if MLK day will postpone delivery until Friday. If it comes, I will bring some hand tools.

The TOOL is here and I will bring it Saturday if 75 degrees and sunny

Right now they're calling for rain on Sat, working on a car in the rain (unless you're broke down on the side of the road) is not my cuppa tea. We'll have to play it by ear.....