Diesel Rabbit... replacing belts????

Aug 24, 2003 2 Replies

Rate this thread:

First reply

Roger Brown

My '81 wasn't too bad to do: Sounds like you have an incorrect pulley or something is put together wrong. Possibly the wrong offset water pump, there are a few different versions and different hub sizes (30mm and 40mm). They should line up perfectly, mine did.

Read the full reply

Tony Kimmell 23 years ago

I'm about to pull my hair out with this one... car is a 1984 Rabbit diesel.

bought a new A/C and waterpump belt for my rabbit the other day, and tried putting it on today. Old belt broke, so no need to take it off.

Just one question: How in the HELL are you supposed to loosen up the bolts on the A/C compressor bracket that slide up and down to adjust the belt??? I got one side loose, but there's no way to get a wrench on the other side. It's partially blocked by the compressor pulley. This is the stupidest design I've ever seen...

Anyone ever replaced one of these? HELP!

Also, I notced that the waterpump and crankshaft pulleys are severely mis-aligned. the're off by almost 1/4" Is there a spacer somwhere to fix this?

Thanks... Tony

Vote

Roger Brown 23 years ago

My '81 wasn't too bad to do:

formatting link

Sounds like you have an incorrect pulley or something is put together wrong. Possibly the wrong offset water pump, there are a few different versions and different hub sizes (30mm and 40mm). They should line up perfectly, mine did.

Vote

Robert Young 23 years ago

On my father's '89 Ford escort the pulley on the water-pump pressed on and alignment adjustment was made by varying how far along the shaft the pulley was pressed on. I haven't had a look at my rabbit to see if the same may be the case.

Good luck, Rob > I'm about to pull my hair out with this one... car is a 1984 Rabbit > diesel.

Vote