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FYI, Found a good "stretch-fit" belt for AC w/out PS
For those with AC but no power steering, I believe to have found a good belt option. This is one of the 'stretch-fit' belts designed to operate without a tensioner, which many OEMs are using now days. They are slightly more elastic than traditional belts. According to rockauto this belt is used on some newer Toyota Yaris'. Gates Micro-V Stretch Fit. Part# K040301SF ~$12 at Rockauto
They are installed using an inexpensive service tool which makes life a lot easier than using a screwdriver. Youtube has plenty of installation instructions. Installation tool: Many available. I used GATES 91030. ~$7 at Rockauto
Caveat - I've yet to run the car with this belt, it's down for turbo install. But, the amount of tension feels absolutely perfect. This is on my 2001 VVT, not sure if other years differ at all.
I used this and fit with no shimming required. Going on a year track and street with no slippage except the occasional squeak during cold winter starts for a few seconds.
Great find. One day if my thumb method fails me putting on belts i'll grab that tool. I wonder since belt stretches how you determine proper tension. Currently I roll the belt on the longest straight path and I want tension so I can't rotate belt more than 180 without serious effort. Before that I guessed and sheered a water pump from too much tension on a Scion XB.
I think the stretch fit belts are sized so that they are smaller in length than their nominal length stated on the package/documentation. This way they have the designed tension when installed to that nominal length.
I wasn't able to find documentation to confirm this, but it seems how it worked out in my case. I simply used a cut piece of alternator belt to size the nominal dimension for the AC belt. This Gates belt was listed as 1/8" shorter than that. I forgot to measure the untensioned length, but it seemed significantly shorter than listed as I was installing.
Just following up on this since the car is running now. I have used the A/C for defrost and the belt is working great. No slippage so far. We haven't had a hot day yet though (MI) so it is possible I'll see higher A/C compressor loading in the summer. I will report back then if I remember.
This is just to follow up on this useful thread and to add that the K040301SF appears to fit on an NA (95.) I ran the belt and AC (car is on jackstands) for a bit and no squealing and AC was cold. Have to wait for a road trip test.
For installing the belt I used the following vid as a general direction
but I was unable to use the installation tool because of the supercharger pulley. I fabbed a small piece of aluminum stock by cutting a groove in it with an angle grinder and putting a slight bend in it with a vice. Worked fine with the tool on the AC pulley. The groove holds it on while rotating the crank but sideways pressure has to be kept on the belt on the crank pulley to keep it on the grooves.
This is just to follow up on this useful thread and to add that the K040301SF appears to fit on an NA (95.) I ran the belt and AC (car is on jackstands) for a bit and no squealing and AC was cold. Have to wait for a road trip test.
For installing the belt I used the following vid as a general direction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWM91idWiEw but I was unable to use the installation tool because of the supercharger pulley. I fabbed a small piece of aluminum stock by cutting a groove in it with an angle grinder and putting a slight bend in it with a vice. Worked fine with the tool on the AC pulley. The groove holds it on while rotating the crank but sideways pressure has to be kept on the belt on the crank pulley to keep it on the grooves.
^Excellent!
I've been running the belt all summer on my car without issue! I don't drive it a ton - maybe 5 or 6 tanks of fuel, but no issues so far.
This is an excellent solution to the ac belt issue.
I run an Automotive AC shop in Texas and I have insight into these belts.
They are far more elastic than a normal serpentine belt and when they are pushed past their limits (bad compressor) they do not shred or break.
They MELT!
The resultant goo that is left behind is a cross between tar and epoxy.
You have to clean each individual groove in the pulleys with a pick and then use a wire brush and B12 to get the last traces of crap out.
Nasty!
Just checked and that part number doesn't come up with anything at The Rock. Disappointing
Looks like the application it is a water pump belt for the 2017 Yaris ia. Continental has one listed on Rockauto with a suspiciously similar part number. CONTINENTAL 4030315S
For some reason I couldn't find the belt linked in the OP just by doing a part number search. The Gates belt listed for a 2017 Toyota Yaris ia was a K030301SF, so I bought that along with some of the cheapest install and removal tools I could get on Amazon. Unfortunately, it is only a 3 rib belt, but it has been working on my car for a few weeks now with no issues. I had to trim the install tool slightly to fit between the pulley outer ribs, but it worked well. I haven't tried the removal tool yet.
My car is a 2001, all stock pulleys.
Last edited by OptionXIII; 03-19-2024 at 08:41 AM.
After seeing this thread I've been looking for a similar 4-ribbed belt like the one OP got, I also cannot find Gates' K040301SF 4-ribbed belt except for $30 on ebay...
Rockauto does have a similar 4-ribbed belt that is 0.2" shorter, the K040299SF, it's $10.
Does anyone with the 30.1" belt here think they could get away with a 0.2" shorter belt, or is the tension already pretty high with the 30.1" stretch fit?
Edit: Continental also sells their "4040300S" 30.0" long, 4-rib stretch fit belt for $13.
04-22-2020, 05:07 PM
FYI, Found a good "stretch-fit" belt for AC w/out PS
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