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Tried the zip-tie trick for a stuck serpentine belt and it actually worked (no idea why)
Got a 2004 Civic in the shop last Tuesday with a belt that was so tight I thought the tensioner was welded shut. Sprayed it with PB Blaster, tried a pry bar, nothing. Buddy from down the street (works at a dealer) said to loop a zip tie around the belt and twist it to break the grip. I laughed but tried it. Took like 30 seconds. Has anyone else got a dumb trick like that that sounds fake but saves your day?
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kevin_adams1mo ago
Respectfully, I see it a little different @wood.andrew. The trick works by putting the zip tie around the belt itself, not the pulley groove. You basically loop it over the belt and twist it tight, which breaks the rubber's grip on the pulley. I've done it on a couple of stubborn alternator belts and it saved me from having to cut the old one off with a razor. It sounds like total bs but it actually works because the zip tie gives you something to grab and twist without slipping.
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wood.andrew1mo ago
Did you loop the zip tie around the belt itself or the pulley groove to get that grip?
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