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Drive belt (serpentine belt)3.0 6 cylinder 2004 outback repair


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My drive belt that powers my AC power steering and alternator has broken n I have broken belt. Car still starts however I want to know is it safe to drive to my local shop to have belt replaced. 35 miles I'm working an overnight shift for homeland security and need answer Don't want to do any damage to power steering unit just to drive to my local shop near home. And is this an easy job ? Looks like I can almost do myself This engine has self tensioner which I know nothing about. Please advise

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yes you can drive it without the belt - you won't have any alternator generating power though so you'll be running entirely on the battery. 

you won't have AC or power steering but it's easiler drivable, check engine light may come on, just ignore it. 

if you have another battery, take it along to swap out.

turn everything off - disconnect your headlights if daytime driving so they're not running in daytime running mode.  any light or anything powered - don't use it.  no radio, no fan, no lights to conserve power.

 

the belt is super easy to replace - just put a long wrench on the 12 or 14mm tensioner pulley bolt and push it down...route belt....let the wrench go.

you don't need to remove any bolts to replace it - except that plastic engine cover if it's in place.

 

you also want to check and see if the pulleys caused the belt to fail - the two pulleys routinely fail, the bearings seize.  very common issue.  best to replace those bearings every 60,000 miles - 6203 bearings at like $10 each.  tap the old ones out, tap the new ones in.  there's quite a few threads about it, google it when you're ready. 

 

*but main point being - they may have failed and caused thsi belt to break.  check and make sure they both spin freely.

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DEAR "BUDDY17",

 "GROSSGARY" is right it would seem. And, he even mentioned disconnecting the headlights to prevent automatic daytime running lights from draining the battery.

 You can't really go wrong following his advice it would seem. I never worked on a 3.o Subaru myself, so I could only give general advice, related to my experience with 2.2, and 2.5 Subaru motors.

 Those bearing he mentioned for the pulley tensioner I believe, yes, those wear out on the 2.2 and 2.5 motors as well. I just replaced one (AC belt tensioner pulley)

tensioner pulley, and it cost about 25 dollars. There is also a tensioner bolt

 that goes with that, and that occasionally is stripped or rusted badly on older cars/motors. You can go on ebay, and find belt tensioner pulleys and adjuster bolts genuine Subaru parts

 if you don't have a parts store nearby, or are trying to save a bit in the World of inflation and thievery.

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