So everything I can find for the ea82 basically says I should have two belts, my car came with one running all the pulleys, I should definitely pick up another one right?

There are 2 belts for the ea82

 

this video shows the belts and how to install

 

Edited June 26, 20178 yr by Dee2

Just for clarification, those aren't the belts that run the AC water pump etc right?

Typically, there are 2 .  AC, Power steering, water pump get both.  Alternator gets 1.

Alright cool. Something else to add to my list of things to pick up because mine definitely has one stretched across all the pulleys lol.

Just for clarification, those aren't the belts that run the AC water pump etc right?

 

correct. 

 

The serpentine type belts I referenced are the timing belts which I thought you were referring to.  There are also two conventional accessory v-belts which run the AC etc.

Edited June 26, 20178 yr by Dee2

Ahh okay I called it by the wrong name that makes sense now. Thank you.

If you don't have A/C then you only need one belt for EA82.

 

Although, some setups have Dual pulleys for all items, so you can run 2 identical belts for redundancy.

If you don't have A/C then you only need one belt for EA82.

 

Although, some setups have Dual pulleys for all items, so you can run 2 identical belts for redundancy.

This might be a stupid question but can I just skip putting it on the AC until I grab another belt and run it like that in the meantime?

This might be a stupid question but can I just skip putting it on the AC until I grab another belt and run it like that in the meantime?

Belt lengths only allow it to fit in one pulley combination.  Whatever you have now will have to remain as is.  Whatever is not using a belt now will have to wait until you get another one in the right size.

 

Belt lengths only allow it to fit in one pulley combination. Whatever you have now will have to remain as is. Whatever is not using a belt now will have to wait until you get another one in the right size.

are the belts two separate sizes or are they the same? I looked in my Chilton but it's lacking in detail

There are a couple or 3 different configurations, and the 2 I have actually owned used different belts.  The belts I have seen on either configuration are always 2 different lengths. 

Is you A/C compressor closer to the battery, or the alternator closer to the battery?

 

I can look at my EA82 4WD 3AT wagon and see what belts I have.

 

A factory service manual is way better than Chiltons, for everything.  Watch ebay, look online for a download.  Although, IDR if the list the belt lengths.

In the setup I've seen a few times, one of the belts it tensioned by the alternator and the other is tensioned by an idler pulley. The idler pulley for that 2nd belt seems to be one of those things that doesn't last 30 years. I've seen a few when someone chose to run it without the 2nd belt and that's how mine has always been and it's been fine.

 

I do have some minor problems with keeping the alternator belt tensioned (the power steering almost always squeals), but it's hard saying if that's due to the missing belt or just the nature of it.

It is squealing because the 1 belt can't transfer enough power without slipping.

 

The idler can be rebuilt.  It uses a standard 62xx or 63xx series ball bearing.  Look for one with contact seals for longest life.  Should cost less that $15.00.

There are a couple or 3 different configurations, and the 2 I have actually owned used different belts. The belts I have seen on either configuration are always 2 different lengths.

 

Is you A/C compressor closer to the battery, or the alternator closer to the battery?

 

I can look at my EA82 4WD 3AT wagon and see what belts I have.

 

A factory service manual is way better than Chiltons, for everything. Watch ebay, look online for a download. Although, IDR if the list the belt lengths.

My alternator is the closest to the battery. I believe the bolt for the tensioner is missing so I'll have to get that sorted out as well.

The belts I have on one are these:

 

NAPA / Gates  Green Stripe Fleet runner

9390HD  short one, idler tensions, goes on first.

9451HD long one, Alt. tensions, goes on second.

 

They seem to be lasting forever.  They should be able to use those numbers to get the lengths.

 

Put tension on both, then run for a few seconds, and re-check the tension.  The one you tighten second will be loose.

Alright so the short one is apparently 39 inches and the long one is 45.45 inches which I believe is what I picked up yesterday but I'll have to double-check once I get out in the shop.

You've helped me out a ton. I appreciate it. Now for the question that makes me sound ignorant. Which pulleys does the long one go around and which ones does the short one go around?

The long one goes around all of them and the alternator, not the idler.

 

The short one goes around all of the except the alternator.

A million times thank you.

I will make sure to name my first non ugly child after you.

Hahaha. The first time I changed the belts, long ago, I had to guess, since the parts book gave me wrong belts. ToOk a try or 2, they just let me exchange them till we got it figured out. I then saved the cardboard sleeves, and wrote the year of the car on them.

That's a great idea. I'll either do that or paint it on the inside of the hood lol

It is squealing because the 1 belt can't transfer enough power without slipping.

 

The idler can be rebuilt.  It uses a standard 62xx or 63xx series ball bearing.  Look for one with contact seals for longest life.  Should cost less that $15.00.

I'm having the squealing problem with my ea81, which is running one belt for the 4 pully. Are you saying rebuilding the idler will help eliminate the squeak, of do I need to run the other belt? Sorry to thread jack the squeal is killing me...

In the original question, the idler is for the second belt, which the OP did not have installed.  On the EA82, the load is more than 1 belt can deliver, so 2 are needed.  His idler had a bad bearing, thus not using the second belt.

 

I am not familiar with EA81s enough to know what they ran for belts originally.  But if there are double pulleys, it's likely that there should be 2 belts.

 

I've rebuilt the idlers long before they were making noise, since I check them when changing belts.  If the bearing is dry or gunky feeling, it's time for a new bearing.

 

Very dead bearings can make a variety of noises, so I'd check it out.

In the original question, the idler is for the second belt, which the OP did not have installed.  On the EA82, the load is more than 1 belt can deliver, so 2 are needed.  His idler had a bad bearing, thus not using the second belt.

 

I am not familiar with EA81s enough to know what they ran for belts originally.  But if there are double pulleys, it's likely that there should be 2 belts.

 

I've rebuilt the idlers long before they were making noise, since I check them when changing belts.  If the bearing is dry or gunky feeling, it's time for a new bearing.

 

Very dead bearings can make a variety of noises, so I'd check it out.

Thanks! The AC has been deleted, so I think it originally ran 2 belts. I think I'll try and replace the serpentine - I've heard some belts make more noise when there's a slight pulley misalignment and others dont - and I'll look at the idler when I'm changing it out.

Bumping this thread, 

I'm having issue selecting new v belts. Subaru doesn't offer any oem ones anymore so the ones I'm looking at through AutoZone and such are only listed as single v belts, but I know that the ea82 has the two v belts, one tensioned by the alternator and other by the tensioner pulley. What should I be looking for for the second belt? Would it be a.c. belt and drive belt? Thanks