Serpentine Belt

This procedure covers the removal and replacement of the serpentine drive belt on the 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L V8 EcoTec3 L83 engine.

Warnings

Tools required

Parts

• Serpentine belt × 1 — ACDelco 88932753 or equivalent 6-rib belt

Preparation

1. Park vehicle on level ground and engage parking brake
2. Allow engine to cool completely if recently operated
3. Open hood and secure with prop rod
4. Locate the belt routing diagram on the fan shroud or radiator support (take a photo as backup reference)

Procedure

1. 1

   Document belt routing
   Before removing the belt, carefully observe and photograph the serpentine belt routing around all pulleys including the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, A/C compressor, crankshaft, and idler pulleys. Verify this matches the belt routing diagram on the vehicle.
2. 2

   Access the belt tensioner
   Locate the spring-loaded automatic belt tensioner on the passenger side of the engine. The tensioner has a 15mm hex head in the center of the pulley assembly that accepts a socket or wrench.
3. 3

   Release belt tension
   Using a 15mm socket with a long ratchet or breaker bar, insert into the tensioner bolt head and rotate the tensioner clockwise (toward the passenger side fender) to relieve tension on the belt. The tensioner will move approximately 1-2 inches to create slack in the belt.
   ⚠Maintain firm control of the breaker bar as the tensioner is under heavy spring pressure
4. 4

   Remove belt from pulleys
   While holding the tensioner in the released position, slip the serpentine belt off the nearest pulley (typically the alternator or idler pulley). Once the belt is free from one pulley, slowly release tension on the tensioner and allow it to return to its resting position. Remove the belt from the remaining pulleys and extract it from the engine compartment.
5. 5

   Inspect pulleys and tensioner
   With the belt removed, manually spin each pulley to check for bearing roughness, noise, or resistance. Inspect the tensioner pulley for wear and ensure it spins freely. Check the tensioner arm for smooth movement and proper spring tension. Examine the grooves on all pulleys for wear, glazing, or debris.
6. 6

   Install new serpentine belt
   Route the new belt around all pulleys except one (typically leave the alternator or an idler pulley for last) following the belt routing diagram. Ensure the belt ribs are properly seated in all pulley grooves. Double-check that the belt follows the correct path around each pulley.
7. 7

   Tension and seat the belt
   Using the 15mm socket and breaker bar, rotate the tensioner clockwise again to create slack. Route the belt over the final pulley, ensuring proper rib alignment. Slowly release the tensioner to apply tension to the belt. Verify the belt is properly seated in all pulley grooves with no misalignment.
8. 8

   Verify belt installation
   Manually rotate the crankshaft one complete revolution (using a socket on the crankshaft bolt) to ensure the belt tracks properly on all pulleys and does not slip off. Confirm the belt is correctly routed according to the diagram and all ribs are seated in their respective grooves.

Reassembly

1. Close hood and ensure all tools are removed from engine compartment
2. No additional reassembly required for this procedure

Verification

• Start the engine and observe belt operation for 30 seconds, listening for any unusual squealing, chirping, or slapping noises
• Verify belt tracks smoothly on all pulleys with no wobbling or edge fraying
• Confirm all accessories (alternator, A/C compressor, power steering) operate normally
• Re-inspect belt routing matches the diagram and all ribs are properly seated in pulley grooves

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