Great, single belt drive system, only have one belt to replace. But if anything breaks that belt, you will be stranded. Number one is not turning the water pump, engine overheats, with aluminum and plastic, stuff will break.
Maximum load on that belt is the AC compressor, with R-134a whose pressure increases at an exponential rate, if you don't keep your condenser clean, can skyrocket to over 400 psi. But this uses a double roll ball bearing, the water pump sees the same load, first thing to go.
Least we don't have a PS pump anymore, this was the second greatest load on that belt. Tensioner can be a problem, with road salt, binds, has to be tested to work freely, generally over 100 ft.-lbs to move it. Found some that would bind, weakens the tension, so the serpentine belt slips. If I can't free it up, have to replace it.
Alternator and compressor have what I call limited lubricated ball bearings. After a couple of years, that grease gets rock hard. So part of replacing the belt is removing these ball bearing, popping off the seals, cleaning them, I prefer using Wolf's Red High Temperature Wheel bearing grease. But if the balls or the races have pits on them, in the trashcan they go.
This is the extra step I take when replacing the belt, idler and tensioner pulleys are the same, some are plastic, can't remove the bearings, in the trashcan they go.
73 Fleetwood, had five belts, ha, hurting my brain as to what they were for, but was does for a reason. On one trip, the AC compressor idler pulley seized, broke that belt, but still could drive the thing. This was done for a reason. Motorhome and Supra have three, one for the fan, water pump, and alternator, but these are only 60 amp units. On this new stuff with all the loads, over 100 amps, puts on over 5 HP loads on that one belt. Separate belts for PS pump and the AC compressor.
Also had problems with the harmonic balancer coming loose. While easy to tighten them with an impact wrench, easy with the engine on the bench, can't get at it with the engine in the vehicle. With an AT, no way to keep the engine from turning. Have to remove a spark plug and feed in a rope so the balancer bolt can be tighten properly. Do this while holding your breathe so you don't break that piston.
GM was peening in that double roll bearing in the AC compressor, thank the engineers for going back to a snap ring and shims on the Cruze, a lot easier to replace, but still a very limited lubricated bearing.
Just saying, replacing the belt is not enough, those ball bearing can seize at any time. Have to be cleaned and lubricated or replaced. Will only buy bearings made in the USA, Japan, or Canada, Chinese bearings are terrible, using BB's for balls.
