DIY - 2010 Honda Accord V6 Serpentine Drive Belt
 

I just replaced the Serpentine belt on my 2010 Honda Accord V6. Usually the job is pretty easy but there are a few tricks that can make this job much easier. Sorry that I didn't attach pictures but I can easily describe what you need to know.

First, the belt tensioner on the Honda Accord V6 takes a lot more pressure than any other tensioner I have ever dealt with. The tensioner has a hydraulic piston that behaves differently than a spring type tensioner.

Step one, find the right bolt to "push on" to relieve belt tension and take the old belt off. When you look at the two "slick" pullies in the serpentine belt system you will notice that one pulley has a 17mm bolt. This is not the bolt you want. Attached to the tensioner is a 19mm bolt, that is the correct one. There are no other 19mm bolts in the serpentine belt system.

What worked well for me was an 18" breaker bar with a short 19mm socket. I then use a piece of pipe for additional leverage. You will push the 19mm bolt towards the firewall to loosen the belt. Don't try to twist the 19mm bolt, it isn't suppose to turn and you can break it. TRICK - Since the tensioner is hydraulic, you want to place about 100 pounds of pressure horizontally toward the trunk of the car on the breaker bar and be patient. After a few seconds, the hydraulic piston will relax and release pressure. If you hit it with brute force in a fast motion, the hydraulic piston will fight you and you will break off the bolt (like I did).

In the event that you do break the tensioner, a new one is ~$120. TRICK - The tensioner can be easily replaced if you take off the passenger front wheel. There is an access panel in the wheel well just in front of the oil filter that is visible, one or two plastic rivets, super easy, it is like 10" x 10". The 17mm bolt that attaches the tensioner assembly to the engine block can easily be removed from the top side and the 12mm bolt on the tensioner piston can be easily reached from the access panel in the wheel well.

When putting on the new belt, put a tiny amount of hand soap on the upper "slick" pulley. Route the new belt on all toothed pulleys so that the last slack is right at the upper lubed slick pulley. I used my right arm to push the 19mm bolt/tensioner piston toward the firewall and simultaneously my left hand to slide the pulley (slick side) onto the lubed pulley.

If I had known the trick and didn't break the tensioner the first time, this would have been a 10 minute job. Hope this helps someone out there... Cheers.

Thanks for your post, however it was posted in wrong forum.

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good luck