How much of a difference does it make if the serpentine belt size is slightly off?

Question

Advance Auto parts told me I needed a 1038 k6 for my 98 ford windstar, but I looked it up in various places the internet (including on their website) and it said I needed 1037.5 k6. I already installed the belt. Is this going to cause problems?

(Also the old belt was a 1033 k6, Go figure)

Answer 1

I put on approx. 300 serpentine belts a year, and it all depends , on some engines, if you dont have the exact size, you won't get it on no matter what you do. I have run into more problems with Ford products causing the problems with sizes. We have tried 4 different brands of belts, and the best I have seen is Gates belts and hoses. Gates has a larger selection of sizes to fit correctly on your car. A 1/4 size difference on some belts is the difference between getting the belt on, and not getting it on. I always suggest checking the fatory number on the old belt with a interchange guide in the book if you run into a problem.

Answer 2

serpentine belts have a slack adjuster,usually spring loaded.this will take up slack for a loose or worn belt,they will allow a wrong sized belt to be ran all so.remember when buying or ordering auto parts,after market parts often have different numbers than original replacement parts,so if your not sure of a part,its best to call a dealer of your vehicles make.

Answer 3

if the belt fits tight then u should not have any problems just make sure it is tight if it is to loose it can come off

Answer 4

belt is only slightly different in part numbers so you should have no problem.

Answer 5

replacement parts are not always as the original...as long as it is adjusted properly it "should" wear normally....too loose and problems...too tight has same effect...problems