Well I decided I would go ahead and replace the serpentine belt on my 2.4 2007 hhr
After reading on here it seemed pretty straight forward just a little tight in there
I have installed quite a few on other vehicles but never on this style motor.

I got the belt off once I got the tensioner all the way up
It definentley did not come off as easily as I expected it too.
I bought a dayco Poly Rib 5050400 which is a 40" belt and appears to be the correct belt for this motor.
I finally decided to pull back the plastic shrouds underneath.I tried over and over with a helper to get the belt on it just seemed to short and there is not enough room in there to really muscle the belt around.
We gave up at one point and put the old belt back on that was even a bit of a chore.
Finally the only way that we where able to get the new belt on was to loosen the three alternator belts about a 1/4" to allow the alternator to move in a little to get the belt on we where able to get it on by hand finally.
Tightened up the alt bolts and then checked to see and there was maybe a 1/16" of an inch of movement on the tensioner so it was tight.
Started it up let it run for about 30 seconds to a minute and then checked the tensioner again.
It was maybe 1/8" of movment on the tensioner.
I am concerned this belt is too tight but I am thinking this is the way it came from the factory
Went back to the store later and we measured up a dayco 5050400 and it came out to be 40"
measured up there cheaper line and it was actually a tiny bit under 40"
Measured the old bet which obviously would have strectched in the last 4 years and of course the grooves are deep that measured 41"
that seems a little hard to believe it stretched and the grooves got deep enough to make it 1" longer?
Any thoughts on this anyone else find it very hard to get the belt on never ran into this before a little concerned it is too tight but I am assuming after one heat cycle and maybe a 100 miles the belt will stretch and wear enough where it will not be an issue.
Any ideas

 

I put a Gates Micro-V AT belt on mine about a year ago. I've done easier vehicles but it really wasn't all that bad when I didn mne. There's isn't a lot of room to work with, as you found out, but I didn't have the difficulty you speak of.

 

I am wondering if this should have a 5050405 which is 1/2" longer
the oem gm belt # is 24466972 5pk1028

 

Just looked into this a little more rockauto. Com
Lists a 5050400 for 2006-2007 and a dayco 5050405 for 2008 and newer
Mine is a 2007 but I think it was a later 2007
So looks like I am off to the store tomorrow for a 1/2" longer belt

 

Well my suspicions where correct they must have done a mid year change on the 2.4 hhrs the 06 and 07 appear to take a 40" belt and 08 up to probably 11 take a 40.5" belt.
Unfortunately advance auto and even rockauto. Said my 07 needed a 40" had advance cross over my gm. Belt and sure enough it was a 40.5
Took all of 1 minute to put the belt on with the correct. Size to bad I wasted so much time yesterday trying to put on the shorter Belt
So if you take off a gmail 24466972 it should be a dayco 5050405 not a 5050400

 

BigJack-

Thanks for the update.. Too easy to to just assume one size fits all..

Good info !!!

 

Just a follow up:
In the Gates line of belts they list the 06-07 as 40 5/8" and the 08 and up as 41 1/4". That would make them easier to install than the Dayco belts.

 

If I'm recalling right, there was a redesign of the serpentine belt tensioner after the '07 model year, someone here had a tensioner go bad and the new one was substantially different.

Now that I think about it more I believe it was Lunchbox who had the tensioner issue about two or three months back.

 

Thanks for the heads up on this, I'm at 58K and sould do this soon. I have the 08 2.4 so this info is very helpful.

 

"Now that I think about it more I believe it was Lunchbox who had the tensioner issue about two or three months back".

IIRC, it was hhrfreek with a slipping belt & did change the tensioner.