I’m an old car guy. Meaning I prefer cars that are older and would traditionally have a v-belt drive system for the accessories. Sometimes that’s one, sometimes two, and sometimes three or more belts. But with adding custom parts to them, or doing a late model engine swap, comes a serpentine belt. And they are better, I know it. There is only one belt to worry about, they are typically more compact, etc, etc. But I remember when I bought my 1992 K1500 truck, aka an OBS, and it had a serpentine belt on it. I didn’t have a tool to get the tensioner to release, so the first time I went to put a new belt on it I cussed and swore and about broke all my fingers trying to make it happen.<\/p>\n
In subsequent years, GM and other manufacturers tried to make it easier and quicker to change belts by altering those tensioners with square drives and what have you that an extension could just fit in from your ratchet. But not all of them. And if you had different makes and models of vehicles, the same tool would not work for all of them. So when I got that 1992 Chevy ready for the next belt swap, I went down to Northern Tool and bought me a generic serpentine belt tool. It had little socket things that fit into the end and gave you the leverage you needed to get the job done.<\/p>\n
But it was cheap, and the socket things sometimes fell out. But it did make a difference. It eventually broke and I got one from Harbor Freight, that works much the same but might be a better tool than that first one. I’m not sure though, it was a long time ago. So how do the brands all stack up against each other now?<\/p>\n
In the video below, our friends at Project Farm will show you.<\/p>\n
Video Description:<\/em><\/p>\n Pittsburgh, GearWrench, ICON, ARES, ABN, Performance Tool, Bilitools, DNA Motoring, OTC, AllTooetools and Powerbuilt. Tool sets compared for wrench and ratchet efficiency, durability and strength. I purchased all of the tool sets. So, thank you for supporting the channel.<\/em><\/p>\n