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goodfornothing
07-29-2009, 02:43 PM
So my p5 has been a squeaky little girl and so I checked the serpentine belt. Looks like I'll be needing a new one pretty soon, but I also noticed that one of the pulleys, the one right below the power steering pulley, has it's side chipped off. Which pulley is that one?

I'll post some pictures later today.
i12drivemyMP5
07-30-2009, 01:44 PM
Sounds like the water pump pulley. Is it the medieval one? Aluminum, silver? If black, then probably stock steel one. Not knowing how the stock one would do that, I could see the aluminum one doing it tho.
slavrenz
07-30-2009, 04:04 PM
Sounds like the water pump pulley. Is it the medieval one? Aluminum, silver? If black, then probably stock steel one. Not knowing how the stock one would do that, I could see the aluminum one doing it tho.

The pulley right below your power steering is the pulley for your AC compressor. (the water pump pulley is slightly further back). Did you notice that the belt on this pulley had any damage on the side? If not, and your AC works okay, I would say that you probably don't need to worry about it. Need pics tho to know for sure.
goodfornothing
07-30-2009, 07:26 PM
The belt actually does have some damage on that side, my AC however works.
slavrenz
07-31-2009, 12:01 AM
The belt actually does have some damage on that side, my AC however works.

Post pics of the damage, although it sounds like your pulley needs to be replaced. I'm not sure if this can be pressed out tho, or if the whole compressor would have to be replaced. Could get expensive real quick...
goodfornothing
08-02-2009, 06:31 PM
Finally had the time to upload the pictures. I also want to confirm that this is the AC pulley, correct?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/imxaxputo/IMG_4502.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/imxaxputo/IMG_4504.jpg
slavrenz
08-02-2009, 06:46 PM
Dare I say it, but I wonder if it would just be possible to grind off the rest of that lip on the pulley.(peep)
goodfornothing
08-02-2009, 09:27 PM
To salvage it, I'm thinking about smoothing out the edge so it won't tear up a new belt if I have it replaced.

It's just one serpentine belt correct? And I might go with the gatorback brand.
slavrenz
08-02-2009, 10:46 PM
To salvage it, I'm thinking about smoothing out the edge so it won't tear up a new belt if I have it replaced.

It's just one serpentine belt correct? And I might go with the gatorback brand.

Are you asking if our cars only have one belt? 'Cause they have one for the A/C and Power Steering and one for the alternator and water pump.
goodfornothing
08-02-2009, 11:39 PM
Thank you for clarifying that. I thought it was one HUGE ass belt lol. I'm going to smooth out those edges of the AC pulley and get that belt changed. How hard is it if I wanted to change the belt for the alternator and the water pump myself?
slavrenz
08-03-2009, 01:37 PM
Thank you for clarifying that. I thought it was one HUGE ass belt lol. I'm going to smooth out those edges of the AC pulley and get that belt changed. How hard is it if I wanted to change the belt for the alternator and the water pump myself?

Not hard, but you need to know the proper procedure. I would recommend downloading the repair manual via the "Sticky" in this forum, but in Mazda's infinite wisdom ((drunk)), they declined to use automatic belt tensioners and instead went with a system of lock bolts and adjusters. You basically have to loosen a pivot bolt on the alternator as well as a lock bolt, and then turn another bolt to loosen/tighten the belt.