Water pump stretch belt: zip-ties FTW

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2023 CX-5 2.5 Turbo AWD Auto
RIP 8/23:2013 CX-5 Sport FWD Auto 120k
Didnt see this trick shared elsewhere for the CX5 so I figured it warranted its own thread. Ive seen a lot of worry and frustration over replacing the water pump stretch belt. I ordered the Gates belt installation tool thinking it might help but it just doesnt. The tool is too wide to fit on either side of the water pump or crank pulleys. I don't think theres a part out there that would help for removal and installation given the crank needs to be turned clockwise and there simply isn't much room in there to spare.

Having no fear, I cut the old water pump stretch belt off. No going back at that point, lol! I was able to use a ziptie as shown in the pic. I found the trick on YouTube and it worked like a charm. Zip that belt nice and tight along the bottom of the water pump pulley after positioning it fully on the crank. Turn the crank clockwise and it rolls right on. Cut the ziptie afterwards and youre done!

I'm at 68k miles on my 2013 2.0L. The car is garage kept and lives a very mild life in Central FL. Mostly highway miles. My water pump belt would have been fine if left alone. All of its markings were clean with no cracks in the belt and relatively little visible wear to it. It was still in relatively good shape and probably would have been fine until 100k. I replaced it anyway as I was already there. The serpentine belt was showing signs of wear but no cracks it it. If it had markings on it new, they were gone now. I was happy to replace the serpentine belt with how it looked. Pics of the serpentine belt below, no pics of the water pump belt as it looked ok. I replaced the tensioner too but the old one likely would have been fine if left alone. No leaks or noise but again, replaced it for peace of mind. Some visible wear to the pulley but nothing too bad.

$150 for all OEM parts shipped from a dealer in MA (serpentine and water pump belts, tensioner, bolt and nut just in case). It honestly took less than 75 minutes taking my time. Everything should be good to go until 150k IMO.

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That pic with the zip tie wins the Mazda247 forum for the week!!! Had I seen it while changing my serpentine belt I would've changed the water pump belt as well. Good Job.
 
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Lol, thanks bud! One of the cooler tricks I*ve ever found on YouTube. I knew it would work once I got under there and saw the pulley had holes in it (naughty)
 
Good to know - and a second recommendation - great tip.
Used this tip around the same time on a Gen 1 CX-9 power steering pump belt. It was necessary because I changed out the chain driven water pump on the 3.7 V6.
Tip for removing a stretch belt without cutting it: Use a rag in a similar fashion. Wrap the rag around the belt just in front of the water pump or steering pump pulley. Use a ratchet or breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt to force the rag between the belt and pulley. Then pull on both ends of the rag to start working the belt off the pulley. Turn the crankshaft a little and continue to pull the belt off the pulley. I did this step wise: rotate a bit, stop and pull. It allowed retrieval and reuse of a belt that had been replaced just a few weeks prior to the water pump job.
 
Thanks davmac! I haven*t heard any success stories using that method yet so I really appreciate it.
 
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