can i drive without serpentine belt?

stoneman · **Joined:** Mon May 02, 2016 11:45 am **Posts:** 2

Hello, seeking advice. 2005 CRD Liberty viscous heater pulley locked up and broke serpentine belt. Drove it about a quarter mile, then called for a tow into the mechanic shop. I ordered a new viscous heater and new thermostat oem with gasket and new serpentine belt from moparpartsoverstock and saved 200 dollars over list price from mechanic, but it still set me back $570. My question is can I safely drive the crd back to my home 20 miles so that I could do the repairs myself and save the labor cost, or should I have the mechanic do it? My understanding is that the water pump would still turn with the timing belt, but what about the fan? I also just received the Weeks stage 1 and stage 2 in the mail and thought if I could change the viscous heater and thermostat myself, would be a great time to do the Weeks kits all at the same time.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Mon May 02, 2016 1:44 pm

"Maybe". Consider what the serp belt drives:
1. 2 idler pulleys - no issue
2. alternator - absent alternator output might make the ECU "very" unhappy but whether it would be unhappy enough to stop you I have no clue. That aside seems to me battery should run systems for 20 miles IF you shut all extra power drains off.
3. AC compressor - no issue IF you switch vent position bilevel and AC to off which will prevent the compressor from trying to cycle.
4. fan - no issue, some folks just run without it all the time presumably in temps below those of like summer Tempe, AZ
5. idler - no issue
6. power steering pump - potential big issue as steering will be "hard". Go slow might be doable.
7. viscous heater - no issue, provides minimal function when working.

I'm curious about the viscous heater pulley locking up as that's somewhat unusual. Is your alternator clutch pulley ok? FYI you can replace the viscous heater pulley.

Water pump is driven by timing belt so no issue and vacuum for turbo, brakes, etc is IIRC direct drive from engine.

For what it's worth pulling/replacing the viscous heater, adding some antifreeze, and putting new serp belt back on should be 1-2 hrs labor max. Is it worth that savings to drive 20 miles with power steering dead?

barley00 · **Posted:** Mon May 02, 2016 6:38 pm

Great question, thanks for asking and I'm glad to see an answer. I was/am having some strange engine noises during cold weather and someone replied that I drive without serp. belt to help diagnose it...I thought he was joking but prehaps not? Might try it now as I'll know within seconds whether or not it's serp belt related.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue May 03, 2016 9:41 am

All things Pap stated are dead on; it is doable with the only real issue being no power steering. Steering will be hard like trying to turn wheel when engine is not running. It will be much more noticeable at slow speeds. At higher speeds lack of power steering will only be noticeable if you try to do any quick maneuvers. If you decide to do this, drive well under the speed limit and give yourself plenty of room for any maneuvers needed. If your battery is in good shape and fully charged, cut off ANY and ALL electrical items and do not try to do this at night! A good battery should be able to handle 20 miles without the alternator in service...

stoneman · **Joined:** Mon May 02, 2016 11:45 am **Posts:** 2

Just got the CRD home without any problems with no serpentine belt. Temp gauge was between one quarter and half way. No power steering wasn't a big deal for me; reminded me of the old 1973 Ford Pinto I used to drive way back when. Thanks for the help! This will save me money on labor cost. I have more time than money right now. I'll see if I can replace the bearing on the old viscous heater; I found the thread on that and the bearing link to ebay. The viscous heater, thermostat and belt shipped yesterday from Florida and should be here Friday. Should be fun changing them out and a learning experience.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2016 9:28 am

stoneman wrote:

Just got the CRD home without any problems with no serpentine belt. The viscous heater, thermostat and belt shipped yesterday from Florida and should be here Friday. Should be fun changing them out and a learning experience.

Great! You will like the Weeks kit, really cleans up the drivers side of the engine area and gets rid of that stupid perasitic EGR crap.
If you have any problems or questions during install of parts, just ask!!! :wink:

Rixram · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2016 12:07 pm

Regardless of whether or not it was a good idea, I've had to do it before. I had a serp belt go on me while dropping my kids off at my ex's condo.

No F-ing way in h3ll was I going to remain there. Drove it home. It was about 5 miles at night (headlights draining battery, too). Recall that yes, it is a bugger to steer like this, as you have no power steering. However, it is manageable.

OffRoadTrain · **Joined:** Thu May 21, 2015 10:09 pm **Posts:** 11

I believe it may drain your battery and cause you to stall... Sure hope so because I had mine idling with the belt off after two starts (low battery now during idle) and after about 5 min it stalled when I went to move it.

Really difficult to turn the tires at a stand still/slow speed but drove it home previously without a belt (short distance) without much of a problem.

can i drive without serpentine belt?

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