Does anyone know the correct serpentine belt to use if the ac compressor is permanently removed?
How is the belt routed?

 

the AC belt is separate from the main belt, just take it off.

 

At first glance it appeared to be one serpentine belt, but on closer inspection I see the AC belt is thinner and behind the accessory belt.
That'll teach me to post before I put on glasses and look for myself.
Thanks guys.

 

Anybody got any cool ideas about how to remove the AC tensioner? I can't seem to get it out either above the car or below the car, without taking of the tensioner pulley. Then it fits between a cross member and can fall to the ground. I have an automatic, and the tranny cooling tubes are routed directly in front of the tensioner so I think it's impossible to get that tensioner out from the top with the pulley attached. I've checked the service manual to no avail.

 

I got a little help from a corvette owner up the street. You have to remove the idler pulley first, then the whole tensioner assembly will fit between the tranny cooling tubes and the block. I removed the belts, then removed the top idler pulley. I think I read on a post somewhere that when you need to change a pulley or a belt, change all 3 components (Idler pulley, belt, and tensioner) because all the bearings are worn. So after the idler pulley came out, the 14mm bolt on the tensioner comes right out from below the car. I used a 14mm deep socket with a swivel 9" extension and my ratchet and had no problem. When you remove the bolt, make sure to keep track of the fiber washer on that bolt. It's important. The bolt tends to come out of the tensioner and fall below the car., and the washer easily separates from the bolt. I got the old tensioner assembly out from the top, then I tied a thin clothesline around the new tensioner pulley and dropped it down to what looked to be about the right spot, then wrapped it a couple times around the oil filler.to hold it in place. From under the car, I could see the bolt and hole it goes into. I had to adjust the rope a couple times to get the bolt to align with the hole in the block. Then from under the car, the bolt went right in, I tightened it a little with fingers, then got my 14mm deep socket with swivel extension on it, tightened it down and torqued it to 18 ft-lbs. I replaced the new idler pulley and torqued it to 37 ft-lbs. Then I used Froggy's method of duck- taping the new belt to the rear track of the harmonic balancer and then from the top of the car I followed VaPuller's method of routing the belt around the AC pump, then slipping it over the tensioner pulley. Then unload the tensioner pulley with my 15mm box end wrench and slip the belt under the idler pulley. Done. Then of course you have to reinstall the accessory belt.