2014 Dodge Journey Serpentine Belt Routing Fix

2014 DODGE JOURNEY
133,000 MILES • 2.4L • 4 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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ROCKERNURSE
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Long story short- my head gasket blew, and my retired mechanic father wanted to help with the repair. Everything went great until time to put the serpentine belt back on. He and my brother found tons of diagrams and gave one a shot- clearly not the right one as it snapped a pulley, and the belt is toast. I’ve checked under the hood and in my owner’s manual for the belt diagram but can’t find it. It’s also not available on Dodge’s website (Mopar). My VIN is 3C4PDCAB2ET281538. 2014 Dodge Journey, 2.4L DOHC. Is there any reputable place to locate the diagram without having to buy the technical manual? This is just ridiculous at this point.
Jun 1, 2023 at 10:05 AM
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CARADIODOC
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This is from AllData, our online service manuals.

When you're done, the ribbed side of the belt must run on ribbed pulleys, and the smooth backside must run on smooth pulleys. If you see one that isn't matched, the belt is routed incorrectly, then we'll have to figure out the issue.
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Jun 1, 2023 at 10:53 AM
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ROCKERNURSE
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Thank you for the super quick response. I just confirmed with him that this was the configuration they had. He thinks my brother (who was assisting) over tightened as there wasn’t a bushing to prevent this. Is there any recommendation to prevent this when we get the new parts?
Jun 1, 2023 at 11:16 AM
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CARADIODOC
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The belt can't be over-tightened. Item # 8 is a spring-loaded tensioner pulley. You have to use a large ratchet and socket, a doubled-up pair of wrenches, or a special belt installer tool to rotate that pulley, then the belt can be slipped onto the last pulley. The instructions say to slip it onto the alternator last when that tensioner is moved, but those pulleys have a lip on the edge. I find it easier to slip the belt onto a smooth pulley last. That's usually the tensioner or an idler pulley. Those don't have lips that the belt has to be lifted over.
Jun 1, 2023 at 12:04 PM

Suggested Repair

Replace the damaged pulley and belt. Route the belt so the ribbed side runs only on ribbed pulleys and the smooth back runs on smooth pulleys. The spring-loaded tensioner sets belt tension and cannot be overtightened; rotate it with a large ratchet and socket, doubled wrenches, or a belt tool, then slip the belt onto a smooth pulley such as the tensioner or idler last.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 2014 Dodge Journey 2.4L needed the correct serpentine belt diagram after a head gasket repair. An incorrect routing snapped a pulley and ruined the belt. The expert provided AllData routing guidance: match the belt's ribbed and smooth sides to the corresponding pulleys, and use the spring-loaded tensioner rather than forcing tension. The belt should be slipped onto a smooth pulley last.

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