Shorter serpentine belt to bypass the A/C compressor

PATRICIA BARNETT

MEMBER
2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA
3.8L
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
200,098 MILES

I need to know the size belt I need to bypass the A/C compressor on my car until I can afford to replace the A/C compressor next year? They only list two belts for my car and they are the same size. Just one is one year warranty and the other is three year warranty please?

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,700 POSTS

Hi and thanks for using 2CarPros. Com.

This vehicle was not offered without air conditioning, so there will not be an option. As far as an exact fit in this case, you would have to measure around the pulleys and then compensate for the tension-er travel.

What I suggest is to get a bypass pulley for the AC. Basically, it replaces the compressor with a pulley. It bolts on in place of the compressor. Look up this part number. Dorman part number 34272 (for example). This is the component I am referring to. You can purchase these at nearly all auto parts stores. It will eliminate the need to guess the new belt size and how it should be routed after bypassing the compressor. They are not expensive. If the old belt is still good, it can be reused. The component's price is not much different than the cost of a new belt.

Let me know if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe