alternator belt replacement

[sub-arctic]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to run this buy you guys to see if my suspicions are correct:

Oil leak from somewhere on the front of the engine got the alt belts full of oil causing slippage when the engine is under load/ cruising at highway rpm.

I have avoided replacing them because I am not looking forward to the amount of work I perceive to be involved with replacing the belts. is my list of steps Ive formulated in my head correct?

remove the fan shrouds/ skid plate
remove fan off of fan clutch?
remove PS and AC belts (any tips on loosening those? adjusters on the pump/ compressor?)
slacken off alternator and replace belts.

I assume the main pulley has probably got glazed junk on it now because of the tons of belt slippage, so i plan on dressing that out with some scotchbrite. also gonna wash the new belts in soap and water to remove any mold release agent off of them. (gotta let them dry completely before install first though)

My efforts may be in vain though because I have no clue where the oil leak is coming from so it may just wreck my new belts. It started off being a very noticeable leak on the snow in the winter time up here in YK, having to add oil every couple of weeks, but the leak seems to have slowed considerably in the warmer temps. I am suspecting my switch to synthetic oil had a lot to do with the leaking. Either way I hate oil leaks, I hate chasing them with a passion. its even more inconvenient to try and hose all that oil out with varsol or something to try and begin to chase it.

As you can tell I am not a fan of the leaky leaky, and all the junk that follows it.

PS already tensioned the belts once but the squealing came back in short order.

[Manitoba deli]

You might also want to remove the cover for the timing belt and check it for oil. If it is wet, get the leak fixed, and replace the timing and balancer belts asap. Seals on the front of the engine are known to leak due to age, and can wreck your timing/balancer belts costing big $$$$$ if not taken care of.

Jason

[sub-arctic]

Good call, i was thinking about that last night. Im gonna be pissed if its an engine seal thats going. the last thing i want to have to do right now is replace that kind of thing with winter just around the corner.... grrrr

[yojimbo]

I dont bother with the skid plates, I dont remove the fan either, shroud yes.

I pull the drivers seat and floor and do it that way.

If the front of the engine is leaking oil, as above, you really should find out where from.