what is the length measured in and do i just ask them for an alternator belt for the appropriate length or is there a proper name for the kind of belt?

got my p/s out today except for those damn hoses that go underneath the intake. what do they go to?

and also can i just drain the ac system myself and if so how do i go about doing this

 

Just measure it in inches, and count the number of "ribs" on the belt.

As for draining your AC, it is technically illegal to do yourself, as its illegal to release the chemicals into the atmosphere. But just undo any of the valves or pipes and it will release it.

 

I like where this is going...

That's what I did... Accord DX belt. They have a no-A/C version, guaranteed.

Stripper eh?

Naughty, naughty. You can get frostbite from the R-134a refrigerant. It's safer to just unscrew one of the caps and push the Schrader valve in with a small screwdriver wearing gloves. Just like giving someone you don't like a flat tire...

 

after relieving the pressure where would be the best place to drain the fluid? i may just leave the components in there for awile and research this a little more. it looks like the new belt will have plenty of clearance without taking the ac out.

 

It kind of all just come flying out in a cloud of gas, not really any liquid. Don't really want to breathe it in either, so just unscrew it and run.

 

holy **** its gonna be a straight up gas. damn maybe i should just take it to a shop. im sure they won't charge too much to take out the stuff

 

Probably like $20 to discharge the system.

R-134a is hydrocarbonfluorocarbon chains, they're gaseous at room temperature.

 

thank you very much. you guys have been soo much help. went up to autozone and easily got a new belt for my exact model but with no a/c

just one more question. how tight should i have the alternator belt. it seems to be tighter without having the adjuster bolt only halfway to where it was with the ac on. i can push on the middle of the belt and it barely moves at all the way its on right now. is this good?

 

That may be too tight. No need for the adjuster to be right in the middle of it's range, because that's the whole point of having an adjuster.