Product Description

GAT-38379K

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9811 in Automotive
• Brand: Gates
• Model: 38379K
• Dimensions: 5.00 pounds

Customer Reviews

Gates System Solution Micro-V Kit for Chrysler 3.3L
This is a must buy for any Caravan owner. In the past few months, I have become very proficient at replacing the serpentine belt on my Dodge Grand Caravan with the 3.3L engine on the road side in the rain. The belt has come off four times in the last three months, twice in one week and all while my Wife was driving.

Chrysler will not admit to this design deficiency, although much has been written about it in numerous car talk blogs. While you are here, also stop in at the Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site and report it as a severe vehicle-operating safety hazard.

The Gates System Solution kit comes with everything you need. The idler pulley is simple to install, the tension pulley will require you to remove the alternator to gain access to the mounting bolt. Installing the belt is a nearly impossible feat, best left to a mechanic with the special tool for depressing the tension pulley to install the serpentine belt.

My mechanic spent 30 minutes installing the pulleys, but the next hour and half installing the serpentine belt. The pulleys have edges on the sides to help prevent the belt from slipping off; however, the same edges make the serpentine belt installation a bear to achieve. The mechanic charged me $53 for all the work.

The Gates System is the best money I ever spent on this Caravan, I highly recommend this to every Caravan owner.

Finally a fix
I bought this from Oriely auto parts and it cost me almost $200. I wish I didn't need it right away or I would have ordered it. My wife was driving one night and the belt came off for the fourth time stranding her. I had already replaced the tensioner and idler pullies with the same results. By the way you can remove the tensioner pully with out removing anything but you have to jack it up and reach the back side with a 15mm socket swival and extension. Leave it to a mechanic if you not comfortable. If your van has over 100k and or its making cricket chirps with no known cause you should get this installed before it strands you late one night.

Gates Belt Drive Kit
After exhausting all options that I was aware of to fix the serpentine belt coming off, I purchased and installed the Gates Kit. Prior to this, I was going to get rid of the car,(like so many others that I had read or heard about). I can only say that I have not had a problem up to this point, but I am very hopeful, based on the long term success that I have read others have had. This is a very inexpensive fix(I did it myself), and even if you have to have a mechanic install it, it will probably cost less than 1 monthly car payment. If you have doubts about your ability to install, take it to a mechanic. The only difficulty I had installing the kit was installing the belt itself. It is extremely tight and difficult to get on. That said it does work as advertised.
The service that I received from Amazon was excellent. Very quick delivery and No problems. Easy way to shop and receive whatever at your doorstep. Thanks!