motor mount flexibility and belt replacement - am I scre&*d?

["Voermann, Karsten" <karstenv@domain.elided>]

Hi folks,

This is a belt installation question. A few days ago I asked the list where
to get a new drive belt and  smog pump idler pulley, since mine blew up. I
got it, and a new belt, and last night I installed the pulley and tried to
install the belt according to the instructions in my manual. But I couldn't!

The clearance between the front of the drive pulley for the belts (that
extends from the crankshaft) and a tubelike suspension component that goes
from one front wheel to the other (sway bar?) is too small by about 5-6 mm
or 1/4 inch at the bottom, so the belt won't go through.

I think I have the following options: 

1. jack up the car, put something (wooden block?) under the lower pan, and
then let part of the car's weight rest on the block to try to push the
engine up a tiny bit, giving clearance;
2. force the belt through the little gap. I could take a wooden device like
a paint stirrer and try to pound the belt through. It's hard rubber but it
might distort enough to go;
3. actually unbolt the engine and lift it as in method 1. This scares me
alot, so I want to avoid it.

Has anyone else run into this problem when replacing a belt?  I can't
believe this can be so hard, so I must be doing something very wrong! Help!

Karsten V.
1978 Spider and hopefully soon a 164 (love these cars!) - except for the
belts :)
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided