How to remove Poly-Rib belt?

[Boxxy]

Sad. Used to do all my own work on my cars when I was a young man. 17 years riding a desk, raising a family and it's come to this. After like a hour of wrestling with the poly-rib belt, I can't get off the water pump pulley. There are various brackets and tubes in the way. I've got the shop manual, the Streather's book, various articles on the net, but for the life of me, I can't get it off the water pump pulley. I ended up putting the current belt back on, but it was really disheartening. You see, I have grand plans of doing all the maintenance on my new-to-me 996TT, bought new tools, variety of maintenance parts, etc., but this is not a good start...

Anyhow, anyone have a tip on how to get the belt off? (I've gotten it off all the other pulleys and rollers). Maybe I should jack it up and approach it from the bottom?

[Loren]

Did you see the DIY here?

[Boxxy]

Did you see the DIY here?

Yes. This and the shop manual say similar things, basically "- Remove the belt from all drive wheels and lift up to remove. "

My problem is I can't get it completely off of the water pump pulley. Rest of the belt is off the other rollers it's just that there seems to be too many brackets and other things in the way. I wish I took a picture. There must be a trick or a way to twist the belt or something.

[Loren]

Did you turn the tensioning roller clockwise - to relieve the tension?

[Boxxy]

Did you turn the tensioning roller clockwise - to relieve the tension?

Oh yes. Using a breaker bar and a 15mm socket. To be more clear, I did get the belt "off" the water pump pulley, but because of tight clearances, brackets and a cross-member of some kind going from left to right, I can't pull out the belt from that area. The belt is off of everything else but I can't pull it out. It's caught in the tight tolerances and I can't figure out out to twist it such that it can slide out.

[RFM]

A Turbo is a little more difficult than a Carrera, cause the lack of room between the water pump pulley and the engine bracket, to remove the belt, but it's possible and the way to go. It helps, if you remove the steering pump pulley first, before you get out the belt, and placed the pulley back with the new belt already in place, it will give you a little more room and overview on the belt possition and routing, at least on the right side.

[Boxxy]

A Turbo is a little more difficult than a Carrera, cause the lack of room between the water pump pulley and the engine bracket, to remove the belt, but it's possible and the way to go. It helps, if you remove the steering pump pulley first, before you get out the belt, and placed the pulley back with the new belt already in place, it will give you a little more room and overview on the belt possition and routing, at least on the right side.

Yes, I had removed the steering pump pulley. The belt is slack and loose. Just can't get it completely off the water pump pulley (I've gotten it mostly off but then the belt is pinched and the clearance around the other brackets and crossmembers is so small that it won't come out from that area. I'm thinking maybe there is a special tool or a trick. I may try again one of these nights. Maybe I have to position the belt just right. Or bend it just the right way to wiggle it out.

...like I said, this is a bad start. I'm planning to do the plugs and coils soon, that those seem to need the bumper and both intercoolers off(!) I hope I haven't overestimated my wrenching abilities!