Ford 550 Backhoe drive belt Please help!

Ok, I tried to search this forum and it gave me zero results. So I hope someone can help me. I recently purchased a Ford 550 backhoe. Works great, but the drive belt is in really bad shape and the alternator is not working. So I need to replace them, and I understand that I need to remove the 4 bolts holding the hydraulic pump shaft to the pulley and slide it out of the way to get the belt through. My problem is that I can't even see all 4 bolts (only 2), let alone reach them. Is there a trick to this or some other stuff I have to remove first? This is my first piece of large equipment, so I'm a total novice to working on these monsters. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I don't know how to do it, but if this is your first go'round.. you can probably expect plenty more.
I tried to look it up for you but all I came up with was, "pull the 4 bolts".. and a COMPLETE service manual for $22.00..
I STRONGLY SUGGEST getting it..
You probably found it already but I searched: ford 550 backhoe alternator belt replacement.
Good luck..

Thank you

Thanks for your efforts! I have already purchased the manuals, but they just don't have enough detail for this job.

Harbor Freight sells a multi segment v belt for use on drill presses and table saws that will disassemble. allow you to feed it around the pulleys and then put it back together. Any other tool store will probably have it.

As to using a one piece belt, lots of time you need to get a pressure washer down around the bottom of the engine, clean all the grease and dirt off so you can actually see the fasteners. Then a strong flash light and mirror on a telescoping shaft to examine what you have. If you can see 2, the other 2 are under all the crud.

Then a good selection of sockets, extensions, universal joints, and whatever else it takes to get to the bolts. Hoes were never designed with the intention that they were going to be serviced with the first set of tools you bought when you were 15,,,it's pretty much tool junky territory with them.

Wait until you get the 1" drive stuff and the 2" wrenches and wondering where to get a decent deal on the 2 1/2" one. And then huge crowfoot wrenches so you can get the hoses off the boom right around the pivot; fun, fun, fun.

vagabond317 said:

Thanks for your efforts! I have already purchased the manuals, but they just don't have enough detail for this job.

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Is that a genuine Ford service manual ? Those details should be in it. I have never worked on a Ford 555, but I would think that the radiator needs to come off to get at those bolts. I would suggest that you install a regular fan bet on it.

Segment belt

I'll have to try that multi-segment belt, at least as a temporary fix until the weather is warmer. Thanks for the suggestion! I always like a good excuse to go to Harbor Freight anyway...

Turn the engine over by hand 180 degrees and you can get to the other 2.

I usually turn one to the top, do it, turn 90, do the next, and so on

Tinkerer said:

Is that a genuine Ford service manual ? Those details should be in it. I have never worked on a Ford 555, but I would think that the radiator needs to come off to get at those bolts. I would suggest that you install a regular fan bet on it.

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yes, it is supposed to be the official service manual. I've heard that the adjustable belts stretch out and need constant adjustment and aren't a good long-term solution, but I might try it as a temporary fix until the weather is better and I have more time to dig into this.

Thanks for the tip on turning it to get to the next bolt. I was wondering if I would me able to manually turn it once I got the belt off. I guess I should have clarified that it wasn't that the bolts were covered in dirt or anything, but that I knew where they should be located but saw no way of accessing them because too much stuff was in the way. But if I can rotate it manually, I should be able to access all the bolts. Thanks!

I have used a 16" pointed spud to stick in the U-joint and turn the bolts to the top on a older 500. Not sure if the 555 is the same but looks similar. I use a cresent wrench on a Ford engine and pump in a different machine. Bottom line is there is normally a way to quite easily turn the engine to get to the bolts. Insure your fuel/engine shut off is in the off position and the transmission in in neutral. Not a bad idea to remove a battery cable. Normally by the time you get one bolt removed the compression has bled of enough to turn the 1/4 turn to the next one without much drama. You should not have to turn the engine once you get the last bolt out until you get the first bolt back in. I would not waste my money or energy on a adjustable belt. It will fail when you can least afford it in my humble opinion.