Any suggestions on the simplest way to replace the fan belt ?
There isn't any simple way that I know of. You have to separate the hydraulic pump coupling. Do you have the service manual ??
Pretty tight, looks like the fan and shroud would need to come off first. Kind of a silly question but would the fan come off before removing the shroud or vise versa?
No need to remove anything. Just just loosen the set screw on the coupling and slide it back 1/4" or so.
Don’t see a set screw but there are 4 bolts which seem impossible to get to without removing the shroud and fan.i will take another hard look and rethink this. Thanks
No set screws. 4 bolts. Loosen both the shroud and then remove the fan bolts. With them both loose you can manipulate them to remove the fan first. Cover the radiator with some heavy cardboard to prevent bending the fins on it. If you don't wanna remove the fan and shroud you can get access to the coupler by removing the front counterweight. Be sure to check the pump and coupler splines for wear while the coupler is split. I would advise you to check the rubber bushing in the front motor mount also. Do a YouTube search for 580K fan belt replacement. There are several videos for it.
Thanks. I removed the shroud and was able to remove the 4 bolts on the coupler and slide it back on the spline. Had a rough time getting the new belt on but was finally able to wiggle it through and put it all back together. Wouldn’t want to have to do this to often.