. I bought the pay-the-deposit-for-the free-tool-for-these-sidewise-engine-tensioners from Advanced auto. It WORKS. It's skinny enough to fit in there. Cost is under $30.00 and it prevents a lot of air from turning blue. You can get a full refund, or, as I did, keep the tool for the next time. BTW, thanks from me to the prior poster who settled the question in my mind about lifting the engine. And just wait until you have to replace the timing gear cover gasket... That's a RIOT.
-TRP3141592
Use a big socket wrench/breaker bar and the correct socket/bit. Some tensioner pulleys use sockets, others torx bits, and some just use a 3/8 square hole.
The other answer is correct as well, but on my 3.1 litre the tensioner pulley is attached to an arm and the bolt comes through from the back side which makes it impossible to reach with a socket. What I use on mine is a crescent wrench and adjust it to fit the width of the arm the pulley is attached to. This arm is square and the wrench slides on perfectly and then I just pull the wrench up. You can also use an appropriately sized wrench but I don't know exactly what size it is.
Tom
On my 3.8, I used a breaker bar and socket to release the tension and then fit the belt on.
There should be a place on the tensioner to insert a ratchet wrench or breaker bar without a socket or a "nut" for a socket to fit. Turn the tensioner clockwise or counterclockwise to loosen the tension (some tensioners rotate clockwise and some counterclockwise) and remove the old serpentine belt - NOTE: be sure and note how the belt is routed so you can install the new one in the same routing.
how to replace a serpentine belt on 1992 grand am 2.3l
You will need to buy a special tool that allows you to release the tension. It is fairly cheap and you can buy one at your local auto parts store. The one I bought was called a "Serpentine belt tool kit" and cost around $25-$30. Hope this helps.
Just replaced it myself you gota take the alternator off loosen two bolts that hold the tensioner on and pull it out.Don't loosen any bolts on the powersteering under the tensioner.Remember to disconnect the battery first.
How do you replace the serpentine belt in 1997 sunfire
Ajustment bolt is located at the bottom of power steering pump.
alternator on a 2000 Pontiac runs off a serpentine belt if its loose then chances are ur serpentine belt is worn or stretched or your tensioner pulley is bad or the tensioner itself..alternator bolts stable does not move like the old setup.
what you need is a ratchet 15mm socket. Losen the idler then slide off the serpentine belt off. There should be a diagram for routing the belt if not draw a diagram before removing it. Replace the serpentine belt crank it 2 or 3 times but don't start the engine. The 4th time start the engine this time the as the engine is idling eyeball the belt agaisnt the tensioner idler and crank pulley make sure the serpentine is algined. That's It. Bill A Note: Make sure that you have identified the tensioner pulley as apposed to the idler pulley. With the 15mm socket on the tensioner pulley's bolt, rotate it clockwise and this will release the tension on the belt, or in the case of installing a new serpentine belt, allow you to get it where it belongs. This is the case on my 1997 Dodge Caravan, and probably other year makes. Best of luck- Bryan 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan: Rotating the tensioner pulley's bolt clockwise was the way to replace my belt. By the way, the tensioner pulley in my van was one of the smaller ones in the middle of the whole system, attached to a silver arm coming off the tensioner.
To loosen the tension on a serpentine belt on a 2005 Grand Caravan 3.8L, turn the nut of the belt tension pulley to loosen it. Adjust the belt, then tighten the tension pulley by turning the nut in the opposite direction.
When the tensioner pulley is frozen and u need to change the belt the only possible thing you can do is cut the old belt and replace the belt tensioner pulley, theres no other possible method.
Loosen the tensioner pulley. Put the belt around the alternator pulley and the tensioner pulley. Move the tensioner pulley to the right until the belt is tight. Tighten the tensioner pulley.
what size engine