1996 Grand Am SE serpentine belt tensioner info please?

Answer 1

I assume you have the 3.1 L V-6, or there'd be no problem. The tools you have are part of the serpentine belt kit installation tool you can buy or borrow (deposit required) from Auto Zone or Advance, etc. The hex bolt you refer to is the tensioner mounting bolt, not the adjusting port. What you need to remove the tensioner is the SHORT 13 mm (as I recall) metric socket that comes with the tool kit. It will allow you to slowly unscrew the tensioner mounting bolt. When getting a replacement tensioner, get a good one. It should cost you about 50 bucks for a Dayco. You do NOT need to remove the tensioner to put the existing belt back on the pulleys. Instead, you just have to relieve it. Use the 3/8" square drive on the long tool and put it in the 3/8 square recess, or hole, that is cast into the passenger side of the tensioner. Alternately, you can slip a 19mm open end wrench on to the front-facing rectangular boss on the tensioner. Either way, rotate the tool and tensioner counter clockwise (as viewed from the passenger side) and you will find you will attain enough slack to re-install the belt. Ease off the rotation when the belt is on, and check that the belt is centered all the ribbed pulleys. Now, if the original belt was broken, or you are replacing it, it's a tougher ball game. Search "How to replace the serpenine belt on a 1996 Grand Am 3.1L" for a more detailed explanation of that joyful little task! I hope this has been helpful to you. I'm new to posting here, and this is the question I need answered please: The alternator on my 1996 Grand Am died, so I successfully changed it, but now I can't get the serpentine belt back on. I worked for several hours trying to move the belt tensioner with no luck. It appears to have a 1/2" bolt/nut in the center of the tensioner pulley, but I can't get a good hold on it due to the tight space constraints. How can I rotate the belt tensioner to allow me to put the serpentine belt back on the alternator? I have a special flat tool with a 3/8" square socket drive, and also an attachment with a 1/2" square socket drive, but neither fits into any spot on the belt tensioner that I can see or feel - I looked and tried for hours. Any information, pictures, diagrams, or knowledge would be VERY much appreciated as my Grand Am is dead in the water right now until I can get this belt on. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!