How do you change a serpentine belt on an 88 Mercury Cougar?

Answer 1

To change the serpentine belt on a 1988 Mercury Cougar, first take a picture of how the old belt is put on. Then, loosen the nut on the tension pulley and remove the old belt. Use the picture to route the serpentine belt in the same pattern as before. Tighten up the nut on the tension pulley.

Answer 2

That Sucker goes everywhere, but I replaced my first one in about 15 min. Study the of where it goes under the hood. Take a 3/8" Extended Bar and tweak the Spring Roller assembly, just enough to remove the old belt. Have the new belt out , it only cost $9-16.00. Put it in the same way as the old, and you're done. SPARKY

Answer 3

I'm going to assume readers already know how to safely jack up a car and have a basic mechanical understanding of what parts and tools are and that the repair is being done by one person with no helpers.

It's easier to do this repair if you remove the bottom plastic engine cover on the passenger side and the passenger side front tire.

There are two idler pulleys for the serpentine belt. One is fixed and the other is spring loaded (tensioner). Use a 15mm wrench to push on the center bolt of the tensioner pulley and it will pivot releasing the tension on the belt. Slide the belt off a convenient pulley and release the tension idler. There should be a decal under the hood showing the correct routing for the belt, if not PAY ATTENTION to where it was prior to removal. Remove the belt and reinstall the new one following the routing instructions. When reinstalling the new belt, leave the slack near the tensioner pulley and reapply your wrench to the center nut again collapsing the tensioner and slip the belt over it and let it return to normal position slowly. Double check your routing and if it all looks good start the engine to test it out, if it's running smooth and the belt is staying seated and not making any noises then replace the bottom engine cover and passenger tire and enjoy your ride.