Remove serpentine belt. Remove alternator. The bolts that hold the tensioner on are under the alternator.
If you're standing at the front of the truck and looking into the engine compartment the tension pulley is on the left side about half way down.
Note:The drivebelt routing decal on the radiator shroud to help during drivebelt install * To replace the belt rotate the tensioner pulley clockwise to release belt tension * Remove the belt from the auxiliary components and slowly release the tensioner * Route the new belt over the various pulleys again rotating the tensioner to allow the belt to be installed then release the belt tensioner
Look on the passenger front side of the engine, you will see pulley attached to a short arm with a square hole. That is the tensioner and tensioner pulley
Note:The drivebelt routing decal on the radiator shroud to help during drivebelt install * To replace the belt rotate the tensioner pulley clockwise to release belt tension * Remove the belt from the auxiliary components and slowly release the tensioner * Route the new belt over the various pulleys again rotating the tensioner to allow the belt to be installed then release the belt tensioner
Note:The drivebelt routing decal on the radiator shroud to help during drivebelt install * To replace the belt rotate the tensioner pulley clockwise to release belt tension * Remove the belt from the auxiliary components and slowly release the tensioner * Route the new belt over the various pulleys again rotating the tensioner to allow the belt to be installed then release the belt tensioner
Loosen the tensioner pulley. The tensioner pulley will slide to the right. This will loosen the alternator belt. So it can be removed.
You unbolt the old one (one bolt) then fit new. Now refit the belt.
98% of the time it is the tensioner or idler pulley. With engine off take WD 40 with that little plastic tube & spray the back side of either one, idler or tensioner pulley, not both. Take a drive & if you still hear the belt noise then it is the pulley you didn't spray. The tensioer pulley is replacable on most dakotas. When you remove the belt the tensioner should have strong spring action & move smoothly. If it does then just replace the pulley. Some places will try to sell you the whole tensioner.
I just did one today for my uncles 2000 Leganza 2.2. The trick is that the belt goes around the tensioner then the crankshaft pulley. It should make an s from the bottom of the alt. pulley to the tensioner then to the crank.
Yes, on a 3.3 or 3.8 the serpentine belt pulley does come off the tensioner arm but the bolt is left thread not right handed.
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.