Serpentine Belts

The most reliable way is to go directly to the belt manufacturer's site.

In your owners manual, and near the serpentine belt there should be a routing diagram for your model that will show you the configurations(AC / no AC). also your owners manual should have a full set of specs for your specific model of vehicle.

The belt routing is dependent upon the car you have.

The serpentine belt tension is not adjustable. It is set by a spring loaded idler pully. "Idler" just means that it is not used to drive anything. It is spring loaded to tension the belt and control belt position. The bracket for the idler pully has a square hole in it that is used to compress the spring during belt installation or removal. You can put a 1/2" drive ratchet or breaker bar in the square opening and apply pressure against the spring to remove the old belt or install a new one. Ratchets and breaker bars are normally used with a socket to loosen nuts, but no socket is required to use them in the idler pully bracket. If your belt is making noise or looks loose it probably needs to be replaced. Typical belt life is 3-5 years. The tension is set with an automatic tensioner. It must be replaced.

The library should have a shop manual with a guide:)

Here's the page from the manual.

4x4.5" or 4x114.3

Well, that is one solution. But assuming you are stuck with this car, and assuming you just need to get the installed belt on to the alternator, you will need to relax the tensioner. Use a serpentine belt installation tool from your auto parts store, or use a 19mm open end wrnch on the squarish boss on the tensioner. Rotate the tensioner counter clockwise as viewed form the passenger side. The belt will then have enough slack to allow it to go over the alternator pulley. Now, assuming you are REPLACING the serpentine belt, you need to understand that the belt has to do a loop-through-loop with the heavy black motor mount at the alternator. Actually, you already know this or you would not have asked this question. Either follow the advice below (dump the car) or find the "Replace the serpentine belt on a 1996 Grand Am" question, or read on. It's a 9 on a 10 point scale of difficulty. You have to remove a lot of motor mount stuff to do it. GM did you NO favor with this task! Ok, here goes. First, buy, rent, or pay the deposit on the parts store's loaner long-handled serpentine belt tool. It has skinny sockets that you will need to replace the tensioner. Bite the bullet and get the tool. Also--bite another bullet and buy the tensioner when you buy the belt. Get the best quality belt and tensioner you can get: this is NO time or place to go cheap. If your serpentine belt BROKE, you likely have a greater problem than a worn belt. Before going to the parts store, check to see if the water pump or AC compressor is frozen up. Buy parts accordingly. The forces involved in breaking the belt will also tear the pulley on the tensioner to pieces. Just go ahead and replace the tensioner pre-emptively. That's why you bought it when you bought the belt, so do it now. Now, grit your teeth and accept the fact that you have to remove all the moter mount stuff. You'll have to support the engine (with a jack on a 2x4 to spread the weight) from underneath. You'll remove the 3 nuts (don't lose the blind bolt under the 3rd nut) on the top of the black stamped steel bracket, the two bolts in the passenger side fender well that hold the bottom of the 2nd stamped steel bracket, the two bolts holding the heavy duty silver bracket, and the three bolts holding the heavy black cast bracket to the underside of the heavy silver bracket. You will find that getting the 3/8" drive of a ratchet into the slight space offered by GM at the tensioner may be impossible. However, there is a 19mm flat-sided boss on the tensioner facing the front of the car. You can get a 19mm open end wrench, or a Crescent wrench, onto that boss and lift forcefully to turn the tensioner. Turn counterclockwise, as viewed from the passenger side, to loosen the belt. I would still opt to get the serpentine installation tool set from the parts store. (I also went ahead and made a 3/8" tool with more offset than the store-bought one. If you have welding capability, it's worth it to have the home-made tool.) Since you have removed all the motor mount stuff removed already, this is the time to remove and replace the tensioner. Just do it. A good new one (a Dayco brand tensioner) is about 50 bucks at a parts store. By now you'd pay three times that not ot have to do this job again. So just do it. Considering the work you are going through to do all this on your day off, replacing the tensioner as a preventative measure is well worth it. You need skinny hands to get the bolt started, but it can be done without too much grief. Put some Never-Seize on the bolt threads before installation. Note that you have to engage the pin on the tensioner into the hole in the engine timing gear cover before tightening down the bolt. Use the NEW BOLT that will come with the tensioner: it's different than GM's. You already have removed the black stamped steel brackets that were attached to the fender, right? And you have also removed the heavy silver one that has the three big bolts (15 mm heads, two toward the back and one toward the front) and one empty hole at the front of the silver piece. You have replaced the tensioner because you do not want to go through this again next Spring. To install the new belt, you must LOOSEN the three bolts on the heavy and thick black cast and forged bracket that is attached to the engine. They are low and toward the front. This heavy forged thick bracket was attached to the thick silver piece with the three heavy bolts, and it is the black piece that prevents you from simply installing the belt around the power steering pump pulley. (BTW, removng the power steering pump won't help you--you have to get the belt around the black bracket.) By LOOSENING the three bolts in the heavy black bracket, you can just barely cause a gap at the rearmost heavy bolt location between the stamped steel engine mount boss and the heavy black bracket that will just barely allow you to slip in the belt. You may need to do a little gentle levering, but don't break anything. Note that I said LOOSEN--if you remove the three bolts you'll have coolant all over the place. Even so, you may have to remove the upper one completely to get enough of a gap at the rear for the belt to go through. Once the belt is "through the loop" of the heavy black bracket, be sure you also get it around (over) the power steering pully, under the water pump pulley, and headed down toward the AC pulley. Tighten the three bolts that you just loosened, and thread the belt on to the pulleys. It goes (ribbed side) back around the alternator, down and around the crank pulley (ribbed side), up and around the tensioner (smooth side), down and around the AC pulley (ribbed side), up and around the water pump pulley (smooth side), over the power steering pump pulley (ribbed side) and rearward to the alternator (ribbed side.) Whew! You'll quickly find that it won't voluntarilty go over the alternator pulley unless you relieve the tensioner. Use the tool you rented or bought or made to relieve the tensioner (see above), slip the belt over the alternator pulley (ribbed side), and then ease up on your death grip on the tensioner tool to allow the belt to tighten itself. CHECK ALL THE PULLEYS to be SURE the ribbed surface is centered on each ribbed pulley!! Misalignment will break the belt in a hurry, and then you can do this delightful task all over again. Ok, that was all easy. You started at 10:00 thismorning and now it's 8:30 tonight. Now it's time to reassemble this beast. Whether today or tomorrow is up to you. You will find that dealing with the motor mount pieces is a challenge, especially in re-assembly. The one and only nice thing GM did for you is to have provided that 4th hole (the empty one) in the silver bracket--it allows you to pry and wiggle the motor mount pieces into alignment. Be prepared to adjust the engine up, down, front, and back a lot. With patience and some jockeying around, it all bolts together in reverse of disassembly. Check for tools and anything you may have forgotten to tighten. The only left over part should be the original GM tensioner attachment bolt and the old tensioner, both of which you replaced with the new tensioner. Check coolant level. and Voila !! You're done. Until it breaks again. --Tom Take a stick of TNT. place it next to the alternator. light the fuse. and run like you you've never run in your life. After it blows, call the junk yard and take the $50.00 they give you for it and buy a sack of Gonji.

try chiltons.com [[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] 14:55, 14 Mar 2007 (CDT)[[User:Danegood|Danegood]] That brings you to a furniture maker in Maine. Try: http://www.chiltonsonline.com/

Napa has diagrams. Remove passenger side tire, and plastic shield. Belt is easy to get to now. Larry Gillespie. larry.gillespie@cox.net

there is no fan belt. the fan is electric-motor powered.

The belt on a Dodge Stratus 2. 5L V6 is changed by loosening the belt tensioner and slipping the belt off the pulley. It can then be taken off the engine accessories and a new belt installed.

At most auto supply stores you can buy a screw on nozzle extension that fits your oil container. The nozzle has a twist closed/ open on it so you can keep it closed until you put it in the fill pipe. Then just twist open and the oil comes out with no mess. They are only about 3-4 dollars and reusable practically for ever.

If you go to advance auto, or auto zone and purchase a haynes manual for 10 to 20 dollars, it will describe in detail (including pictures) of this repair, and many more for this automobile.

*Edit: Before you read this rant, I have specific instructions on how to replace the belt on a 1999 Sunfish below the next few paragraphs. But please feel free to explore the rhetoric which I have provided for you in the mean time while you kill some time on the 'net. Surely, you have two minutes to indulge yourself in my musings.

Whoever posted this answer obviously read the question wrong. It asks specifically, clearly and in one sentence how one would change the serpentine belt on his Sunfish. The answer is a response to a different question, which would be "Where do I find the instructions on how to change a serpentine belt for my car?" The asker already knows the answer to this question, he went to Answers.com to find it. You're one step behind, kiddo.

Now. Being the owner of a 1997 Sunfire myself, and since the two engines are nearly identical, I was curious as to how one would perform this operation, so I Google'd it. Now I'm here, and still at a lack of an answer. Shoot...

I know you feel like you've contributed by waving your e-penis around and throwing a quick "professional sounding" answer back, but this isn't the question you were trying to answer. The asker of this question was obviously not going to spend any money learning how to do something this simple, and you haven't changed their mind, I'm quite positive. They most likely went to find another website which did have the answer.

So please, if you are not a professional, an experienced worker in your field, are not highly knowledgeable, are not willing to spend your time sharing what you know, or do not have regular, intimate contact with the subject matter which the question regards, do NOT attempt to answer the question.

Nobody, I mean quite literally NOT ONE HUMAN BEING ALIVE will waste their time sifting through a mountain of meaningless comments to find an answer which nobody is able to provide. So, in the interest in helping a brother (or sister, let's not be sexist these days) out, I've decided to research the subject matter from a legitimate source as a big "middle finger" to the lad who thought he could answer this person's plea for help.

*HOW TO CHANGE A SERPENTINE BELT ON A 1999 PONTIAC SUNFIRE*

1) Locate your 1999 Pontiac Sunfire. This is absolutely crucial because you cannot perform this operation without the vehicle at hand.

2) Locate your engine within the front half of your 1999 Pontiac Sunfire. It's the thing, under the hood, with that other stuff.

3) Your serpentine belt is going to be on the left side of the engine compartment. It's the belt, named creatively after an appendage-lacking vertebrate which it does not resemble in the slightest. So the name serpentine belt could perhaps be misleading. It's more of a gargantuan rubber band, but they don't call it that.

4) Locate your belt tensioner. I wish I were able to post pictures on this website, since there are many, many ideas and concepts which cannot be conveyed using words alone. If you have the 2.2L engine, check out this visual:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/belt%20routing%20diagram%20sunfire%202.2/fluffy_032/42188358.gif

2.4L engine:

http://www.maybenow.com/External.aspx?url=http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php%3ffile%3d/500/1724872200.JPG

You will find that the tensioner in this photograph is indicated by a lovely red arrow.

Now it should be noted that the engine you are most likely concerned with will still be surrounded by thousands of pounds of Pontiac, so these visuals should be used as a guide only. I hold no responsibility for your lack of ability to find a tensioner on an engine still mounted inside your Sunfish.

5) Grab your socket wrench with 15mm adapter (13mm for the 2.4L) and find your belt removal tool, which I'm sure you've already purchased from your local car parts shop. If not, either buy one, or sack up and do this without it.

6) Using some elbow grease, turn the tensioner in a clockwise direction and weasel the gargantuan rubber band off of the engine while it's all loosy-goosy like. Better yet, grab a buddy and make him hold the tensioner while you take care of the rubber band yourself. Makes life easier for you.

7) Get that thing back on before going for a spin, Jack. If you feel like driving without it, at least put it on Youtube. Make sure you adhere exactly to the belt routing diagram which I have linked for you. A properly executed serpentine belt replacement leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, so you might as well put your all into it and make sure it's a job well done.

I sincerely hope that this will be helpful to somebody :)

how do u lossen the altinator belt on a 91 honda accord

what engine size? 2.0 soc does not have serpentine belts,has 2 serpentine timng belts. need engine size to help more.

No need to, it is done automatically thru the belt tensioner. If you suspect the belt is loose you may want to replace the tensioner and possibly the belt.

You will insert a breaker bar into a 1/2" square hole in the belt tensioner. You will either pull up, or push down, and the tensioner will move enabling you to remove the belt.

Be to see "Related Questions" below for much more about serpentine belts and alternator trouble-shooting & replacement

Taurus' have been around for 24 years and the year in question isn't mentioned... So let's just say, roughly speaking: $15-30

See "Related Questions" below for more

pull the tensioner to relieve the tension and slip the belt over the alternator pulley. The tensioner is a spring-loaded pulley below the alternator. The tensioner takes a special tool that fits into a square hole in the side of it. Or you can use an 18 mm socket on the tensioner's pulley bolt. Follow the decal near the right front corner of the engine compartment to route the new belt.

Should be under the hood and in your owners manual. Click the link.

look for a tension pulley it should be towards the middle in between all the other pulleys....then grab you a 1/2" ratchet stick it in the hole and turn until the belt is slack....good luck

Take the approprate sized ratchet and rotate the entire belt tensioner assebly counter clockwise. It should feel like a spring and return to its original position. Remove and add a new belt by pulling that assembly back again thats it, the diagram that explains the belt path is located under the hood on the frame somewhere

I had this problem in my 92 Plymouth Voyager. You need to replace the tension pulley. They get old and become out of alignment.

The serp belt is tensioned by a spring loaded arm and pulley it has a 3/8 square hole to release the tendion AND ITS TIGHT There is a tool to do this but you can use a 3/8 drive ratchet if you slide a 2 ft long hollow rod around the ratchet handle pole to give you the extra leverage to move the tensioner arm

all u have to do is use a tire tool gently and push inward and it will loosen,pull the belt off, let go slowly when you install the belt and it will tighten by itself

Somewhat difficult, but with some patience can be done. Start by unbolting the radiator reservoir and moving it up and out of the way. I believe its one 10mm bolt and the rest are just plastic clips. You'll need a serp belt removal tool, you can buy one or usually rent from auto parts store. Find the belt tensioner and using the belt tool, release the tension. Before you do this draw a diagram of how the belt goes, pay close attention. Release the tension, take the belt off. Compare the old belt with new belt to make sure the size is right. Install new belt, make sure its on every pulley perfectly. While the belt is off inspect the tensioner for 'play' it should not wobble or move roughly. If vehicle has high miles you may want to replace the tensioner as well. Put the radiator overflow bottle back, and you're all done! You'll probably have some bruised knuckles.