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How to Loosen an Alternator Belt Open and secure your car’s hood. Locate the alternator. Look for the three bolts that secure the alternator. Loosen the front and rear bolts attached to the alternator and engine using a suitably sized wrench. Loosen the bolt attached to the adjustable bracket. Remove the wrenches.
What happens if alternator belt is to tight?
If the belts are too tight, they can put a strain on the shaft (and its bearing) of the alternator, power-steering pump and even the water pump. It looks like the power-steering fluid level is getting low.
What tool do I need to loosen a belt tensioner?
Using a serpentine belt tool to loosen the tensioner and a belt placement tool to position the belt, we completed the entire job in less than 15 minutes, without breaking a sweat (or a knuckle). The serpentine belt tool comes with an assortment of sockets, making it the perfect choice for all the cars in your family.
How do you adjust a tensioner pulley?
Turn the adjustment bolt on the side, top or bottom of the pulley counterclockwise with the ratchet and socket until the accessory belt is loose enough to remove. Tighten the tensioner pulley by turning the adjustment bolt clockwise with the ratchet and socket until the belt is tight.
How do you loosen a tensioner pulley?
Turn the bolt head in the center of the spring-loaded arm of the belt tensioner counterclockwise with a ratchet and socket to loosen the bolt. The tensioner will rotate freely before it comes to a stop. When the spring-loaded arm comes to a stop, continue to turn the bolt until the bolt loosens.
How do you tension a belt?
Whack the belt with a karate chop, and if it feels firm, the drive is properly tensioned.” “Press the belt with your thumb until it deflects about 1/2 in.” “Tension the drive until you get a slight bow in the slack side when it is running.”Mar 1, 1999.
How do I know if my tensioner is too tight?
A normally tightened, or over-tight belt may chirp, even at an idle; it sounds like little birds, not a long squeel but short chirps. In this case, the belt is worn, infected with junk (oil, antifreeze, etc) or the pulleys it’s running across are not aligned (crooked or too far forward/backward from the others).
Can you change alternator yourself?
Introduction: How-To: Replace an Alternator Replacing an alternator can cost you several hundred bucks at the local repair shop, but it’s one of the simplest repairs you can do at home. With a few tools and about an hour you can swap it out yourself — and keep your dough in your pocket where it belongs.
Is it easy to change alternator?
In general, it will take about two hours for you to replace an alternator on your own, though this could vary somewhat depending on your knowledge of car mechanics. If you take your car into a shop in order to have the alternator replaced, timing may vary somewhat, and you may have to leave the car for the day.
How tight should an alternator belt be?
Pass your alternator belt around the pulleys on the front of the engine block and the alternator itself. Pull the alternator away from the engine until the belt is tight. You want to be able to press down on the belt at a mid point between two pulleys and only be able to move it downward about 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
Can you adjust the tension on a belt tensioner?
Locate the adjuster bolt on the belt tensioner used to secure the serpentine belt, and adjust the tension by loosening or tightening the adjuster bolt with a racthet and socket while you simultaneously move the belt back and forth gently to find the proper tension.
How tight should alternator V belt?
The belt should have no more than a 1/2 inch of slack to be properly tensioned. Adjust the belt as needed from the adjustment bolt until the slack in the belt is no more than a 1/2 inch.
Are tensioner pulley reverse thread?
The PULLEY bolt on the tensioner is left hand thread (turn clockwise to loosen) but the bolt that retains the tensioner to the alternator bracket is standard right hand thread (turn counter-clockwise to loosen). If you are trying to remove the tensioner from the bracket it just takes a little muscle.
Is it normal for belt tensioner to move?
The tensioner arm should move smoothly and freely. Solution: If you notice a binding, sticking or grinding tensioner arm, the tensioner should be replaced.
Should belt tensioner spin freely?
Checking the Tensioner Spin the pulley to see if it spins freely. If you hear grinding or the pulley doesn’t spin freely, replace the tensioner. When you replace the belt, it should take a lot of muscle power to move the tensioner. If you can move it easily, the spring tension is most likely not tight enough.
Can a belt squeal if too tight?
A belt that is either too loose or too tight will often slip against the pulleys, causing the squeal. While the motor is running, pour water over the squealing belt. It the noise stops, it tells you the belt needs tightening.
Can you spray WD40 on an alternator?
No, you cannot spray an alternator with WD40. As I said earlier, WD40 is a fluid cleaning agent. Plus, a nice intentional way to destroy or reduce the lifespan of an alternator is, by spraying a liquid agent in it. When you spray a WD40 on an alternator, it would also find its way into other areas it doesn’t fit.
