OK well I am working on a 3.1L I have done a fair amount of work on cars but I have never have the privalage of working on the belt system. I have a hayes book I says release the tentioner ok well I see it but what do I do. How do u get it to move the book just says release it then moves on. This makes me mad because it does not explain it!!!!! Thank you for your help pleese respond soon!!!!
darkblade j
Usually it is just a bolt you have to loosen...if the tensioner is on the water pump, you need a special tool to twist it...but once youve loosened it, you can just twist it any way you want...
the belt tensioner is spring loaded. the best way to move it is with a belt tensioner tool (sometimes part stores will loan you one) otherwise you can use pry bars but it is a pain in the a$$. Iit also may be seized (hopefully not) but if it is you have to take the wheel off and the plastic cover to get at the bolt.
if you use a pry bar wear gloves or invest in alot of bandaids
hey dummy if u cant figure this out on your own take it to a mechanic and let them do it so u dont break anything!
or just use an 18mm open end wrench on the end of the tensioner and rotate it.
don't mistake lack of talent for genius
So wait i Just lossen the nut on the tenstioner. Or what ?
darkblade j
no i said if its seized you can unbolt it to replace it. Nitzy's right if you cant figure this out you shouldnt be working on the car. Its so damn simple.
nitzy wrote:hey dummy if u cant figure this out on your own take it to a mechanic and let them do it so u dont break anything!
or just use an 18mm open end wrench on the end of the tensioner and rotate it.
now was that neccisarry? he was just asking a question.
**changes are here**
Seriously guys, lay off...the first repair we did on my car was the water pump, and it took us about 3 days on and off to get it, granted it is harder to get to with the 2.0s...
What year is your car? If the intake says multi port on it then it should take a 3/8 square drive if I remember correctly. You can use a regular 3/8 ratchet if you can get it in there, but there isn't much room so a belt tool is a good idea. Once you get the tool in there you just rotate the tensioner which ever way loosens the belt (I think towards the front of the car.)
You can't outrun the radio.
First off thanks to those of you who helped. Second to all of you people who are negative F U! I bet you were just born with the knowlage on how to work on cars! Nobody ever taught you!!! You just automatically knew how to do everything to a car the day you were conceived!!! EVERYBODY HAS TO LEARN SOME TIME!!!!!! I have been a member of this org for a few years and I have seen more and more flaming and over all negative bs. Do you guys just get on here to make fun of people. I want one of you guys to look and the mirror and say to your self its cool to get on line on forums and make fun of people and tell your self how cool you are!!! I have seen alot of car forums in my day and I have never come across a forum with this much negative B S and flaming. You guys make so much fun of these people for not knowing everything. So in conclusion your not cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darkblade j
Good post Darkbladej
I have just been out to my '93 2.2 Cavalier to check.
I changed the serpentine belt a couple of days ago.
I used a
15mm cranked OFFSET ring wrench
(As in this link
http://www.diydata.com/tool/spanner/spanner.htm)
The sizes on your car MAY be different.
My wrench is only 9 inches overall length and I find it does the job perfectly.
I fitted this wrench to the idler pulley hexagon(Like a 15mm nut but it will not turn just move the whole adjuster) and pulled towards the front of the car.
If the idler system is not seized up (stuck with crud) the belt will slacken.
I have found it is easier to take off the belt starting at the alternator and finishing there when putting it back on. If you don't let the belt move off any other pullies you only have to put it back over the alternator pulley, gently release the wrench to allow the spring to tighten the belt .
Good Luck
Alont
Post again if you need any more help.
So..... Did you ever get the belt off?
You can't outrun the radio.
http://www.lislecorp.com/tool_detail.cfm?detail=1057
http://www.lislecorp.com/tool_detail.cfm?detail=1025
Either one of those 2 tools will work. Your local auot parts store should have one or both to borrow. And BTW, to release tension, its push towards the firewall. Remember, its spring loaded ( self tensioning ) so dont let it go to fast when you get the belt off. IIRC, its 15mm. When I had my 87z with the 2.8, I could fit a pair of vice grips down there to lift the tensioner, but the 3.1 seems to be alot tighter.
you snooze you lose!
keep working, millions on welfare depend on you!
