Need help with Serpentine Belt on 302 Explorer

[Dave S]

In looking at the diagram near the radiator, the idler pulley they show as the one that needs to be "untensioned" doesn't seem to match the diagram. The pulley they say to release is the one under the alternator down low on the engine. I see no hole that can be used with a breaker bar to release the tension unless you just need to put a socket wrench right on the pulley bolt itself. But worse yet, this doesn't look like a pulley that has any room to rotate anyway. Plus, it looks like you would almost have to do this under the car rather than from up top. What am I missing here? This should be such a simple job......one that I have done several times on other cars, but this one has me a bit stumped.

 

[DeRocha]

On my '93 you just use the bolt itself... The tensioner is spring loaded and will move out of the way easily with a breaker bar.

 

[rydinhigh]

I believe that it is a 15mm socket that you attatch to the tensioner bolt. Then take your breaker bar and turn it to the left. The bigger the breaker bar the better.

 

[Dave S]

The diagram says to use a 3/8 socket. Are you able to do this from the top or do you have to do it from underneath? And is it the tensioner I described the one under the alternator or is it a different one? Mine is a 2000 model V-8 which I neglected to mention.

 

[rydinhigh]

Yes do this from the top. The tensioner is under the alternator. There is just enough room to wiggle in the socket/breaker bar and to get it to move. You need a really really long breaker bar.

 

[Dave S]

I finally got around to changing the belt today.....what a pain!

I had to do it by working under the car. With a 15mm socket on the breaker bar there was not enough room to swing the bar because the nylon cooling fan was in the way. So I wound up loosening the bolts holding the fan in place so there was enough room to get the breaker bar in there and turn it to apply leverage. I am not sure how you guys did your changes without loosening the fan itself. Needless to say, what is normally a 10 minute job, took about an hour instead. :fire: :fire: