Removing the Belts

• 1). Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the parking brake.
  
  
• 2). Disconnect the ground cable from the negative battery terminal. Loosen the retaining bolt with a wrench. Pull the clamp off the terminal.
  
  
• 3). Examine how the fan belts are routed around the engine pulleys. The new belts will need to be routed in the same manor. Make a drawing to record how both belts are routed.
  
  
• 4). Loosen the bolts that connect the alternator to its mounting bracket, using a socket.
  
  
• 5). Slide the alternator toward the engine to release tension on the belt.
  
  
• 6). Pull the alternator/water pump/crankshaft belt off the pulleys and remove it from the engine.
  
  
• 7). With a socket, loosen the bolts that connect the tensioner pulley to the power steering pump bracket.
  
  
• 8). Slide the tensioner pulley upward to release the tension on the belt.
  
  
• 9). Pull the water pump/crankshaft/power steering pump belt off the pulleys and remove it from the vehicle.
  
  

Installing New Belts

• 1). Route a new belt around the water pump, crankshaft and power steering pulleys following the drawing you made before disassembly. Be sure the belt is seated on the pulleys closest to the engine on the crankshaft and water pump pulleys.
  
  
• 2). Push the tensioner pulley against the belt to tighten it.
  
  
• 3). Tighten the bolts that secure the idler pulley to the power steering bracket. Use a socket.
  
  
• 4). Route a new belt around the crankshaft, water pump and alternator pulleys. Be sure to follow the drawing you made before disassembly.
  
  
• 5). Slide the alternator away from the engine to tighten the belt.
  
  
• 6). Tighten the bolts that secure the alternator to the engine.
  
  

Measuring Belt Tension

• 1). Place a straight edge along the belt at its longest run.
  
  
• 2). Press down at the midpoint between the two pulleys along the straight edge.
  
  
• 3). Measure how far you can press down on the belt, using a ruler. If it is greater than a half-inch, the belt needs to be tightened.
  
  
• 4). Loosen the bolts that secure the alternator to the engine, using a socket. Pull the alternator away from the engine, then retighten the alternator mounting bolts to tighten the alternator belt.
  
  
• 5). Loosen the bolts that secure the tensioner pulley to the power steering pump mounting bracket. Press downward on the pulley, then retighten the mounting bolts to tighten the power steering belt.