Altenator tension arm has no spring causes belt sqeal and engine to die out.how to cahnge tension arm

Incorrect tension on belt, press on belt between 2 pulleys. Should only have about 6 to 10 mm (3/8 ins) of movement.
If movement is excessive check the tensioner arm for spring tension and range of movement. If the grooved side of the belt has cracks or missing rubber, replace the belt as it has aged and is beyond service life.

The belt is tensioned with a spring loaded pulley on an arm. To ID this part start the engine and watch the belt go around the pulleys, when you gun the engine the belt tensioner pulley will jitter to adjust the slack.

The newer vehicles have the single belt system witch means it needs a belt tensioner that is spring loaded and has its owen pulley that the belt rides on . Normaly there will be a slot in the front of the tensioner sometimes square that you can put a 3/8s scoket extention in and push the tensioner spring arm away from the belt . This will give you all of the slack you need to easly remove the belt from all of the pulleys . Just make sure you rember the belt routing you may want to snap a picture of the belt before you start

You have a belt tensioner on the front of the engine. It is the belt pulley that is on a arm looking bracket( not running a accessory) put a socket on the bolt of the arm and twist it and the arm will release tension and you can get the bet off. Install in reverse. REMEMBER how the belt went take a picture if you have to. Good Luck.

The belt tensioner keeps the belt tight inside each accessory pulley while the engine is running. The tensioner is made up of a spring-loaded arm. If the spring inside of the tensioner becomes loose then it will not be able to hold the belt properly.And belt will also get loose. The belt tensioner is on the engine underneath the alternator. Its fitted by bolt.To loose the belt you will need drive socket and breaker bar .Turn the breaker bar counterclockwise to release tension from the belt.Remove the mounting bolt at the top center of the tensioner arm.The tensioner arm is loose and will easily come out.If you in-case are to replace the tensioner then place the new tensioner in same place and tighten the bolt which you removed.Before removing or moving the belt check the position of the belt passing from each pulley.so that when you fit the parts there is no problem in fitting the parts.
After its done.Start the engine and see that belt and tensioner runs freely and belt moving from each pulley smoothly. ------------- This will help.Thanks.Helpmech.

The serpentine belt tensioner / pulley is on the front of the engine, and part of the belt 'routing'.

Its job is to put tension on the belt as it drives the other devices like the power steering pump, water pump, air conditioning compressor.

It is an aluminum casting that mounts with a single bolt to the engine. The pulley is attached to the arm.

There are a few ways to move / pry the arm inwards, thus releasing the tension on the belt for removing/installing: grab on the pulley bolt (15mm?) with a wrench, or some later models have an opening for a 3/8th socket wrench to attach to directly without a socket.

There's is a tensioner with a pulley wheel attached, it will not look like a pump, the pulley wheel should spin freely, it's just a spring loaded arm that provides tension for the belt, when you find it there should be a spot at the end of the arm where the pulley wheel is that a tool will fit into.

Have you taken the belt off yet.
The belt is tensioned with a pulley which is spring loaded. Look for a small pulley wheel about 2 inches in diameter. Put a spanner on the nut and move it to loosen the belt.The alternator is a fixed one which has no adjusting arm. Just bolts to secure it.
Good Luck

take out the top 4 bolts above the altenator, between those metal tubes on the metal bracket. then u have 1 bolt holding the wires to the altenator on that bracket aswell remove that. then remove the coolant reserve bottle and stick a breaker bar or rend of a ratchet in the tenchenor pulley square slot pull it back twords the head lights the belt will loosten then remove it from the altenator. then u will see 2 more bolts on the bottom side of the altenator by the pulleys and belt. Remove them 2 bolts all the way and the altenator will drop out of the bottom of them metal tubes and slide through the sides of them and its out... its very ez and does not need the tubes removed its a lot ezer than it looks.. sorry about my spelling im an infantryman not a teacher.

Hey there hardrock,

• Get a 14mm or 9/16" socket and a long handled ratchet or breaker bar.
• Get the belt around all the pulleys except the A/C compressor or Alternator.
• The tensioner pulley is near the Alternator toward the center of the engine. It's on a spring loaded arm. Get your socket on the center nut of this pulley.
• Slowly pull the ratchet toward the center of the engine. The pulley will pivot on the arm allowing you to get the belt on the final pulley.
  
• Slowly release the tension.
  
• You're done

Mike