I replaced the tensioner pulley and now I am trying to reinstall the serpentine belt and am having a difficult time holding the tensioner in place with a ratchet wrench and positioning the belt around the tensioner pulley to finish the belt installation. The car is a 2003 Volvo S60 2.4T. I would appreciate any suggestions you might have to make installation of the serpentine belt easier.

2012 Mazda 3 I touring Skyactiv - Takes a 38" 6 groove serpentine belt- Very hard to find. The only place I found besides the dealer it Advance Auto but they had to order from the warehouse. There are three grooved pulleys and a smooth tensioner. To relieve the Tensioner you will need a shallow 17MM socket, it is a bit difficult to see, but if you stand on the passenger side the mount point for the socket is to the left of the tensioner shock. The Tensioner shock is just above the smooth tensioner pulley. All the threaded pulleys' (Drive, A/C, and alternator are within the serpentine belt, the tensioner pulley is outside the belt pushing down on the belt. The easiest way to replace this belt, First remove the old belt by placing the socket on the mount point and pulling up on the ratchet towards the rear of the car, then pull belt off. Next remove socket, place the belt over the drive pulley (this is the one on the bottom to the rear of the engine. ( you will see there is another belt on this pulley on the back side.), then put the belt over the A/C pump bottom front. Keep tension on the belt so it stays in place. Now put that socket back on, push up to lift the tensioner pulley and slip the belt over the alternator pulley. Make sure the belt is sitting properly on each pulley and under the tensioner pulley. Good luck. I have run into quite a few problems finding parts and information for this particular model. Good luck. Hope this was helpful

Astro, Safari 1997-2005
Accessory Drive Belts

• BELT TENSION INSPECTION
• DRIVE BELT ROUTINGS
• REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

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Belt Tension Inspection

Inspect the drive belt for signs of glazing or cracking. A glazed belt will be perfectly smooth from slippage, while a good belt will have a slight texture of fabric visible. Cracks will usually start at the inner edge of the belt and run outward. All worn or damaged drive belts should be replaced immediately.

Drive Belt Routings

Fig. Accessory serpentine belt routing-4.3L engine

Fig. Accessory serpentine belt routing-4.3L engines

Removal & Installation

Belt replacement is a relatively simple matter rotating the tensioner off the belt (to relieve tension) and holding the tensioner in this position as the belt is slipped from its pulley. The tensioner arm contains a machined receiver for a 3 / 8 in. driver from a ratchet or breaker bar.

1. Before you begin, visually confirm the belt routing to the engine compartment label (if present) or to the appropriate diagram in this section (if the label is not present). If you cannot make a match (perhaps it is not the original motor for this van), scribble your own diagram before proceeding.
2. Disconnect the negative battery cable for safety.
3. Install the appropriate sized breaker bar, wrench, or socket to the tensioner arm or pulley, as applicable.
4. Rotate the tensioner to the left (counterclockwise) and slip the belt from the tensioner pulley.
5. Once the belt is free from the tensioner, CAREFULLY rotate the tensioner back into position. DO NOT allow the tensioner to suddenly snap into place or damage could occur to the assembly.
6. Slip the belt from the remaining pulleys (this can get difficult is there is little room between the radiator/fan assembly and the accessory pulleys. Work slowly and be patient.
7. Once the belt is free, remove it from the engine compartment.
   
   

   Fig. On this 4.3L engine, a large wrench (16mm) was used to pivot the belt tensioner and free the belt
   

To install:

1. Route the belt over all the pulleys except the water pump and/or the tensioner. Refer to the routing illustration that you identified as a match before beginning.
   
   

   Fig. Accessory serpentine belt routing-4.3L engine
   

2. Rotate the tensioner pulley to the left (counterclockwise) and hold it while you finish slipping the belt into position. Slowly allow the tensioner into contact with the belt.
3. Check to see if the correct V-groove tracking is around each pulley.
   WARNING Improper V-groove tracking will cause the belt to fail in a short period of time.
   
4. Connect the negative battery cable.

There are 2 belts on the vehicle. It is EXTREMELY crirical to make sure you make a diagram of exact path of belt through the pulleys before removing it. If you dont, You will find it difficult if not impossible to figure it out after the fact. If you place it back wrong and it manged to fit severe engine damage could occur.
Standard procedure for any vehicle is to release tension on the tensioner pulley first'
This is accomplished by releasing tension on the pulley it is spring loaded and will release by placing the appropriate socket on the
pully and turning to release tension. (This can be difficult secondary to inadequate clearance. Lisle tools makes a tensioner pulley tool that I consider absolutely necessary.) then slip the belt off while maintaining force to keep tension off. release tension on tensioner again for clearance make sure belt is aligned properly on all pulleys befor you close the hood(bonnet).


ulley tool and I consider this tool essential

Locate the two belts on the left side (passenger side) of your Mitsubishi Lancer. The outer belt is a serpentine belt, operating four pulleys and the inner belt is your alternator belt.

2 Follow the serpentine (outer) belt to the three pulleys lined up vertically near the front of the engine compartment. Locate the middle pulley, which is the tension pulley for the belt.

3 Loosen the bolt on the middle pulley with a socket wrench by turning counter-clockwise. Do not remove the bolt, just turn it a couple of times. Loosen the tensioner bolt on the side of the of the pulley, facing the front of the vehicle.

4 Remove the serpentine belt and then loosen the bolt on the alternator. With the alternator loose, move it forward so that the alternator belt loosens up and then remove belt from the pulleys.

5 Install the new alternator belt by placing it over both inside pulleys. Tighten the tension on the alternator belt by moving the alternator back and keeping tension on it by holding it back with a long screwdriver. While the alternator belt is tight, use a socket wrench to tighten up the bolt on the alternator.

6 Place the serpentine belt back on the pulleys and then use a socket wrench on the bolt on the front of the tension pulley. Once the serpentine belt is tight, tighten up the bolt in the middle of the tension pulley.

7 Start the Mitsubishi Lancer's engine to test the alternator belt and make sure it is working properly. Once you have verified it is working, turn the engine off.

Move the Grand Marquis's serpentine belt tensioner off the serpentine belt with the serpentine belt tool. Pull the belt of the remaining pulleys by hand. Take the belt out of the engine well. Wrap the new belt around the bottom portion of the crankshaft pulley. Follow the belt routing diagram to route the belt over each remaining pulley until only the tensioner remains. Move the Grand Marquis's serpentine belt tensioner aside once more and slip the belt onto the tensioner pulley.Hold the belt in place with one hand while you move the tensioner slowly back into position with the other. Here you can fine the quality AC parts http://www.1airconditioning.com/ac_compresor.htm

Find the tensioner. The serpentine belt tensioner is what holds the belt in place with the correct tension: it is held to the engine by two bolts. Some describe the Hyundai Sonata tensioner pulley as attached to a teardrop shape, with the bolts holding the structure to the engine.

2 Remove the two bolts near the tensioner with your wrench (bolt size may vary by model). Take off the tensioner and the belt.

3 Use a belt routing diagram or your own sketches to replace the serpentine belt. This is helpful for some models: from the power steering pump, the belt goes to the left of the idler pulley, then over and around the right side of the air conditioner compressor pulley, around the left side of the crank pulley, to the right of the tensioner pulley, and down to the alternator.

4 Replace the tensioner and the new belt together. Mechanics recommend seating the belt on the tensioner before replacing the tensioner onto the engine rather than trying to pry the belt over the pulley.

5 Tighten the two lock bolts that hold the tensioner.

6 Check to see that the belt is seated correctly on all of the pulleys. Run the engine and observe to check for proper installation.

Locate the two belts on the left side (passenger side) of your Mitsubishi Lancer. The outer belt is a serpentine belt, operating four pulleys and the inner belt is your alternator belt.

2

Follow the serpentine (outer) belt to the three pulleys lined up vertically near the front of the engine compartment. Locate the middle pulley, which is the tension pulley for the belt.

3

Loosen the bolt on the middle pulley with a socket wrench by turning counter-clockwise. Do not remove the bolt, just turn it a couple of times. Loosen the tensioner bolt on the side of the of the pulley, facing the front of the vehicle.

4

Remove the serpentine belt and then loosen the bolt on the alternator. With the alternator loose, move it forward so that the alternator belt loosens up and then remove belt from the pulleys.

5

Install the new alternator belt by placing it over both inside pulleys. Tighten the tension on the alternator belt by moving the alternator back and keeping tension on it by holding it back with a long screwdriver. While the alternator belt is tight, use a socket wrench to tighten up the bolt on the alternator.

6

Place the serpentine belt back on the pulleys and then use a socket wrench on the bolt on the front of the tension pulley. Once the serpentine belt is tight, tighten up the bolt in the middle of the tension pulley.

7

Start the Mitsubishi Lancer's engine to test the alternator belt and make sure it is working properly. Once you have verified it is working, turn the engine off.

1. 1 Check to ensure the Sienna's engine is cold, then make sure the Sienna is in park, the ignition is in the off position and the key is removed from the ignition to prevent any possibility of the engine engaging during the serpentine belt replacement.
   
2. 2 Open the hood and locate the serpentine belt routing diagram sticker on the side of the engine casing. Study it for a moment before removing the existing belt. It is essential the new belt be installed exactly as the diagram indicates.
   
3. 3 Find the tensioner pulley, the main pulley that controls the serpentine belt, and fit a 1/2-inch socket wrench over the self-tensioner on the outside of the pulley.
   
4. 4 Pull the wrench to the left to move the pulley forward, which loosens the belt, then remove the belt.
   
5. 5 Compare the old serpentine belt with the new, replacement belt for length, width and number of grooves on the belt's underside. Be certain the replacement belt is the right part.
   
6. 6 Fit the new belt on to each pulley according to the serpentine belt routing diagram on the manufacturer's sticker, or according to the drawing made prior to removing the old belt. Fit the new belt on to the tensioner pulley last, again applying pressure on the pulley's self-tensioner with the half-inch socket wrench to loosen the pulley.
   
7. 7 Release the pressure on the self tensioner and allow the tensioner pulley to ease back into place, thereby tightening the new serpentine belt with the appropriate tension.
   
8. 8 Remove the wrench and close the hood.
   

Thank you and good luck,
Lee

This SHOULD be how it's done, but not so on the 90's Park Aves.
With this 3.8 L V-6, you have to remove the motor mount on the side of the engine--and without the proper tools it's about a $290 job for the dealer.

How to remove the serpentine belt on a 2004 optra 2.0L:
I did this yesterday in my driveway, and it is quite easy if you are handy, you don't need to be a mechanic.
What you need: A 15mm wrench, a 10mm socket, a new serpentine belt, a flathead screwdriver.
You must draw yourself a diagram of the belts and pulleys before you remove anything. Once you remove the belt, you have to put it back the same way so a diagram always helps.

1. Remove your air filter housing by removing the 10mm bolt located at the back of the air filter housing, and pull the housing upward with some force.
2. Loosen the clamp that is holding the air filter housing to the air hose. Remove the hose.
3. Place your air filter housing aside so it is not in the way. Retrieve a 15mm wrench (socket wrench will not fit). The longer the wrench the better. If you have a short wrench, you will probably need a pipe that fits around your wrench, or another wrench to use as leverage to gain more strength.
4. Place your 15mm wrench on the belt tensioner. On the Optra, the tensioner is the middle pulley (probably the smallest), and place your pipe or other wrench as leverage on top of your 15mm wrench.
5. Turn the 15mm wrench Clockwise as if tightening the bolt. The bolt will be difficult to turn, but even freeing it a little but loosens the tension, and you can pull your belt off of the top pulley.
6. Once you take your belt off of the top pulley, you can slowly release your grip of the 15mm bolt, careful not to injure yourself as it is spring loaded, therefore it has high tension and will try to swing back into place if you just let go, you have to let it roll back in a controlled manor.
7. After you let the tensioner roll back into place, remove the wrench and remove the rest of the belt.
8. Compare your new belt to your old belt, making sure that they are the same. There are two types of serpentine belts for your Optra, one that is "factory installed A/C" and another that is "dealer installed A/C". If your parts supplier has both in stock and you are not sure, get both and return the wrong one later to save you time.
9. Put the new belt on, starting at the lower pulleys, then move your way towards the upper pulleys. Leave the top left pulley for last. After the belt is on all the other pulleys, place your 15mm wrench back on the tensioner and release the tension by pulling it clockwise. Place the last part of the belt on the upper left pulley. Release the tensioner slowly.
10. Make sure the belt ribs are on all the pulleys evenly and correctly, so that your belt doesn't slip off of the pulleys when you start up the car.
11. Put the air filter housing back on, bolt it with the 10mm bolt, and attach your air hose and tigten the clamp. Check the belt one last time making sure it has tension, and is set correctly on all the pulleys.
12. Fire up your Optra and listen to it purr. If everything is ok, you did a good job!

Please post this on other sites to help people, as finding help for servicing 2004 Chevrolet Optra's is difficult!