How do I loosen belt to replace Altenator

Pop the hood of the car and locate the serpentine belt routing diagram. The diagram on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala is on top of the fan shroud. The diagram will be a picture of all of the accessory pulleys and how the serpentine belt is routed among the pulleys. This diagram will give you the exact direction for routing the new belt onto the pulleys. If you cannot find a serpentine belt routing diagram, take a notepad and pen and draw out the exact routing diagram of the old belt across the pulleys.

2 Locate the serpentine belt tensioner. It is located below the alternator on the left front side of the engine. The tensioner on the 3.4 liter, 3.5 liter and the 3.9 liter engines will require a 3/8 ratchet to release the belt tensioner. The 3.8 liter engine will require a ratchet and a 15 mm socket for the belt tensioner. Rotate the belt tensioner clockwise to loosen and remove the belt from the belt tensioner pulley.

3 Slide the old belt from the belt tensioner pulley. Remove the belt from the remaining pulleys and pull the belt from the engine compartment.

4 Route the new belt across the crankshaft pulley first. The crankshaft pulley is the big pulley on the bottom of the engine in the center. Then route the serpentine belt across the remaining pulleys as directed by the serpentine belt routing diagram. Leave the belt tensioner pulley for last.

5 Rotate the belt tensioner clockwise again to relieve the tension and slide the new belt across the top of the belt tensioner pulley. Release the belt tensioner and the belt will tighten up as the tensioner applies pressure to the belt. Make sure the new belt is properly seated in all the pulleys.

6 Crank the engine and inspect the belt again to make sure that it stays seated in the pulleys.

Read more: How to Replace a Serpentine Belt on a 2003 Chevrolet Impala ' eHow.co.uk http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6120665_replace-belt-2003-chevrolet-impala.html#ixzz1Yi6QLAjb

Open the hood and locate the accessory belt routing diagram that is stamped to the top flat surface of the radiator shroud. Use the routing diagram to properly route the new belt around each accessory pulley.
Look on the front of the engine between the alternator and the power steering pump and locate the automatic belt tensioner. Use the pulley that is attached to the end of the tensioner to loosen the tension from the belt.
Position a breaker bar and a 14 mm socket onto the bolt head in the middle of the tensioner pulley. Turn the breaker bar clockwise to loosen the tension from the belt. Slide the belt off of the tensioner pulley and slowly release the breaker bar.
Slide the belt out from around all of the engine accessory pulleys. Pull the belt around each of the fan blades and up out of the engine compartment.
Slide the new belt around each of the fan blades and around each of the accessory pulleys as directed by the belt routing diagram.
Turn the tensioner clockwise with the breaker bar and the 14 mm socket again. Slide the belt around the tensioner pulley and slowly release the breaker bar. Pull the breaker bar and socket off of the tensioner and out of the engine compartment.
Crank the engine for ten to fifteen seconds to finish seating the ribs on the inside of the belt to the grooves of each accessory pulley. 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

Here's a great video that will also show you how to change the AC belt on a 98-04 Intrepid">

Click on the following free direct Link. It has the Serpentine Belt Diagram and Tensioner location for your 4.7L V8 DOHC engine.
It also has the directional diagram on how to rotate the Tensioner to loosen the belt, inorder to both remove and reinstall the belt.
http://www.2carpros.com/car_repair_information/year/2004/make/toyota/model/sequoia/2004_toyota_sequoia_drive_belt_routing_diagram.htm

GENERAL/Standard Rules to Removal the Serpentine Belt with a Tensioner:
A. Find the Tensioner(s). (See Diagrams on Link)
B. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool, Or Wrench OR Ratchet, Rotate/Move the Tensioner USING THE AVAILABLE NUT (on the Pulley or Arm Base) OR the OPENING (3/8ths or 1/2 inch square opening) rotating the Tensioner Pulley/Arm - moving it away from contact with the belt and towards the area where the belt is not in contact with the Tensioner Pulley. The Tensioner is spring loaded, and is hard to rotate/move.
C. Remove the loosened belt off one of the other more easily accessed Pulleys.
D. DO NOT quickly release the Tensioner, but gently allow the Tensioner to rest in its closed position.

Standard Rules for Installing the Serpentine Belt with Tensioners:
a. Pick a Pulley that is most easily accessed. This will usually be on top. This will be the last Pulley that the belt will go on.
b. Using the Diagram: Install the new Serpentine Belt on the remainder of the Pulleys....over, under, left right.
c. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool or Wrench or Ratchet Tool: Rotate/Move the Tensioner Pulley/Arm "away" from Belt contact area on the Tensioner. This spring is pretty hard and with a new belt, it will be even harder to install. Rotate/Move this to as-close to the maximum allowed inorder to have enough slack in the belt to get it up and over the last pulley.
d. Using your other hand - Pull the Belt up and over the Last remaining Pulley.
e. Before releasing the pressure on the Tensioner, visually inspect the remainder Pulleys and the Belts' Positioning on them

Let me know if this helped, or if you have additional information or questions. Feel Free to contact me at FixYa.Com!

Remove and Replace the Serpentine Belt.
Click on the following free direct Link. It has the Serpentine Belt Diagram and Tensioner location for your 3.0L V6 including the DOHC engine.
http://www.2carpros.com/car_repair_information/year/2000/make/ford/model/taurus/2000_ford_taurus_drive_belt_routing_diagram.htm
GENERAL/Standard Rules to Removal the Serpentine Belt with a Tensioner:
A. Find the Tensioner(s). (See Diagrams on Link)
B. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool, Or Wrench OR Ratchet, Rotate/Move the Tensioner USING THE AVAILABLE NUT (on the Pulley or Arm Base) OR the OPENING (3/8ths or 1/2 inch square opening) rotating the Tensioner Pulley/Arm - moving it away from contact with the belt and towards the area where the belt is not in contact with the Tensioner Pulley. The Tensioner is spring loaded, and is hard to rotate/move.
C. Remove the loosened belt off one of the other more easily accessed Pulleys.
D. DO NOT quickly release the Tensioner, but gently allow the Tensioner to rest in its closed position.

Standard Rules for Installing the Serpentine Belt with Tensioners:
a. Pick a Pulley that is most easily accessed. This will usually be on top. This will be the last Pulley that the belt will go on.
b. Using the Diagram: Install the new Serpentine Belt on the remainder of the Pulleys....over, under, left right.
c. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool or Wrench or Ratchet Tool: Rotate/Move the Tensioner Pulley/Arm "away" from Belt contact area on the Tensioner. This spring is pretty hard and with a new belt, it will be even harder to install. Rotate/Move this to as-close to the maximum allowed inorder to have enough slack in the belt to get it up and over the last pulley.
d. Using your other hand - Pull the Belt up and over the Last remaining Pulley.
e. Before releasing the pressure on the Tensioner, visually inspect the remainder Pulleys and the Belts' Positioning on them

Let me know if this helped, or if you have additional information or questions. Feel Free to contact me at FixYa.Com!

I know this can look like a daunting task. But there is a diagram of the belt path under your hood - it should be right on top of your radiator cover. The only big thing required is to locate the tensioner pulley and adjust it to the "slack" position - most tensioners have a 1/2 inch square hole to be used with a 1/2 inch breaker bar or ratchet for leverage. Good luck...

On the right side of the pulleys, there should be 3 top, middle, and bottom. The middle, smaller one, is the tensioner.

the idler pulley is located front center just lower than engine blocks top..usually a diagram is located on radiator/fan shroud.....relieve tension to belt by torquing idler pulley away from belt and remove/replace with nwe belt then add tension and slide belt over b4 releasing pulley

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.