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I hope someone can help me. I've got a 1981 f150 I6. I need help with changing the belts. Here's the thing. I don't know where to start. I've been waiting for 9 months for a certain someone to do it and I am thru waiting. So...here I go. I know all the basics. I need to know what to loosen to get the belts off. The alt? The...?? There are 3 of them. And one of them is a lawnmower belt. It came like that. (IDK) Anyway..I'll try and post pics. Hope it helps. thanks for any help you can give.
For the belt closest to the engine you will have to loosen the alternator. It pivots on the bolt up high, the head of the bolt is behind the alternator area, you can see the other end threads sticking out in the picture below. So you just loosen the pivot bolt, and then look down low underneath, there should be a bolt in a slot.
The next belt moving forward would be for the power steering. You need to loosen the power steering pump for that belt. It will have a pivot bolt like the alternator, and you have a shot of the slotted bolt in the picture below.
The last belt closest to the fan will be for the A/C. I don't see a good picture of that, but it is the same formula, probably a pivot bolt it swings on and a slotted bolt somewhere else. Don't worry about it, we all struggle and fiddle with this stuff till it finally moves. And you will find this is the time where the government started making them switch over to metric. So some bolts will be metric, some are still American. Usually anything that screws into the engine will be American, anything that screws into a add-on bracket will be metric.
Thank you so much Franklin2! I will get out there this afternoon and get the belts off. How do I know when I get them back on if they are tight enough?
Thank you so much Franklin2! I will get out there this afternoon and get the belts off. How do I know when I get them back on if they are tight enough?
When you push on the center of the belt between 2 pulleys it should not move more than 1/2".
Dave ----
If you get the cheap belts, you will probably need to re-adjust them in about 2 weeks. The more expensive belts like Dayco don't seem to need any later adjustment.
If you hear a belt squeal right after you get it started, you probably need to tighten the alternator belt some more.
If you hear a belt squeal when making a turn in the parking lot, you probably need to tighten your power steering belt.
If you hear a belt squeal when you turn on the A/C, then tighten the A/C compressor belt.
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