Greetings, I'm new to the forum and have a question. It's time to change my serpentine belt and I can't figure out how to loosen the tentioner pulley. The parts house guy said there would be a 1/2 " drive fitting on the pulley to remove tention but I don't see it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
RussP
96 F250 FWD w/7.3 powerstroke 201570.00 miles & going strong!!!

 

russp, There are two idler pulleys on the system. The larger idler pulley on the engine top center and one on the tensioner assembly. The belt removal opening is on the tensioner assembly, not the tensioner assembly pulley, there is a square 1/2" opening on the tensioners aluminum frame assembly. Get up on something and look straight down between the belt and radiator you should be able to see it. Take a 1/2" pull handle put it into the hole, handle straight up. Push it counter-clockwise, toward the passenger side, and that will relieve the belt tension. With the tension off pull the belt off the center idle pulley and let off the spring tension from the assembly. Before you pull the belt all the way off take a good look at it and remember how it went on. There should be a diagram under the hood that tells you how to put it on. It takes me about 5 minutes to change a belt, provided I have the upper hose off. That is another thing. If you have the hose through the belt type you have to pull the upper radiator hose off to change the belt. If so you will have to drain out about 2 gallons of coolant to get it below the level it will leak out. Get a clean container and drain out some at the radiator bottom petcock. Caution: the petcock is plastic strip it and you have a problem, doesn't need to be much more than hand tightened, don't use a 12" cresent. That help any?

 

russp...
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Thanks for he quick reply. My belt does not go through the hose (lucky me). The Idler pulley is attached to the alternator bracket and the tentioner pulley is attached to an independent bracket that has a torx bolt in the center. Is this where the 1/2" driver hole should be? I think it's time I purchase a service manual as it's time to start getting intimate with the old cracker.


Thanks,
RussP

 

If you don't want or need a printed copy of the manual, the CD version is pretty reasonable on eBay. The CD allows you to print pages to take out to the truck, and then you only get greasy pawprints on something you can just throw away, anyway.

SpringerPop

 

the idler pully and arm are spring loaded. All you have to do is with a 1/2 inch breaker bar and socket, attached to the arm, just rotate away from the belt and slide off the belt.
The torx bolt is what attaches the pulley to the arm. Don't take that off, that doesn't control the tension.

 

Russp,

Not sure if there are differences between the years but this is how it works on my '97. Holding the tensioner pulley on the spring loaded bracket is a 15mm bolt in the center of the pulley. You don't want to do anything with the torx bolt on the bracket. I take a 1/2" breaker bar with the 15mm socket and place it on the bolt so the bar is sticking up or slightly to the right. Then I rotate it counter clockwise (towards the passenger side of the truck) against the tension spring and slip the belt off. Hope this helps.

Jeff