I have a 1998 Expediton 4.6L 2wd. I recently changed the tensioner arm pulley and now the belt will not go back on. It is a Dayco belt 5080980. I am using a torque wrench and pretty sure the routing is correct. The belt is coming up short. My method is to put the belt around the altenator last (pretty common), but still dosn't fit. I also verified that the tensioner pulley is the same size as the previous. Any suggestions?
Drivebelt wont go back on
- Thread starter ajreed88
- Start date
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wakeboarderNH
Active Member
Are you moving the spring assisted belt tensioner with a wrench? (Not to sound like an ass) You get a wrench and almost "pry" it to route the belt, then when theres slack in the belt after its over everything you let the tensioner take up the slack.
From your post thats all I could gather, other than that double check the routing.
Hope this helps
From your post thats all I could gather, other than that double check the routing.
Hope this helps
Thermo
technical advisor
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- Apr 18, 2011
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ajreed, from what I can tell, you have the correct belt (belt length is right). So, you either have not pulled the tensioner enough to get the necessary slack in the belt or you have routed the belt incorrectly. It may be possible that you don't have the belt fitted into one of the grooved pulleys and that is eating up the extra slack. I seem to remember that the new belts just barely fit on. So, any bit that is not just so will make it appear that the belt is wrong.
mpsjr
Well-Known Member
I have a scar on my right arm from the fan housing cutting into my arm while trying to put my serpentine belt back on for the same reason you're having trouble now. I basically had to pry the heck out of the tensioner to get enough slack to put the belt back on to the alternator. I'm not sure how long your torque wrench is, but the tensioner tools (which I didn't have) are almost 3 feet long for a reason; to get the most leverage on the tensioner. It sounds like you're doing everything right, just not apply enough leverage to move the tensioner far enough.
1997SCEBFEX
Full Access Members
+1 on tensior, torque wrench, & new belts 'just' fitting.
The belt will stretch over time.
The belt will stretch over time.
Lane24
technical advisor
I had someone with a breaker bar move the tensioner from the top while I routed the belt . Was alot easier with an extra set of hands.
