Alternator Belt
Operating your alternator with an old and worn-out belt can be risky. Once the drive belt breaks, you will only have a few minutes of driving time before your battery power drains out, all electrical devices go out and the engine stops. Thealternator belthelps the engine operate the charging system of your vehicle to recharge the battery and power all electrical circuits. After miles of service, though, the belt stretches and wears out, developing tears and splits. Fortunately, you can replace the drive belt at home without much knowledge about cars.Removing the drive beltBefore trying to remove the alternator belt, check first if there are any other belts in front of the one you need to replace. If there is another belt, loosen the pivot bolt or nut and the locking bolt on the accessory of the belt in front of the alternator drive belt. You can use a wrench, ratchet, ratchet extension and socket to loosen the bolts and nut. Now, move the accessory on its mounting bracket toward the engine by hand to loosen the accessory's belt and remove it. You now have access to the alternator belt.Double-check the routing of the alternator belt so that you install the new one around the correct pulleys. You can make a simple sketch of the belt position using a pencil and notepad to guide during the installation, if necessary. To remove the alternator belt, follow the same procedure you performed to loosen and remove the accessory belt as described in the previous paragraph.Installing the alternator beltRoute the new alternator belt over the corresponding pulleys. Then, look for a square hole or a cast lug on the alternator mounting bracket assembly. If you find a square hole, use abreaker barwith a 1/2-inch square drive to lever the alternator and provide tension to the belt. If your alternator has a cast lug, use an open wrench to lever the alternator. Some alternators do not provide a square hole or cast lug. In this case, you can lever the alternator by hand or by using a pry bar for the same purpose, being careful not to damage the alternator’s case or some other component. If necessary, ask a helper to lever the alternator away from the engine to provide tension to the drive belt as you tighten the bolts and nuts snugly to hold the alternator in position.Checking the alternator belt tensionTo check thebelt tension, push down with your thumb at a midpoint between two of the pulleys the drive belt runs around with the largest span. These could be the alternator and the engine crankshaft pulleys. You should be able to deflect the belt between 1/8- to 1/4-inch, if the distance between the centers of the two pulleys is less than 12 inches. If the distance is more than 12 inches, you should be able to deflect the belt between 1/8- and 3/8-inch.Make the necessary adjustments. If the belt is excessively tensed, it will damage the pulley bearing on any accessory the belt rides on. If the belt is too loose, it will slip, become noisy, vibrate and self-destruct. Once the belt has the correct tension, tighten the pivot bolt or nut and the locking bolt. Reinstall the other belt or belts you had to remove to reach the alternator belt, following the same procedure you used to install the alternator belt. When ready, start the engine and apply the parking brakes. Then check the belt to make sure it is running properly and turn off the engine.
