How to Put on an Alternator Belt

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Vehicle manufacturers in the last 20 plus years use a serpentine belt system to drive accessories like the air conditioner and alternator. Before the serpentine belt, there were multiple pulley and belt systems to drive these accessories individually. Also, a number of Asian and European manufacturers use a different kind of tensioner system similar to the old U.S. manufacturers' methods. This article shows you how to put on a serpentine belt that uses an auto-tensioner as well as a non-serpentine belt on an alternator using basic hand tools.

Steps

Installing a Serpentine Belt on an Alternator that Has an Auto-tensioner

1. 1
   Look under the hood for a decal that shows the threading of the serpentine belt around the different pulleys that drive the vehicle accessories, including the alternator. Normally the decal will be found on the radiator fan shroud.

   
   
2. 2
   Thread the serpentine belt around the pulley system of the vehicle following the decal's directions until you get to the auto-tensioner.
   • Use a serpentine belt auto-tensioner tool, available on loan from the auto-parts store, to release the tension on the spring mounted auto-tensioner.
   • Hold the belt so that it is between the serpentine belt auto-tensioner tool and the auto-tensioner. Pull up or down on the auto tensioner with the tool, depending on the tensioner's orientation,
   • Slide the belt over the auto-tensioner and release the tool. Allow the auto-tensioner to put tension on the belt.
3. 3
   Check to see that you have correctly mounted the belt on the pulleys as per the diagram on the decal.

Putting a Serpentine-Style Alternator Belt on an Asian Manufactured Vehicle

1. 1
   Stand on the side of the vehicle engine compartment that has the alternator mounted on the engine.
   • Look for a decal mounted on the radiator shroud.
   • It will show you the belt placement on the pulleys.
2. 2
   Install the alternator belt onto the pulleys.
3. 3
   Use a 12 mm socket to turn the drive bolt on an Asian or European vehicle. That will put tension on the alternator belt until the alternator belt is tight.
4. 4
   Tighten the bolt that holds the alternator in place with the same 13 mm socket and 3/8 ratchet, completing the installation.

Installing an Alternator Belt on an Older or Classic Vehicle

1. 1
   Locate the alternator pulley and the bracket that holds the tension on the belt.
2. 2
   Place the belt around the alternator pulley and the drive pulley, located on the front of the engine.
3. 3
   Pull up on the alternator until you have tension on the belt.
4. 4
   Tighten the bolt on the bottom of the alternator that holds it onto the belt tension bracket with a 1/2-inch (12 mm) socket and a 3/8-inch (9.52 mm) ratchet.
5. 5
   Tension the bolt that holds the alternator on the engine so it is tight.
6. 6
   Check to see if you have between �-to-1/2-inch (6 to 12 mm) deflections on the belt when you push down on it for proper tension once you have tightened the bolt.

   
   

Tips

• Different sized wrenches and sockets may be needed, depending on the vehicle's manufacturer. Having a set of SAE and metric sockets and wrenches handy will assure you can find the size you need.
• Use a straight edge run across the top of the belt between the pulleys and a ruler to measure down while the belt is deflected. You must measure the amount of deflection.
• A serpentine belt will go around multiple pulleys and have grooves along the inside of the belt. It rides in grooves cut into the pulleys holding it in place.

Warnings

• On belts where tension is manually applied, do not over-tension. Doing so may cause premature wear on the accessories (alternator, air conditioning system or power steering pump) and belt.

Things You'll Need

• Alternator belt or serpentine belt
• 3/8-inch (9.52 mm) socket ratchet
• �-inch, 12 mm, and 13 mm sockets
• Serpentine belt auto-tension tool
• Set of SAE or metric sockets and wrenches

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