-
Master
693 Answers
- Posted on Oct 18, 2011
Re: How simple is it to change a alternator belt on...
-
Removing the Serpentine Belt
-
1
Park your Subaru on a level surface and open the hood.
-
2
Disconnect the ground (black) battery cable using a wrench. This will prevent the cooling fan from activating.
-
3
Locate the serpentine belt
routing diagram in your engine compartment and compare it to the actual
routing of the installed belt. Make sure the routing on the label
matches the actual routing. If they do not match or there is no label,
note the actual routing on a piece of paper for later reference.
-
4
Locate the belt tensioner pulley
on your Subaru model. If the tensioner is equipped with a squared hole,
use a large breaker bar with a 1/2-inch (13 mm) drive. Otherwise, use a
ratchet and socket of the proper size on the tensioner pulley center
bolt.
-
5
Rotate the tensioner pulley away from the belt to release the belt tension.
-
6
Pull the belt off of one of the
pulleys and slowly release the tensioner pulley back into position. Do
not let the tensioner pulley snap back or you may damage an internal
component.
-
7
Finish removing the serpentine belt from the rest of the pulleys and the engine compartment.
Installing the New Serpentine Belt
-
1
Match the old belt to the new
one and make sure they are of the same length and configuration. It is
normal for the new belt to be slightly shorter since the old one has
been stretched through use.
-
2
Route the new serpentine belt
through all of the pulleys except the tensioner pulley. Use the diagram
on the engine compartment or your notes, as a reference, to properly
route the belt.
-
3
Insert the large breaker bar into the square hole or the ratchet and socket into the tensioner pulley center bolt.
-
4
Rotate the tensioner pulley in the same direction you did to release the belt tension.
-
5
Slide the serpentine belt onto the tensioner pulley.
-
6
Release the tensioner pulley back into position.
-
7
Look at all the pulleys and make
sure the serpentine belt is properly seated on each one. Otherwise,
release the belt tension and adjust the belt.
-
8
Connect the ground (black) battery cable using the wrench.
×