1998 Ford Contour Serpintine belt replacement

The replacement belt is usually less than $30 dollars. It is in a pretty narrow spot, but can be changed with basic tools. Look for the tensioner that moves back and forth. You can usually pull up on the belt with your hands and look for the part that moves.. This is the tensioner... When you are replacing the belt.. a wrench will be needed to move the tensioner and allow you to put the belt on... Hope this helps.

you need to replace the thermostat

Open the hood and locate the belt tensioner. The serpentine belt drive is located on the front of the engine on the passenger side of the engine compartment. The spring-loaded belt tensioner on the 1998 Contour is located slightly to the left of and below the water pump pulley
Release the tension on the belt using the serpentine belt removal tool. On vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter V-6 engine, snap the 3/8 inch-drive adapter onto the removal tool. Slip the tool into the square, 3/8-inch hole in the end of the tensioner arm. Rotate the tensioner clockwise to release the tension. While holding the tensioner back, remove the belt from one of the pulleys. Release the tensioner, remove the belt from the remaining pulleys and pull it out of the engine compartment
Snap a13 mm socket adapter into the belt removal tool for the 2.0 liter, four cylinder Contour. Place the tool onto the 13 mm bolt that holds the tensioner pulley to the tensioner arm and rotate the tensioner clockwise. While hold the tensioner back, slip the belt off one of the pulleys. Release the tensioner, slip the belt from the remaining pulleys then remove it from the engine compartment
Route the new belt around the pulleys, according to the belt routing guide. The belt routing guide on the 1998 Contour is located on a decal on the left (passenger side) strut tower. If this decal is missing, or unreadable, the belt routing guide can also be found in your service manual. Rotate the tensioner pulley one more turn to allow the new belt to slip under the tensioner pulley.
Check the belt for proper alignment on the pulleys. It should lay flat on the pulley and not overhang the edges. If the belt must be repositioned, release the tensioner and reposition as needed.

You shouldn't have to remove those items, I believe you would lift up on it. You canuse a 3/8 or 1/2 inch drive racket, that will fit in the square hole in the tensioner. They also make a tool that you can use, but a bit pricey, around $40.

dis-connect bat, take off serp belt, unbolt alt, remove wires from alt, install reverse order

http://www.daycoproducts.com/daycoweb.nsf/Serp%20Rout%20Guide%20Illus.pdf


Yours is diagram number 7-13.

Timing Belt

About 4 hours labor time to replace.

98 ford contour 2.0 belt routing

here is a picture of routing and how to do it , etc. , good resource ..

J5

Timing belt or serpintine belt??...serp. belt-try rubbing bar soap on belt when runningCAREFULLY...noise will go away ..if not ,,replace w/ Napa,dealer belt-way better quality Kev-Mn

try replacing the timing belt.. that fixed mine