Looking for the drive belt tensioner location on a 2.0L contour '98. the entire web world is about the timing belt, which is useless to me at this point!

Need help URGENTLY Have 1998 Ford Contour 2 0L 4cyl engine Car will not...

Either locate the belt routing diagram that is usually located under the hood somewhere, or take a photo of the path of the current belt. Locate the belt tensioner pulley. Using an appropriate ratchet or belt removal tool, release tension on the old belt and slide the old belt off the pulleys. Thread the new belt over the pulleys in the same configuration as the diagram (or photo), release tension of the tensioner and slide the belt on it. Allow the tensioner to take up the belt slack. Inspect the belt for proper routing and to ensure that it is on all pulleys correctly.

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 'unload' the pressure on he old tensioner by rotating it away from the center of the engine to releve the tension on the old belt-once you remove the old belt, the tensioner is bolted to the front of the engine, you remove the tensioner and bolt up the new one-then, thread the new belt (diagram is under the hood on a sticker) to all pulleys excert the very top one, and use a 1/2 drive rachett on the 1/2 inch square on the tensioner arm to move the tenisoner torward the center of the engine-this will give you enough slack to install the belt on the last remaining pulley.

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.

This is not a trivial task. You will have to go through the right wheel well.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal and isolate it so that it does not come into contact with the battery.

2. Remove the air intake resonator using a hand wrench or ratchet and socket.

3. Remove the air cleaner tube and the mass airflow sensor.

4. Reach down to the alternator and disconnect the plugs and connectors from the alternator.

5. Jack the front of the car. Put jack stands in to support it. Remove the wheel.

6. Remove the wheel well splash shield assembly to gain access to the alternator using a screwdriver to remove the retaining clips.

7. Using a square drive in the tensioner pulley arm to remove tension from the serpentine belt. Remove the belt from the alternator pulley only; you do not need to remove the entire belt.

8. Remove the alternator mounting bracket and lower bolts.
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9. Remove the retaining bolt and nut from the power steering hose bracket, then remove the bracket from the engine lifting eye.

10. Remove the upper alternator bolt, then remove the alternator. To replace, reverse the procedure.

There are 3 possbile diagrams, depending on whether it's equipped with AC and engine type. The 3 are listed below. Thank you for using Fixya and please remember to return to rate this answer.
Greg

98 Escort Drive Belt Air #1



98 Escort Drive Belt Air #2


98 Escort Drive Belt no Air

you have a serpentine belt, which is one belt drives all, so the routing of this belt is very specific also it matters whether or not you have a/c. Locate your belt routing chart under the hood before beginning. There is a tensioner pulley mounted on a spring arm, the spring arm should have a square drive hole in it, either 3/8" or 1/2" drive size you will need a ratchet of the proper size to insert into this square hole. Using the ratchet move the tension arm (away from belt) to loosen the belt and remove, route and install the new belt and move tensioner the same way place the belt over it and release. Hope this helps, let me know

Installation
All Vehicles

1. NOTE: Rotate the crankshaft clockwise.
   Rotate the crankshaft to TDC on cylinder No. 1.

NOTE: Cylinders No. 1 and No. 4 are at TDC when the Woodruff key points straight up.
Remove the blanking plug, completely screw in the special tool and auto-align the crankshaft to TDC.

1. Position cylinder No. 4 to valves overlap" and install the special tool.
2. Hold the camshafts by the hexagon using an open-ended wrench and turn them in the direction of engine rotation.
3. Slide the special tool onto the ends of both camshafts.

CAUTION: Do not kink the timing belt (do not bend the timing belt less than a diameter of 35 mm).
CAUTION: Do not rotate the crankshaft; as necessary check that it is still resting against the timing pin.
NOTE: Design with lower idler pulley shown (built up to 06/1999).
NOTE: The lug of the belt tensioner should not be hooked in the sheet metal cover during timing belt installation.
Position a new timing belt in place.

• Starting from the crankshaft timing belt pulley and working counterclockwise, position the timing belt in place while keeping it under tension.

1. CAUTION: Do not rotate the crankshaft; as necessary check that it is still resting against the timing pin.
   NOTE: Design without lower idler pulley shown (built 06/1999 onwards).
   NOTE: The lug of the belt tensioner should not be hooked in the sheet metal cover during timing belt installation.
   Position a new timing belt in place.
   • Starting from the crankshaft timing belt pulley and working counterclockwise, position the timing belt in place while keeping it under tension.

1. NOTE: Incorrect timing belt tension will cause incorrect valve timing.
2. Pre tension the timing belt.
3. Rotate the tensioner locating tab counterclockwise and insert the locating tab into the slot in the rear timing cover.
4. Position the hex key slot in the tensioner adjusting washer to the 4 o'clock position.
5. Tighten the attaching bold enough to seat the tensioner firmly against the rear timing cover, but still allow the tensioner adjusting washer to be rotated using a 6mm hex key.

CAUTION: Tension the timing belt, working counterclockwise. Using the hex key, rotate the adjusting washer counterclockwise until the notch in the pointer is centered over the index line on the locating tab (the pointer will move clockwise during adjustment).


While holding the adjusting washer in position, tighten the bolt
NOTE: Hold the intake timing belt pulley with special tool to stop it from turning.
Tighten the timing belt pulleys.

1. Tighten the intake camshaft timing belt pulley bolt.
2. NOTE: Hold the exhaust camshaft by the hexagon with an open-ended wrench to stop it from turning.
   Tighten the exhaust camshaft timing belt pulley bolt.
3. Remove the special tool.
   
   • Install the blanking plug.
4. Remove the special tool.
5. NOTE: Hold the camshaft by the hexagon with an open-ended wrench to stop it from turning.
   Tighten the exhaust camshaft to stage 2.
1. NOTE: Turn the crankshaft two revolutions in the normal direction of rotation.
   Check the valve timing by inserting the special tool. Correct it, if necessary.
   • Screw in special tool 303-574 and make sure that the crankshaft is touching it.
   • Insert special tool 303-465 into the camshafts; if necessary loosen the timing pulleys and correct the camshaft alignment.
   • Detach the special tools.
1. NOTE: Use a new blanking plug.
   Install the blanking plug on the exhaust camshaft pulley.

Simple, look into the belt tension pulley there you will see a square notch. Invest in a breaker bar,since this is a consumable item you may want to replace the belt every so often. The space is limited but in can be done. Stick the socket end on the square notch a push down. You will notice the whole belt loosen.At the same time pull the belt away from any other pully to release entire belt. Reverse process to install,which is what you need since yours already took a ****.
p.s You can pick up a breaker bar relatively cheap ($10-15). I broke a belt tensioner by not using the right tool.