Im trying to remove my alternator, cant get the belt off.

Hi:

To remove the belt, you must loosen the belt tensioner pretty far.
It is located up near the front of the engine, not far from the air conditioning compressor. It has a 10mm bolt that must be loosened, and that will allow the belt to be removed. After the Alternator is replaced, tighten the belt back up, and start the car , shut it back down and adjust the belt as needed.

Hi there:
Check this procedure on 2.5L (VIN N) Engine...

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Remove the right side under cover.
3. Remove the speed control vacuum reservoir and related components as required for alternator access.
4. Remove the power steering pump cover.
5. Remove the A/C compressor drive belt.
6. Remove the alternator/power steering pump drive belt.
7. Remove the intake manifold plenum.
8. Remove the upper alternator bracket.
9. Remove the intake manifold plenum stay.
10. Detach the electrical connections at the alternator.
11. Unfasten the upper and lower bolts and remove the alternator. Be very careful not to damage neighboring components while removing the alternator.

Fig. 8: Alternator assembly installation-2.5L engine (VIN N) - Zoom Image link HERE


To install:

1. Connect the wiring to the alternator.
2. Place the alternator on its lower bracket and install the upper and lower bolts finger-tight.
3. Install the upper alternator bracket.
4. Install the alternator/power steering pump belt, making sure it is properly seated.
5. Adjust the drive belt to the correct tension using the belt adjuster, then tighten the upper mounting bolt to 16 ft. lbs. (22 Nm) and the lower mounting bolt to 30 ft. lbs. (41 Nm).
6. Install the intake manifold plenum.
7. Install the intake manifold plenum stay.
8. Install the A/C compressor drive belt.
9. Install the power steering pump cover.
10. Connect the negative battery cable.
11. Check the charging system operation.

Hope this helps; also keep in mind that your feedback is important and I`ll appreciate your time and consideration if you leave some testimonial comment about this answer.

Thank you for using FixYa, have a nice day.

First thing to check is the size of the pulley on the alternator. If you are replaceing the belt check the length. If the pulley and belt are the same size/length as the originals then you probably need to rotate the tensioner further or check the belt routing and insure that the belt is in the grooves on all the pulleys.

You need to loosen the bolts that attach the alternator to the engine. Just loosen then a turn or so, don't remove them. Then there should be a long 10 or 12mm bolt attached to a bracket being held by one of those bolts attaching the alternator. One direction loosens while the other tightens the belt. When it is where you want it, retighten the alternator bolts and test.

One may need to get a breaker bar or a pulley tensioner wrench set from your local auto parts store to easily reach the tensioner pulley. Sometimes at places like Autozone and Advance Auto Parts the tool set can be purchased and returned, essentially, borrowing the tool set from them.
What tool are you using to release the tension from the belt?
--- REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Remove the accessory drive belt. After disconnecting the battery and removing the drive belt, unplug the single wire connector . . .
   . . . then the multi-wire connector from the back of the alternator - integral regulator units lack the single wire
   If the push-on connectors are difficult to remove, use a small pick to disengage the connector latch
   Unbolt the battery (B+) lead from the back of the alternator . . .
   
   
3. Label and disengage all of the wiring connectors from the alternator. To disconnect push-on type terminals, disengage the lock tab and pull straight off.
4. Remove the alternator bolts, then remove the alternator from the engine . . . then remove the alternator mounting bolts
   Remove the alternator from its mounting bracket
   To install:
   
5. Position the alternator on the engine.
6. Install the alternator mounting bolts. On 3.8L and 5.0L engines, tighten the upper bolt to 16-21 ft. lbs. (21-29 Nm) and the lower bolt to 30-40 ft. lbs. (40-55 Nm). On 4.6L engines, tighten both bolts to 15-22 ft. lbs. (20-30 Nm).
7. On 4.6L engines, install the alternator mounting bracket and bolts. Tighten the bolts to 71-106 inch lbs. (8-12 Nm).
8. Install the accessory drive belt. Ensure that the drive belt is properly installed on the pulleys before starting the engine.
9. Attach all engine wiring harness connectors to the alternator.
10. Connect the negative battery cable.

Hi: !st Thing you need to do is disconnect your negative battery cable to prevent more damage.If i'm understanding you Right you Took the Wiring off the Alternator.Or did you Remove the Mounting Bolts? Here Goes Disconnect Battery, Loosen the Bolt on the Alternator Adjuster Bracket, This will give you Some Slack in the Belt ,BUT Locate the Belt Tensioner take a Breaker Bar or The Correct Size Boxed in Wrench or use a Ratchet and Socket. The Tension Is Spring Loaded to Keep Your Belt From Coming OFF. Your Belt Runs Probally Everything like your Alternator ,Water Pump,A/C Compressor,Power Steering So On. So Until you Take the Belt Either OFF or Just Release the Tension on the Belt,I'm Sure if you Have Removed All mounting Bolts and Your Wires to The Alternator, Your Alternator Will Come on Out with a Little Light Effert. Be Sure You Watch How Eveything Comes Off Cause You'll Have To Reverse the Way you Took It Off To Put it Back Together. Be Sure You Look At the Belt Routing Diagram Which is on either your Cross bar By The Radiator. Its Say Belt Routing Diagram. Hope This Gets you Going It Should.If You Follow These Instructions. Please Let Me Know how My Advice Helped You By Voting And Also You Can Send me A Message on FIXYA. From The WYOCWBOY

when u ask a quection give us the model , engin
with out details
sorry

some porsches adjust belt tension by adding or removing shims between the two pulley halfs.take the nut off the pulley insert the belt put thebelt,outer pulley and nut back on.

After 2 belts you should know about how to set the timing marks. With a 17 year old car, the water pump bearing and the belt tensioner are probably worn. They are the cheaper of the items on the belt. If you have A/C remember if it was on the last 3 times the belt failed. I would not suspect the alternator unless you replaced each one shortly after the belt broke.
If you have A/C, the compressor could have momentarily frozen if too much moisture is in the system.
A backfire can cause the timing to jump and will bust the belt. There have been several people on Fixya with similar cars driving along just fine and for no reason the belt pops. Get a good brand of belt and if somehow possible you see a date on it- go for a newer one that is not dry rotted hanging on a shelf somewhere.
Finally, check the alignment of the pulleys which would be the A/C and Alternator. One misplaced washer can change the track of the belt.

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
   
2. Remove the drive belt.
   
3. If necessary, remove any splash shielding for easier access to the alternator
   
4. Tag and disengage the alternator wiring. It may be necessary to remove the alternator and mounting bracket from the vehicle as an assembly.
   
5. If equipped, remove the front alternator assembly mounting plate.
   
6. Unfasten the alternator mounting and pivot bolts and remove the alternator.
   
7. If installing the original alternator assembly, push out the pivot bushing as illustrated.
   

These are the removal instructions per Chilton's Auto repair guide. Here is a link to help replace the drive belt when you're done. Just insert the year,make,model and engine to get the belt part number and the "Routing diagram".
Best of luck on your repair.
Greg