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The serpentine drive belt on a Ford Escort ZX2 snakes its way from the crankshaft pulley out to the engine accessory pulleys and the serpentine belt tensioner. The serpentine belt system's design employs only one belt, held taught with the automatic belt tensioner, eliminating the need for the multiple belt system used on earlier model year Escorts. When the belt begins cracking, fraying or losing ribs, it's time to replace it. If you have entry-level auto-repair skill, you can change a belt on a Ford Zx2 in about 45 minutes. http://www.lightdeal.co.uk
Locate the serpentine belt tensioner on the front of the engine. The belt tensioner on the 2001 Ford Escort is located directly under the power steering pump and above the air conditioner pump. The belt tensioner has a 17 mm bolt head in the center of the pulley.
Click on the following free direct Link. It has the correct Serpentine/Drive Belt Diagrams for your 1998 Ford Escort ZX2, 2.0L DOHC In-Line 4-Cylinder Engine. The Link says 2000 for the Year, however this is the same as the 1998 Year Model.
"HOW TO": Standard Rules to Removal the Serpentine Belt with an Automatic Tensioner: 1. Find the Tensioner(s). (See Diagrams on Link) 2. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool, Or Wrench OR Ratchet, Rotate/Move the Tensioner USING THE AVAILABLE NUT (on the Pulley or Arm Base) OR the OPENING (3/8ths or 1/2 inch square opening) rotating the Tensioner Pulley/Arm - moving it away from contact with the belt and towards the area where the belt is not in contact with the Tensioner Pulley. The Tensioner is spring loaded, and is hard to rotate/move. 3. Remove the loosened belt off one of the other more easily accessed Pulleys. 4. DO NOT quickly release the Tensioner, but gently allow the Tensioner to rest in its closed position.
Standard Rules for Installing the Serpentine Belt with an Automatic Tensioner: a. Pick a Pulley that is most easily accessed. This will usually be on top. This will be the last Pulley that the belt will go on. b. Using the Diagram: Install the new Serpentine Belt on the remainder of the Pulleys....over, under, left right. c. Using a Serpentine Belt Tensioner Tool or Wrench or Ratchet Tool: Rotate/Move the Tensioner Pulley/Arm "away" from Belt contact area on the Tensioner. This spring is pretty hard and with a new belt, it will be even harder to install. Rotate/Move this to as-close to the maximum allowed inorder to have enough slack in the belt to get it up and over the last pulley. d. Using your other hand - Pull the Belt up and over the Last remaining Pulley. e. Before releasing the pressure on the Tensioner, visually inspect the remainder Pulleys and the Belts' Positioning on them. Let me know if this helped, or if you have additional information questions. Feel Free to contact me at FixYa.com!
The tensioner is between the a/c compressor and crank pulley, below the power steering pump. Use a 13 mm wrench to 'tighten' the bolt in the center of the pulley and it'll move to release tension off the belt.
If there is no diagram on the underside of your hood, or around the engine compartment, just wrap it around the crankshaft, and work your way around the pulleys, going flats to flats, ribs to ribs. There may be a couple of combinations, but you'll get it.
1) Start with the alternator.
2) Forward to the smooth idler
3) Forward to power steering
4) Down to A/C compressor
5) Back to crank pulley
6) Forward around tensioner
7) Back glancing off of water pump
8) Back glancing off of ribbed idler
9) Up around alternator (where you started)
Good luck!
This information can be found at www.serpentinebeltdiagram.com
They have all the belt routing info for any vehicle with a serpentine belt.
Hope this helps....
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