So keep the laughing to a minimum, my specialty is interiors!! Anyhow I took the alternator bracket off of my 2200, it was super rusty so i painted it. In my 10 years of driving, I've never had to remove an alternator. So needless to say I'm having great difficulties getting the damn belt back on! I've searched and read that the 2200's require a 3/8'' wrench, on the tensioner, is this correct? I'm in a bit of a crisis cause I need the car back on the road for friday, and I have to work major hours until then. The time I have to work on the car is going to be very minimal, so any tips/ suggestions to make this as painless of a procedure as possible would be very much appreciated!
Yep your going to need to loosen the tension off the belt by rotating the tensioner clockwise. I'm not sure exactly what size wrench your going to need. But by doing this you will release the tension and you should be able to slip the belt back over the pulley.
(99 - Sunfire - Red - 2200)(95 - Cavalier z24 - Purple - 2.3 quad four)
To loosen belt tensioner on 2.2 engine rotate tensioner pulley bolt in a clockwise direction using 15 mm wrench. While holding tensioner back you will be able to remove or install the belt on your alternator pulley. Sure you should position the belt around other pulleys before install and holding belt tight with one of your hands turn tensioner clockwise to loosen it and then pull the belt over alternator pulley. Release tensioner slowly. Inspect the belt for proper sitting on its place. That isn't that hard.
Aivars E wrote:To loosen belt tensioner on 2.2 engine rotate tensioner pulley bolt in a clockwise direction using 15 mm wrench. While holding tensioner back you will be able to remove or install the belt on your alternator pulley. Sure you should position the belt around other pulleys before install and holding belt tight with one of your hands turn tensioner clockwise to loosen it and then pull the belt over alternator pulley. Release tensioner slowly. Inspect the belt for proper sitting on its place. That isn't that hard.
BUT if it's a 2200, you need a 3/8 rachet or breaker bar. there's a 3/8 hole it fits perfectly into, and you just turn the tool in whichever direction releases the tension (cant remember if its forwards or back...) but he rest of ^^ process is the same. just uses a different tool.
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Ok cool! Thanks for the help, I'm going to give it a shot tonight, hopefully I'll still have some skin left on my knuckles!
We used a broom stick to push the tensioner down. Or just go grab the serpentine belt tool from a local auto parts store.
not sure what year u have, but i have a 2200 as well. I dont use a wrench. I grab a long flathead screw driver (about 1 1/2 - 2 ft long) and put the head straight on top of the very end of the tensioner, then i push straight down. Make sure you wear some gloves in case you or the screw driver slip. Also, as the tensioner bends down, make sure you change the angle at which you are pushing down otherwise youll just keep slipping off, make sure its straight down at whatever angle. Once you get the tensioner down as far as it will go its not very difficult to hold it there with one hand and some body weight, then use the other hand to put the belt over the alternatore. If its really hard, then I just have my roommate take care of the belt while I hold down the tensioner, done... To me that seems to be the easiest way cause its a tight fit for a wrench in that spot with very little leverage. So just try a longscrew driver or a breaker bar, crowbar or something...
