I am considering replacing my alternator belt myself. The belt broke while I was driving one night. I checked the under the car and found the belt hanging down from the crank shaft area. I was unable to pull the entire belt down so I had to cut it off. The belt looked oily and shredded at the break point. I checked the alternator and it is moving fine. Question is what might have cause the belt to snap? (The car has 112000 miles on it and it has never been replaced.)
I reviewed my manuals and saw that I just need to loosen three areas of brackets to loose the other belts so I can fit the alternator belt on the back of the crankshaft pully.
The way it looks to me I have to use a 15mm wrenches to loosen them up. This being my first time flirting around this this thing, is there any tips I anybody can tell me? I dont want to call AAA to haul the thing to my $120hr mechanic...

 

If the alternator belt needs replacing, I would go ahead and replace all four of the belts. They are probably on their way out too. You will have to take off the other 3 anyways as the alternator belt is the closest to the block. You need to remove the fan assembly. 4 bolts that hold it to the pulley. Remove the ones with the head pointing to the rear of the car. Then you will need to loosen each of the accessories one by one to remove each belt.

 

As said above.

At the miles it has travelled, I would be framing it. Those V belts usually have about 50K miles at best.

The fact it is oily needs sorting. Most common place is the "rubber" plug half way up the RH side of the timing cover that fills the access hole for the timing chain tensioner release pawl. They go rock hard and shrink, and oil escapes.

The task will be FUN, you will marvel at the engineering involved here, and a NEW box of Bandaids will be needed. The kids need removing from the work site, as the vocabulary is going to expand greatly. I usually partake of a few JD slurps prior to beginning, and the bottle is generally empty when the engine fires up again.

The adjuster nuts are 14mm (9/16").

The power steer adjuster is a fair mongrel to see, and worse to access.

 

Thank you Grant! Yes I will turn up my music to drown out the cussing and I will be taking my liquid encouragment shots during my bandaid replacement breaks! ha ha ha

 

Do I have to remove the Fan assembly? Please tell me I can have a work around?

 

I dont remember.

ALL my V12's have twin thermo fans, so access is SWEET.

I reckon it will simply be in the way, coz ALL the belts have to come off, as winding a new belt in is not going to happen with all that stuff in the way.

Maybe someone has done it with fan in situ, and will post soon for you.

 

I think you can get the mechanical fan's fan belt off without removing the fan. Get the belt off the other pulleys so you have a loose belt only held on by the fan boss. Then I believe there is room between the fanblade tips and the cowling to poke it over the fanblades, and npull it down and out of the bottom cowling:blade tip gap.

Like Grant, I have an electric fan, so I cannot be sure, but I seem to remember doing this when I had a mechanical fan.

Greg

 

Removing the fan is up to you. But I like having some space and removing it isn't tough.

 

I need help!!! I have been stuck in loosening the power steering belt. I have spent 3 hours how to do this. I don't want to loosen the entire power steering pump just to take off the BELT! I have tried to use a crow bar to push up and down and it only moves alittle bit. I need to get the darn thing just to move alittle more! Please help! I could of been done in 5 hours! DAMN IT!

 

Oh my.

Take off the LH top radiator hose.

Slacken the inner nut on that threaded adjuster, and wind it ALL the way towards the eye section, then using the outer nut wind it down to meet the other nut, obviously using a wrench, thus taking the pump with it, simple.

A crow bar etc as a lever on that Saginaw pump is going to damage the tin can section of the pump, and fluid will leak profusely.

That is the MONGREL adjuster I mentioned waaaaay back, and the top hose out of the way just gives that tad more access, NOT much, but a small amount more is better than a small amount less.

 

Further to Grant's points, before starting the process, the pump needs THREE fixing bolts to be loosened to move it easily, as well as the nuts on the threads of the adjusting rod themselves. There is one pump fixing nut and bolt at the bottom of the pump itself which holds the pump to the engine and on which the thing pivots to adjust. This must be loosened (bear to get at). Then the bolt holding the adjuster eye end to the block must be loosened, then the bolt holding the other end of the adjuster to the pump must be. Then once the actual adjuster nuts are loosened, it will move.

Greg

 

I agree Greg.

The "bear to get at" lost me way back. I know exactly the bolt in question.

I now just wind it in with a bottle of "nectar" on the floor and a long plastic tube inserted in the LH side of the mouth and gently sip away whilst winding the pump inwards, and then a fresh bottle whilst winding it back out.

My method is soooooo soothing to body and soul. I look forward to the 5 year belt change program now.

 

I just replaced all 4 belts about 5 weeks ago... Some from Conti, some from Gates and the AirCon one was only available from Jaguar...

Quite a big task, as it takes years to loosen the tensioners... But in the end, it is doable...

 

Thank you Guys! Oh my Lard!!! The fine British engineering at it's best... I believe I used every cuss word toward those engineers all day yesterday. I almost took a hammer to hack at that Steering Pump adjuster! ha ha ha.
I will go and tackle the pump again and everything should work. I am ready for a celebration after the install because my buddy at work just hooked me up with one of his Home Made Brews that is 7.88% vol. Alcohol, "Beer Cider".

 

I loosened my altentor pivot bolt and adjustor bolts and I still cannot get the stupid belt on!!!! Thanks for helping his to loosen the power steering pump and belt. I have had a horrible time trying to figure this out. Called the store to make sure I had the right belt and yep I did ( o'reillys auto parts). There is no reason to leverage to put on a belt. What is wrong? I am so frustrated guys.

 

This belt can be a sod to get on. You have to be 100% sure that the adjusters are ALL the way in that they can be, even a turn of two makes a difference, and that the long bolt under the alternator (that it pivots on) has been well loosened. Then put one end in the crank pulley and the other end on the alternator pulley as much as you can and sort of lever it over with a screwdriver and a turn of the alternator together. A bit like replacing a bile chain that has come off, if you can remember that!

Greg

 

Greg thanks for your input. I actually had to remove the entire bolt from the*bottom of the altenator! It moved all the way in for the belt to fit. 2 hours later I was driving around town. Oh my goodness Greg! I now believe I have been baptized by the XJS V12! It is about a 3 hour job if you know what your doing.
Toast to you all!
Now off to the next project....