Drive belt replacement Please help

I think it is time to replace the belt. It is a 97 cherokee 4.0L with A/C and power steering. I can not figure out how to remove the belt. I did a search and did not come up with much just some info for older cherokee's. Please help need to get this done soon before the belt breaks.:dunno:

loosen the tensioner right under the power steering pump.

I tried loosining the long bolt that runs behind the pully just under the power steering pump in between the engine and pump it just spun out and the belt did not budge there has tob something I am missing.

There are two bolts on the back of the power steering pump and one nut on the front up top that also need to be loosened.

Just be careful now since the whole assembly will move once it's loose enough.

Although it may be different on a 97+

If the long bolt appears to be backing out or unscrewing from the bracket, then try tapping head back down (if that makes sense) and see if that puts slack in the belt.

Perhaps someone will jump in and go through the whole scenario again, but in the meantime there was a detailed thread on this a month or so ago.

I believe someone recommended removing the electric fan shroud and air cleaner box but I did mine for the first time just before this thread appeared and had no problem without removing them.

The other bolts you have to loosen are pretty obvious once you know what you have to do, but note that the one on the front of the pump is hidden below the pulley and easy to overlook.

Right below the power steering pump there is a pulley with a bolt through it. loosen that bolt up then the one next to the power steering pulley (this is the long bolt you were trying the first time). after this you should be able to adjust the pulley up and down move the pulley down to loosen the belt and should slip right off from there!

I just got through removing the belt from a 96 and found it different then my 92 model Jeep.

If you don't have the specialized tool for reaching the idler pulley that is below the power steering pump. I found it easy to remove the electric fan and then reach it with a socket. 15mm it is, btw. the electric fan is held on with two little bolts on the top that usually hold down the line going to the overflow bottle. You will need to disconnect the connector to the fan as well, as there is not much slack. The long bolt that is at a angle and goes behind the power steering pump is the adjustment. Once the pulley is loose you will see that loosening this bolt allows slack in the belt. Don't forget, that you need to tighten the daylights out of the belt to keep it from squeeking!

Seems that a lot of people go ahead and replace the pulley while they are in there, I am debating this with myself right now......will decide tomorrow when I buy a new belt!

Good Luck!

Sig220 said:

I just got through removing the belt from a 96 and found it different then my 92 model Jeep.

If you don't have the specialized tool for reaching the idler pulley that is below the power steering pump. I found it easy to remove the electric fan and then reach it with a socket.

Click to expand...

15mm gear wrench, best tool I have found for this one part.

Previous posts have covered the belts removal. Just replaced mine this past weekend...
The hardest part of the job is snaking the serpentine belt around the pulleys...
I purchased a Goodyear Gatorback poly V belt at Autozone for $32.99...
Spend a little more and get a quality belt.

Would advise doing this job when the engine is cold....