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Serpentine belt tensioning

craigf

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New Zealand
With reference to my earlier posting about the engine (4.0) not getting hot enough, I took the thermostat housing off and found the thermostat was in 5 pieces. Anyway, my question is; how do I release the tension on the belt? I don't have an adjustable tensioner below the steering pump, but rather a tensioner thingy above the alternator. It looks like you use a torx drive to tension and un-tension it. Is this correct?
 
I used my Sears gear wrench set for this as I have had that belt off time and again. Work well since they are flat and pretty long so you get torque but the angle is right (box wrenches bend too much and the electric fan is real close. Basically you are going to be loosening the 15mm bolt left of the pump and then the 13mm on the idler. Putting it back, tension the belt w/ your hand on the pully, tighten the 15mm bolt most of the way and then the lower pully, finish the 15mm and check. Do you have a shop manual, I think it goes over this, its easy. Make sure to buy the right size belt the autopart store twice gave me the automatic tension or Grand belt instead and I had to go back after finding the belt way too long. BTW I hope its the same for Ne Zealand. I would think so but do you have the PS pump on the right or left side (same as the steering column or is it on the same side for all XJ and the tubes cross for RHD models???)
 
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