wolfman
09-21-2003, 11:36 PM
Saturn “S “ series serpentine belt tensioner replacement. This procedure is identical for ALL years 91’-02’ DOHC and SOHC engine equipped Saturns.
You will need:
Set of metric wrenches and sockets with extensions (6 point variety HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
Set of jackstands and a good jack (can be done without but is MUCH easier with)
Old toothbrush and perhaps some spray cleaner
New tensioner from your choice of source
Proceed as follows:
Jack up the passenger side or entire front of the car and support it on jackstands DO NOT get under a car supported by a jack alone!
Remove the passenger side wheel and inner splashguard to gain better access and light to the tensioner
Place a wrench on the center bolt of the tensioner pulley and turn it as if you are trying to TIGHTEN it to relieve the tension on the belt, hold it there, and slip the belt off 1 of the pulleys. Then release the tensioner and remove the belt.
Now turn the center tensioner bolt the opposite way and remove the tensioner pulley from the tensioner, this will allow you better access and line of sight to the two tensioner bolts.
Use your old toothbrush to clean the accumulated crud off the upper and lower tensioner to engine bolts to ENSURE your socket will go on SQUARELY and get a good grab on the entire bolt head of each one.
Remove the upper and lower tensioner to engine bolts. These can be on quite tight after years of use. WORK CAREFULLY, use a variety of extensions etc…until you find one combination that will allow you to turn the bolts SQUARELY with the socket! If you round one off, removal is nearly impossible, so TAKE YOUR TIME!
Remove the tensioner
Install the new tensioner and tighten the bolts to around 20 Ft pds. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!
Install the pulley on the new tensioner AFTER you install it, UNLESS it came with a new pulley, then install it as is from the package.
Clean ALL the pulleys with some spray cleaner and a tooth brush and paper towels or rags
Reinstall the belt, routing diagram is located on the radiator support
Reinstall the splashguard and wheel and lower the car.
NOTES: I cannot stress enough how important it is to use caution when removing the tensioner to engine bolts so that you do not round them off! CLEAN the bolt heads FIRST!
If when you install the belt and release the tensioner, it is not TIGHT, you have done something wrong, remove the belt and recheck the diagram.
As stated this can be done without jacking up the car BUT, it is MUCH easier to do through the wheel well with the extra light. Removing the tensioner pulley gives you decent access to the upper bolt without having to remove the upper engine mount and jacking up/supporting the engine.
You will need:
Set of metric wrenches and sockets with extensions (6 point variety HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
Set of jackstands and a good jack (can be done without but is MUCH easier with)
Old toothbrush and perhaps some spray cleaner
New tensioner from your choice of source
Proceed as follows:
Jack up the passenger side or entire front of the car and support it on jackstands DO NOT get under a car supported by a jack alone!
Remove the passenger side wheel and inner splashguard to gain better access and light to the tensioner
Place a wrench on the center bolt of the tensioner pulley and turn it as if you are trying to TIGHTEN it to relieve the tension on the belt, hold it there, and slip the belt off 1 of the pulleys. Then release the tensioner and remove the belt.
Now turn the center tensioner bolt the opposite way and remove the tensioner pulley from the tensioner, this will allow you better access and line of sight to the two tensioner bolts.
Use your old toothbrush to clean the accumulated crud off the upper and lower tensioner to engine bolts to ENSURE your socket will go on SQUARELY and get a good grab on the entire bolt head of each one.
Remove the upper and lower tensioner to engine bolts. These can be on quite tight after years of use. WORK CAREFULLY, use a variety of extensions etc…until you find one combination that will allow you to turn the bolts SQUARELY with the socket! If you round one off, removal is nearly impossible, so TAKE YOUR TIME!
Remove the tensioner
Install the new tensioner and tighten the bolts to around 20 Ft pds. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!
Install the pulley on the new tensioner AFTER you install it, UNLESS it came with a new pulley, then install it as is from the package.
Clean ALL the pulleys with some spray cleaner and a tooth brush and paper towels or rags
Reinstall the belt, routing diagram is located on the radiator support
Reinstall the splashguard and wheel and lower the car.
NOTES: I cannot stress enough how important it is to use caution when removing the tensioner to engine bolts so that you do not round them off! CLEAN the bolt heads FIRST!
If when you install the belt and release the tensioner, it is not TIGHT, you have done something wrong, remove the belt and recheck the diagram.
As stated this can be done without jacking up the car BUT, it is MUCH easier to do through the wheel well with the extra light. Removing the tensioner pulley gives you decent access to the upper bolt without having to remove the upper engine mount and jacking up/supporting the engine.