Serpentine Belt Change??

Click on your link above and go to Figure 8... It shows the tensioner pully with a breaker bar and socket on the tensioner pully... Get your breaker bar and the correct size socket, put it on the tensioner pulley just like in the picture, and pull it away from the belt, so it releases the tension on the belt, and remove belt. Repeat the process to install the new belt, make sure you follow the routing diagram. Good luck.

Thanks for your response and pointing that out! I didnt see that!

Did the same a few months ago, same vehicle, 4.3L engine with AC. If you don't have a vehicle manual with a pictorial of the serpentine belt path, suggest you get one. You may forget the pathway when installing the new one. I replaced the tensioner as well as the belt, didn't trust the tensioner due to its age and my ignorance. I backed out the bolt that holds the tensioner tight too much. Could not reassemble properly due to internal spring orientation. Tensioner has mark on it for tensioner location when belt is properly tightened. Twas pretty easy, once I learned how.

Both of my trucks have belt path diagrams right on the top of the front radiator support. Very obvious as soon as the hood is opened.

Thanks for the reply. I was surprised to find the belt diagram sticker still in the engine compartment.

Do you recall how far you needed to turn the bolt to get the belt off? (i.e., before you realized that you backed it out too much) Is it just a quarter or one full turn... I hope to avoid replacing the tensionier at this point! TIA

This is not a bolt to loosen! When you apply pressure on the bolthead it loosens the pressure of the spring inside it. Then you hold the wrench with one hand and remove the belt from any pulley. Lessen the pull on the wrench and set it aside. Finish removing the old belt. Thread the new belt around all the pulleys (follow the diagram) then put the wrench back on the tensioner. Pull the tensioner so the belt will slip on the last pulley and you're done. It really ain't that hard!

That was the crux of the matter, no bolt is required to be loosened. Just turn the tensioner with a socket and breaker bar in the right direction to remove the belt from it.

Thanks everyone for your replies...this really clarifies how it should be done!