Greetings,
I am changing my fan belt on a 99 Ranger with a/c. I got the old one off but to get the new one on is not working out. I am loosening the tension with a wrench on the central tensioner bolt, but can't quite get the new one on. It seems that there is very little room to move the wrench around, now I am kind of stuck.
There has got to be some little trick to make it easier. Is there?
Thanks
Ok, I figured out a way to do it- extended the wrench with a pipe. Makes it real easy to move the tensioner. But damn! Now I cannot get the new fan belt in. Just not quite enough slack on this new Dayco belt to slip it under the little idler wheel. So I have put the old belt back on for now.
Help! Am I going to have to pay a mechanic to put in this belt? It should have been so easy to put in. I have taken that stupid Dayco belt back to the store. I know it was the right size too because I checked about "ten" times to make sure, when I could not get it on. I imagine the old one probably stretched a little and that's why I got it back on. OR, Dayco didn't make the new one quite long enough.
I get so frustrated every time I try to work on a car or truck. I remember changing a belt on my old Honda Accord- couldn't figure out that one either. Then I took it to a mechanic and found that to that car, an engine mount had to be taken out to get the belt on!
On my '96 Ranger 3.0 L with AC, the old one came right off, and I put on a Goodyear Gatorback belt that AutoZone ordered in for me. Had no problems at all, one of the easiest I have done.
Only thought I have is either the Dayco belt is a little short, or the idler is not moving as far as it should.
Blair
On my 94 ranger it required a l-o-n-g breaker bar which I repositioned after I took off the old belt to get more travel, also you can use a crow's foot, it looks like a open end wrench but has a socket connection on the side, L-o-n-g ratchet also. Marcus
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