'96 Cavalier 2.2l serp belt

What you need to do is to tighten the bolt back onto the tensioner & apply torque in the other direction...there is a spring behind it and that will put slack in the belt so that it will slip off.

buy a book you el cheapo!!!!!!!!!!

What you need to do is to tighten the bolt back onto the tensioner & apply torque in the other direction...there is a spring behind it and let it GO SO IT CAN KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO YOU

I believe that his point was if you can't figure out how the tensioner works......hopefully you will have better luck with the water pump.

Ian

You have the I-4 motor push rod motor, not an OHC?

The belt tensioner is way down on the motor near the firewall underneath the power steering pump, not in the middle, if this is the same configuration I have seen.

There is a idler pulley the belt rides on, near the center, if that's what you are referring to.

Hopefully you are right!

Thanks for your note - In another forum I found a good picture of the belt and the pulleys on which it rides. That pic shows the tensioner just as you describe.

However, comments in that forum also show that some '95-'96 engines have the tension applied at the idler pulley, and do not have a distinct tensioner. Mine has no pulley under the P/S pump, so working with the idler to get the tension off.

Again, thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks for your response - the most helpful I received. Just got an angled-head ratchet box end over the bolt head on the idle/tension pulley, tightened it up and kept on going with the torque and it put enough slack in belt to allow it to slip off easily.

Appreciate your help.

Off with the old, on with the new - WP changed - car is back on the road. Thx ur help