Does anyone have any tips on removing a serpentine belt on my 97 Saturn SL2? There's like less than 1 inch working room to get to the tensioner...am I missing something obvious or is it just a pain? Thanks in advance! Jay
I had a 2000 for a while. On that model you could put a wrench on the pulley bolt and easily move the tensioner assembly to release the belt and put a new one on. No way a socket w/ratchet would have fit, but the wrench had not trouble at all. Your mileage may vary.
Steve B.
On most vehicles with serpentine belt systems (IMO, of course..) it is usually a good idea to replace the tensioner as well. I am assuming that the belt is being replaced for normal wear with the car having usually 50k+ miles on the current belt. The bearings in the tensioner receive a fair bit of wear and get very warm in regular use and are not designed to last forever. Some OEM parts sources offer belt and tensioner as a kit. Joe.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.