I am having trouble changing the serp belt on my daughter's 1998 Jeep Wrangler TJ with the rare 2.5 L four cyl. 150 CID engine. It has two idler pulleys. The one that looks like it is the tensioner pulley is the one on the driver's side near the power steering pump. I have lossened the long 15mm bolt that runs diagonally thru the pulley bracket. Even though completely lossened, the belt is still tight as ever. How do you get the pulley to release the tension on the belt? Is it frozen? Is there another bolt hidden? Anyone with a FSM to quote me the correct procedure? Thanks for your help! Jim
How to change serp. belt on a 98 Wrangler 2.5L -4 cyl.
- Thread starter Jim Spahr
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IF and I mean IF I remember correctly when I worked on one of these motors that looong bolt has to be loosened(which you did) but then there is another nut on the same pully where this loooong bolt is attched to.
What I'm trying to say is when you tighten or loosen the 15mm looong bolt there should be another nut that has to be loosened on this same pully SO it can swing to loosen or tighten(so when you install the new belt it will be tight) itself.
Hope this helps
What I'm trying to say is when you tighten or loosen the 15mm looong bolt there should be another nut that has to be loosened on this same pully SO it can swing to loosen or tighten(so when you install the new belt it will be tight) itself.
Hope this helps
Where is that hidden bolt that keeps the tension from releasing? I would have thought that loosening the long bolt would release the belt tension. The only other bolt I can see is the one in the center of the pulley.
That's the bolt you need to loosen before you start turning the long bolt. Just give it 3-4 turns with a rachet and it should be good to go. Then start turning the long bolt. When you're done adjusting the tension on the belt just make sure you re-tighten the bolt in the center of the idler pulley.
On the ones I have changed, no bolts need be loosened. The pully arm is free-floating and is under spring tension against the belt. They make special wrenches (they are about 2 feet long) to rotate the spring loaded arm and release the tension from the belt...
Fuelrod, I think you are talking about the Jeep Wrangler with the 4.0L I-6 engine in it. That is by far the most common Wrangler engine and the 4.0-6 does have the belt tensioner with a release like you described. Now the 2.5L I-4 is a different story. It looks like a serpentine belt set up but adjusts like the old style V belts and pulleys! It seems the engine designer just couldn't break away from the old technology.
My '98 Wrangler I6 has the two bolt tensioner as described. I wish it had the spring loaded one, they are much easier to change...
The 00 and up 4.0's got the spring driven tensioner. Earlier models and all 2.5L's got the old style.
Simple process.... Break the torque on the tensioner pulley bolt with a few turns, proceed to turn the adjustment bolt until the tension on the belt is released. Install new belt and tighten to desired tension. Then retorque pulley bolt.
Make sure to not torque the pulley bolt until after you have the desired tension, torquing the pulley bolt and then adjusting will cause the adjustment bolt to break.
Simple process.... Break the torque on the tensioner pulley bolt with a few turns, proceed to turn the adjustment bolt until the tension on the belt is released. Install new belt and tighten to desired tension. Then retorque pulley bolt.
Make sure to not torque the pulley bolt until after you have the desired tension, torquing the pulley bolt and then adjusting will cause the adjustment bolt to break.
The Jeep is now owned by Chrysler which is owned by M-B, of course. I see on the net that a dealer in NJ is offering a Wrangler with a 5.7L Hemi and a 5 speed M-B auto trans out of the Jeep Cherokee. Now that is a tight engine compartment. It is called the Brute. Do a Google to see it.
Buy a manual...it's $15 and pays for itself the first time you use it
This Wrangler is my daughter's car and I bought her a Haynes manual, but in Chapter one they cover the old Vee belt system in detail and then gloss over the serpentine belt with a sentence like: 'Some new vehicles may have the new serpentine belt....'. The other Chapters on cooling, water pumps, power steering, etc. which obviously require removing the serp. belt happily say- Refer to chapter one.
Sorry that the Haynes is vague..go by what Ryan00TJ says..thats what I have to do on my 99 XJ...my 01 TJ has the spring loaded tensioner.Tighten the belt tight enough only to turn it 180 degrees (at the longest run between any 2 pulleys)with your fingers..and it should be hard to twist when you get to the 180 degree mark..and you'll be fine.
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