help needed with fan belt tightening (simple problem afaik)

[edzillion]

The fan belt is loose. It looks as if the bushes on the alternator are decomposing - the alternator moves but not by that much (maybe a third of an inch forward if pushed).

Anyway, it overheated when I was out and I want to get it home, so I wanted to just tighten the belt temporarily.

I think I can see where to do this. At the back of the alternator toward the bottom there is a nut attaching it to a bar with a slit in it. You can adjust where along this slit the alternator is attached. The problem is that it looks as if the bolt is as far along as it will go, which doesn't give me any room to move it and tighten the belt.

Any ideas? Am I along the right track?

Ed

[JackF]

If the adjusting bolt is at the end of its travel you are toast, with that fan belt at least. When you replace the belt make sure you get new polyurethane bushings. Well get the belt, get home and then worry about the bushings. I had factory new rubber bushings and my Alt would pull toward the radiator and I was having problems. Installed the poly bushes and all is good. Hope you get home okay. Good luck.

[Mike Self]

if so, you can replace it with an 875 mm belt (they seem to both fit and be shown as "correct" for carbureted 2002s). The latter belt is about an inch shorter in circumference, so that'll give you more adjustment room. It may also make it more difficult to fit initially, but it will fit.

Also remember that any new belt with stretch a bit in the first 1000 miles or so; be sure and check its tension after that 1k period.

mike