So I get the alt out with some wiggling, get the new one in, everything is hooked up. Here is the problem: that pully that helps to tighten the belt, I just can't get it back in place. I thought I had it tight enough, fired the car back up and while it stays on (ran it for about 20 minutes) the tach still doesn't work as well as the mph. When the AC is on there is a squeaking on the belt. I watching it spin around and it doesn't look tight enough. This is driving me nuts, how do you get that pully up so it is tight enough. Am I missing something?

 

You have the belt routed wrong, easy to do.
http://www.roverparts.com/TechTips/s...g_defender.cfm

 

Nah man, its in there right just not tight enough. I can't get the pully part tight enough.. How do you do that? When it is loosened it barely moved anyways but now I can't get it to adjust thatcm I need to really tighten the belt up.

 

There is no adjustment to the belt, the belt tensioner is spring loaded and applies tension to keep the belt tight as it strectches over time.
You may need a new belt tensioner.

 

But isn't that what you said I needed too loosen to get the belt off? When I loosened the bolt in the middle of it, it rocked down a little. Just enough to let me slide the belt off (with a little work) No smart a$$ tone intended I really appreciate the help you have given me thus far, I just want to finish this without losing any cash. I am between undergrad and grad school and broke.

 

Put the pulley back on and put the box end of a long wrench (or socket with breaker bar) onto the pulley mounting bolt that the wrenchis straight up and down. Then pull the handle towards the driver's side fender as hard as you can. The pulley mounting assembly IS spring loaded and the pulley will/should flex up enough so you can get the belt back onto the pulley. You have to pull really hard. If for some reason it refuses to flex up at all, then as previously noted, the spring tensioner would need to be replaced. My guess is it will work fine and you'll get the belt on.The tensioners don't fail that often.

Mark G

 

You need to put your socket on that bolt, press down and release the pressure so that you can get the belt over the pully.
You were not supposed to loosen that bolt to begin with.
The belt tensioner is spring loaded so it keeps the belt tight, pressing down on the tensior releases the spring so that you can remove/replace the belt.

 

Am I getting the right bolt? The one I am focusing on is the one in the center of the tensioner pulley not the wheel that spins but the one that wheel is attached to. Hopefully I am just messing with the wrong bolt.

 

You are messing with the wrong bolt. The "wheel" is the pully, you need to bolt in the middle of the pully. Put your wrench on that bolt and push down until the whole thing moves, the whole arm will move down allowing you to put the belt over it. Then gently let it come back up and it will take out the slack in the belt.

 

Thank you very much, I'll give it a try and report back this evening. Do you think that a loose belt could be the reason the "new" alternator isn't working properly?