How to diy ac belt

[mirageman]

I just posted in another thread about losing my belt on the Garden State Parkway, seeing the red overheating coolant light (it is a pretty red, though, LOL) and the subsequent sleeping at an Autozone Parking lot until they opened and using their tools. It is not an easy job. I stripped the bottom bolt because I used the wrong socket. Don't use the wrong socket. I ended up loosening only the top bolt and hitting my aluminum alternator right at a thick part of it with this long metal rod I keep in my car for emergencies...... Yes it is bad to subject your alternator to such forces and I know it was wrong to do so but I really didn't hit it that hard and it moved little by little. I was able move the alternator back despite that lower bolt being super tight. I was also able to use my bar as a crowbar to tighten the alternator, wedging it between the engine and the body of the alternator and pulling the alternator out to tighten the belt. No tool to measure belt deflection, just a push of a finger to make sure it is pretty snug is good enough. If it doesn't squeal on startup, you're ok. After 100 miles, a retightening was required, but none since then. This was Autozone's better belt that cost like 2 bucks more than the valuecraft and comes with a year or 3 year warrantee.