How to Change the Fan Belt on a 1999 Ford Mustang
The serpentine drive belt on the Ford Mustang is often referred to as a fan belt. This name comes from the era before serpentine drive systems were introduced, where each engine accessory needed its own belt, normally run off the shared pulley used by the fan and crankshaft. With the advent of serpentine systems, one belt now winds its way, in a serpent like manner, around all the accessory pulleys. While installing a serpentine belt isn't as easy as the old fan belts, it can still be accomplished in about a half hour or less.
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Instructions
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1
Raise the hood and insert the belt tensioner tool into the belt tensioner. Once the tool is in place, use the tool to move the tensioner pulley off the belt. Hold it in place while you slip your free hand in and slide the belt off the tensioner pulley.
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2
Release the pressure on the tensioner tool. Pull the tool out and set it to the side.
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3
Remove the old belt by slipping it off the various pulleys until you can pull it completely out of the engine well. Measure it against the new belt before installing the new one. The old one should be less than one inch longer than the replacement. This extra distance occurs due to slight stretching the belt undergoes over the course of its life.
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4
Place the new belt over the crank shaft pulley and route it around the rest of the accessory pulleys, following the routing guide which is printed on a white sticker under the hood. Leave the tensioner pulley for last.
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5
Reinsert the tensioner tool and pull the tensioner back out of the way as you slip the belt over the tensioner pulley with your free hand. Once the belt is on the pulley, release the pressure on the tensioner and take the tensioner tool back out.
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6
Visually verify the belt is routed properly according to the routing guide. Start the engine and watch the belt for a minute to make sure it is traveling around the serpentine path correctly.
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Tips & Warnings
You can use a socket wrench or breaker bar in place of a belt tensioner tool, but the odds of breaking the belt tensioner increase dramatically with these heavy handed tools. If you opt to use them instead of the proper tool, exercise caution and care, so you don't end up replacing the tensioner as well. You can purchase a belt tensioner tool from most tool retailers and auto parts stores.
