How to Remove Your Serpentine Belt

Video Transcript

"In this clip, we're going to talk about the proper service procedure to remove, inspect, and overhaul your vehicle's alternator. In this step we're going to talk about the proper service procedure for removing our serpentine belt in order to free-up our alternator from the drive belt system. Now most vehicles have what they call a "spring loaded belt tensioner". And the belt tensioner applies the tension to the belt, and they rotate, spring loaded, either clockwise or counter clockwise. And what I want you folks to do, if you're not driving the exact vehicle I have here, is to refer to the ID sticker. It's located here on the front upper support for the radiator, and it will have a picture indicating which direction you're going to rotate that tensioner to release the pressure. Mine is going to turn counter clockwise. Once we have the tension released on the belt, we can take and slip it off one of our components. You take a, in particular, a 16 millimeter 12 point socket. You'll notice a 12 point will fit better than a 6 point, you get more degrees for it to latch onto. Take and slip it right down inside here, get it counter clockwise, right there, and slip it right down on the tensioner and rotate counter clockwise. As you can see the belt gets loose as I rotate it. Go ahead and rotate it all the way and slip it off my alternator. If you're not able to slip it off the alternator, any other pulley will suffice. Once you have it off, you can go ahead and let your tensioner relax all the way. That is the proper service procedure for removing your serpentine belt from the drive pulley on the alternator."