Though it could appear to be a posh part within the engine, the serpentine belt in a Pontiac Sunfire just isn’t all that troublesome to switch supplied you may have a few correct instruments. By inspecting your serpentine belt often, you may forestall breakdowns or driving mishaps. The serpentine belt controls the alternator, power steering pump, water pump, crankshaft, and with outfitted type, the air conditioner compressor. With out the serpentine belt, the Pontiac Sunfire is actually crippled on the facet of the street ready for a tow truck.
Pontiac Sunfire Serpentine Belt Replace Instructions
Launch hood latch and place hood prop in correct location. Make certain the keys to the automobile are usually not within the ignition so nobody will begin it up by chance whilst you’re remove and changing the belt.
Find the belt routing diagram. This can be in quite a few areas. Normally it is going to be positioned beneath the hood, although typically on the front engine brace, and even on a small plastic tab immediately masking the belt. If for some motive a belt-routing diagram will not be current within the motor cavity, create your individual diagram by drawing circles for the pulleys and the way the belt routes round them.
Remove belt by inserting a 15 millimeter adapter (thirteen millimeter for two.four liter engines, however these are very uncommon within the Sunfire) into the belt removing software and putting it on the bolt head positioned on the middle of the tensioner. The tensioner is positioned simply above the crankshaft and slightly below the power steering pump, whether or not the automobile is provided with A/C or not. You may attempt to use an extended-dealt with three/eight inch drive ratchet with a 15 millimeter shallow socket, however it’s possible you’ll be restricted for room, which is why the belt removing software is really useful. You’ll be able to often decide considered one of these up at most auto elements shops pretty inexpensively.
Transfer the removing device or ratchet in a clockwise course to take pressure off the belt. Remove the belt from the alternator pulley. With the belt off the alternator, work it off the opposite pulleys and extract it from the engine. You could have to take away the instrument to get the belt off. Examine the dimensions of your previous belt to the brand new one so as to make sure you bought the right belt.
Reinstall the brand new belt utilizing the belt-routing diagram. Begin with the A/C compressor (if outfitted) and wrap the belt across the backside of it, then up over and across the water pump, down across the backside of the crankshaft, on the within of the tensioner so the flat a part of the belt is contacting it, then across the energy steering pump and below the loafer. Have your removing tool useful as you will want to maintain stress on the belt together with your hand, and place the belt instrument again onto the bolt head of the tensioner and switch clockwise once more. The routing schematic is identical on a non A/C system, however bypasses the A/C pulley and as a substitute of beginning to route the belt to the A/C compressor you’d begin routing across the crankshaft and comply with the identical process across the different pulleys.
Place the rest of the belt onto the alternator pulley. When you’re unable to do that, there could also be an issue on one of many pulleys the place the ribs of the belt are usually not lining up correctly within the ribs on the pulleys. The belt ought to go on tightly, however you shouldn’t must pressure it on. As soon as it is on, examine the belt and all of the pulleys to verify it is on securely and lined up correctly.
Begin engine with hood open and pay attention for noises or whining. In the event you hear any, shut motor off instantly and reinspect. That could be a sign of a nasty bearing in a pulley, however you do not need to wreck the motor or the brand new belt. If motor sounds okay, then shut the hood.
[taken from ehow.com]