How tight should drive belts be?
For most vehicles, the belt should not be able to be pressed down more than ½ inch. If it can be pressed lower, then the belt is too loose. Note: Manufacturers have their own specifications for how much deflection can be found in the belt.
What are the steps of belt tension and drive alignment?
Good drive maintenance involves a number of steps, roughly half of which involve aligning the drive. These are, in order: Removing old belts, inspecting all components for wear and damage, checking for bent shafts and correcting sheave runout, installing new belts, performing the alignment, and tensioning the belts.
Can you change the drive belt at home?
Changing the drive belt is something you can do at home without the need of a professional mechanic. If you have some knowledge about cars and would like to try this on your own, in this OneHowTo article we’re going to explain how to change a drive belt.
How do you tighten an alternator drive belt?
Step 3: Add tension to the drive belt. Insert the pry bar above the alternator pulley. Apply gentle pressure upwards so that it adds tension to the drive belt. Once the drive belt is moved into its desired tension, tighten the adjustment bolt to lock the belt in place. Then, torque the adjustment bolt to the manufacturer’s specifications.
How do you change a V shape belt?
For V–shape belts, you need to remove it by adjusting one of the pulleys so that tension can be released. After tension is released the belt will easily slide off the other pulleys and can be removed. Now check all the pulleys whether any of them are malfunctioning or needs replacement or not. Buy the new drive belt and compare it with the old one.
How can you tell when a drive belt needs tightening?
Tip: An alternate method of seeing whether the drive belt needs tightening is to rotate the belt. It should not be able to turn more than 90 degrees; if it can turn more, you know the belt should be tightened. Step 1: Locate the drive belt tensioner. The drive belt assembly will have a specific component that tightens that belt.