Installing a Serpentine Belt: How to Install a Serpentine Belt

Not everyone knows what serpentine belts are. So before we proceed to the process of the installation of the serpentine belts, let us first have a look at the concept of serpentine belts.

The modern mechanical engine was developed on the concept of internal combustion engine. Some of the most important parts of a normal internal combustion engine, include components such as the gear box, fuel injectors and pistons. The serpentine belt is not exactly a very necessary device in the internal combustion engine. Most of the cars that are manufactured now a days, are made comfortable with the help of many devices such as air conditioners, power steering, alternators etc. These devices, when put together, consume a substantial amount of energy. This energy though required for auxiliaries, is not taken from the battery of the car. The serpentine belt come in handy in such situations. The basic function of the serpentine belt is to transfer the energy that is needed by the components, from the engines. The serpentine belt is used to run and power the components of the modern cars. Its basic function is to convey kinetic energy to a dynamo, that powers the devices. The rubber serpentine belt is easily seen in the picture that accompanies this article. In the cases where the serpentine belt breaks, the other devices of the car, suddenly stop working. This is immediately realized by the driver, as the power steering looses all its power and starts vibrating slightly. At turns, the driver will be required to apply more power to the steering wheel. Some of the SUV's, off road vehicles and sedans also have a back up or a secondary belt. This belt is installed in order to keep the essential devices, like the power steering, running smoothly.

How to Install a Serpentine Belt?
The procedure that is prominently used for installing serpentine belts, is a pretty straight forward one. Depending up on the complexity of the engine under the bonnet, the time required for the procedure varies.

Requirements

• If you are want a serpentine belt replacement, you will need to find an appropriate replacement. It is best recommended that you use a serpentine belt, that is recommended by the manufacturer of you car. The appropriate belt size and its make, is usually found in the car manual. Be careful while purchasing the belt and ensure that you have the appropriate size of the belt.
• Another very important requirement is the wrench set and a standard tool box. These tools can also be used directly from the kit of your car.

Procedure

• Step 1: The first step is to locate all the nuts and bolts that you will need to remove, in order to replace the belt. For this purpose, locate the belt and look for the bolt assembly of the belt. You will easily find the bolt assembly and the set of pulleys, around which it interwinds. You will also notice that there are separate pulleys for the power steering pump and for the the adjustment of the tension of the belt.
• Step 2: Loosen that adjustment bolt that is located on the adjustment pulley and decrease the tension on the old belt. If the belt is broken, then simply loosen the adjustment belt and remove the broken pieces. During the serpentine belt installation, it is always important to know the function of the adjustment bolt. If the blot is tightened, then the tension on the belt is increased and it moves away away from the engine. On the other hand, if it is loosened, then the tension reduces, as the belt moves closer to the engine.
• Step 3: This is the step where the serpentine belt installation actually begins. The best way to begin the installation of the serpentine belt, is to place it on the adjustment pulley and gradually fix it into the other pulleys. The loose adjustment bolt enables you to put the belt on all pulleys comfortably.
• Step 4: Tighten the belt and keep checking the belt tension as you go on tightening. It is also advisable that you check the tension on individual pulleys, as you tighten the belt.
• Step 5: The last step is to put back all the nuts and bolts that you had removed, back on to the engine and then give the engine a test run.

The process is simple and straight froward. The key to a successful serpentine belt installation, is to follow the steps systematically. Also remember to keep the removed nuts and bolts in one place, so as to not misplace them. I hope that I have answered your query - 'how to install a serpentine belt' properly.