1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
OK - yes replace the belts.
The belts are a good DIY (Do It Yourself) thing to start.
If you are asking this question - then I will assume you don't know a lot about cars.
What you need to do: look at engine and know what is being talked about,
make sure that you have sockets and wrenches that fit the things we are talking about. You'll need sockets that fit all the bolts near the alternator (or next item to tighten on your list) - just check and make sure you have wrenches or sockets that fit before you start.
Let's focus on the alternator belt - that's a kinda universal thing.
Basic point - belts go around a series of pulleys and one of them will allow you to adjust the tightness of the belt. Remember that pattern! Go to TSN sponsor eEuroparts.com, and look under belts or AC to see what we are talking about if you need picture of the items. BTW - get a Haynes or Bentley manual for your car - if you are addicted to Saabs - you'll find out, the manuals will replace your novels.
It isn't hard - change your mindset.
Time to start learning about cars or time to start a savings account.
Think about it this way: (I'm a teacher, it's gonna show)
1) Think about it - you've got a problem,
2) the problem "appears" to be a loose belt -
Okay - belts are cheap, and your's ain't good (you've already seen that and described why you think they aren't any good - most of us will agree),
if it's obviously weak to you -it'll be past unforgivable to a neurotic.
Look at the assemblies - stop thinking about 'what am I supposed to do' and start thinking 'how does this work'?
Look very closely at the alternator (or other bolt on accessary) and think
"which bolt 'keeps' it on the engine" and which bolt is for "tension".
If you really know where the alternator is - then you will see that it is held by two bolts. One is a pivot and the other sort of slides - the belts get tighter or looser as you move it on the pivot. So - do nothing and it will be loose, but it will be noisy (squealing , etc).
You don't want that.
So
Look at your alternator, loosen the bolt that makes the assembly pivot closer to the engine. Take the old belt off - then put a new one on and put as much tension on it as you can. This is the problem for many new people. They don't trust themselves, you are not going to break anything here.
AND that's the cool thing about belts - it is harder to get them tight enough than it is to cause damage.
There are lots of way to get the tension right - but, for you, just get it as tight as possible. How? ? ?
Well, keep the pivot bolt in place, after loosening the other one, take off old belt and put on new one. Here's where you want to be careful. Everything the new belt turns on or touches should be relatively clean, etc
Where are we ? New belt is on, alternator is loose, and tension bolt is not tightened. By now, if you have really looked at engine, than you will know exactly what I am talking about.
What to do - carefully balance your desire to make the belt as tight as possible and your desire to get it over with.
Now, careful. Depending on your set up (you didn't give us a year or engine type - you need to know this - is it an old style H engine or a B 202 engine? That's really why many of us sign off with a list of the Saabs we have - well that, and bragging) this will be enough for that belt (or not - if your second belt is separately run to AC, or some thing else - do those later. For a newbie - keep it to one change per cycle - keeps the troubleshooting load down.)
Ok - let's assume you have your old belt off and that you have replaced it, but "how do you make it tight enough?"
1) if you see what I mean, then with one hand (actually, maybe one side of your body) put tension on the belt (lean with all your weight into it, until it as tight as possible. Now use other hand to tighten the bolt. Ok, sounds easy, but how to make it tight? As a beginner, I suggest using your tire iron. Put the long end (like a screwdriver tip) against the engine block and use the side of the iron to push against the alternator - close to pulley, but don't use the pulleys for a force point for anything mentioned here.
Loosen the bolt that allows the alternator to slide back and forth and loosen up the "loop" in the belt. You aren't going to hurt anything if you have to "slightly force" the belts on and off - if you can throw your shoulder into it and have the belt go off you are okay. If you have to throw your whole body into it, and the belt still won't slip off any pulleys, then look for another way to loosen the belt loop - or come back and be specific.
What does that mean - well, find the bolts that loosen the belts, and tighten and replace them. Spray the belt with "belt dressing" after you tighten it and after you think you are done.
General rules:
1) If you do it by hand, then you aren't gonna break anything (at least in this instance - more sophisticated repairs take a torque wrench = basically a way to make sure you are turning hard enough, but not too hard).
Forget about knowing Everything - your goal now is
change the belts and see if that cures your problem.
So change the belts, and then see if there is a difference (if the pitch of the noise does not change, tell us what you did, and we'll suggest the next step - if it changes - particularly if it gets higher, then try to get the loop tighter).
2) I repeat. If it looks like you are doing some thing that will cause damage - ask us before you do it.
Other belted components are similar in terms of belts, except, don't do anything to your AC w/o an expert other than tightening these belts.
posted by 24.14.178...
, Thu, 3 Jul 2008 05:51:20
, Thu, 3 Jul 2008 07:51:19
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
