new attempt to replace belts

[topherbecker]

i need to replace the belts in my 62. Tried to get the big one off this evening with no luck. i was able to swing the PS pump down, but I need more slack. I see a pulley attached to nothing below the PS pump, but am unable to loosen it - i assume this is to fine tune tension on the belt. I turn the bolt and it just backs out of the housing - doesn't loosen the pulley at all. should i hit the pulley/square bolt with some pb blaster? is it just stuck? tried banging on it best i could, but there's not much room down there.

if there are any 'replacing belts for dummies' threads, please point me to them. i looked but could not find.
thanks
chris

 

[2mbb]

I don't know specifically about the FJ62, but on my 60, there are tensioners on the alternator, ac ompressor and smog pump (I think.). Besides loosening the tensioner bolt you also have to loosen the clamp bolt and the pivot bolt. Usually the tensioner is on top of the accessory. The clamp bolt will also be on top and it will hold the accessory against the bracket so it doesn't move. The pivot is on the bottom. Most pivot bolts are through bolts, so you will need to get a wrench on both ends to loosen it. You don't have to take these off, but just loosen them enough so the accessory will pivot.

Good luck.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

The adjuster for tensioner pulley is on the low left side (left when standing facing the engine) of the pulley. I was better able to reach it best coming up from underneath.

 

[topherbecker]

The adjuster for tensioner pulley is on the low left side (left when standing facing the engine) of the pulley. I was better able to reach it best coming up from underneath.

I can see the adjuster and reach it. But when I loosen the bolt which should cause the pulley to shift to the right (as looking from above), thereby taking tension out of the belt, the bolt just backs out of the housing and the pulley does not move. Ive rotated the PS pump out of the way as much as I can. I just need a liitle more clearance to get the belt off. I'll try and get a pic today of whats going on with the tension adjust pulley to help make it clear.

Another question... Can all the belts be replaced without removing the fan and shroud?
Thanks
Chris

 

[askeyey]

I've had my belts off several times now. I'm convinced the fastests way to change them is to pull the smog pump and loosen the alternator. I've never had luck with the passenger side tensioner either. The smog pump is really easy to pull and makes putting the new belts on so much easier.

 

[askeyey]

I didn't pull the shroud to replace mine.

 

[Lost]

to proper loosen the idler pulley, you must

a loosen the front pulley nut, then look under the idler assembly and you will find the bolt [head] which needs to be loosened [a lot] to give the slack.
theres should be enough room to easily swamp belts.

a common trick (to be practiced with extreme care) to fit a tight belt over a pulley, is to use a pry bar wedged between the belt and pulley and get someone to crank the engine very quickly(slight turn of the key at ignition). the belt should slide on if done carefully.

you dont not need to remove the fan shrout to change the belts.

 

[donphillipe]

How do you change the belts on a 1990 FJ62? I worked for 2 hours this evening and got nowhere. I finally used 2 hose clamps to attach my ratchet handle to a 2' length of 1/2" gas pipe and tried to loosen the locking bolt on the alternator front to no avail. I think I did manage to ruin the head of the bolt however. I'll need more than luck to resolve that. I got a closer look from underneath and it looks like both belts need changing. The alternator belt is cracked and the backing is missing. A miracle it even runs.

So where do I start to change these belts? I have a FSM. I can't find a changing belts section in the FSM. It isn't written that way that I can see, just tells me how to repair pieces I remove but now how to easily take the belts off and back on. It is impossible to work on the front of this engine. There is just now way to get a wrench in there. Worst front of an engine I have ever tried to work on.

Do you pull the fan to get the shroud off and if so how do you even get a wrench down in there to get it off? I am lost and frustrated at 100 degree heat and high humidity here in Texas.

Also does anyone have the O'Reilly or Gates part number for belts for this model?

Thanks!

 

[Granite Grinder]

I know some have removed the shroud, cut the shroud in half horizontally. Remove/ replace the belts, bolt bottom half of shroud on, then the top. Next time the job will be much easier, plus working on anything on the front of the engine will become much easier. I haven't done it myself, but it will be happening soon.

 

[HBFJ62]

Cutting the shroud in half is a good idea.

Going from memory....You have to loosen the alternator adjustment by loosening the set nut on the front of the bracket and then turning the long adjustment bolt from the driver's side. Check to see that your alternator bracket is straight mine was torqued because I attemped to tighten it without loosening the set nut. For more room you can also loosen the bolt that holds the alternator on its bracket so that you can swing the alternator back.

Drop the power steering.

Loosen the tension pulley by loosening the nut on the front of the pulley. The vertical adjustment bolt has a cap and a set/locking nut on top - loosen the set/locking nut. Then with a long extension loosen the pulley from below (I think its counter intutive on the direction - clockwise tightens the belt and counter clock wise loosens it).

Remove the fan at the clutch by taking off the 10mm nuts and invariably dropping them and spending 1 hour looking for them. Undo the shroud and remove the fan with the shroud.

Hardest part for me is putting the fan back on which is why a two-piece shroud would be nice.

 

[ad20k]

Cutting the shroud in half is a good idea.

Going from memory....You have to loosen the alternator adjustment by loosening the set nut on the front of the bracket and then turning the long adjustment bolt from the driver's side. Check to see that your alternator bracket is straight mine was torqued because I attemped to tighten it without loosening the set nut. For more room you can also loosen the bolt that holds the alternator on its bracket so that you can swing the alternator back.

Drop the power steering.

Loosen the tension pulley by loosening the nut on the front of the pulley. The vertical adjustment bolt has a cap and a set/locking nut on top - loosen the set/locking nut. Then with a long extension loosen the pulley from below (I think its counter intutive on the direction - clockwise tightens the belt and counter clock wise loosens it).

Remove the fan at the clutch by taking off the 10mm nuts and invariably dropping them and spending 1 hour looking for them. Undo the shroud and remove the fan with the shroud.

Hardest part for me is putting the fan back on which is why a two-piece shroud would be nice.

X2, this sounds about right to me too. One correction; the AC idler pulley adjustment bolt is clockwise to loosen, counter clockwise to tighten. Personnally, I have changed the belts several times and never had to remove the shroud, but I don't doubt it would make it easier.

Cheers,

 

[Rigger]

I spent a fair amount of time replacing the belts on my FJ62. I studied and head-scratched trying to figure out those tensioners. When I got done, I started a write-up on how to do it. I got a ways into it before thinking, "I wonder if anyone else has done this already?" I searched around, and found this:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/182669-changing-belts.html

I hope it helps.

 

[Front Range 4x4]

Cutting the shroud in half is a good idea.

Tossing the shroud is even better.

 

[Rigger]

Tossing the shroud is even better.

I'm too much of a wimp for that! I'd be afraid that I'd one day forget that there was no shroud there and get crosswise with that fan. Ouch!

I did cut my shroud in half as has been advised and I think it is a good modification to make.

 

[Rigger]

I've had my belts off several times now. I'm convinced the fastests way to change them is to pull the smog pump and loosen the alternator. I've never had luck with the passenger side tensioner either. The smog pump is really easy to pull and makes putting the new belts on so much easier.

I never thought to remove the smog pump. Good thinking!

Free advice: When you loosen the alternator, there is a short, bent, tubular spreader bar that has to be removed. The bend in this bar is off center by just a bit. It makes it so the bar fits one way, but conflicts with the alternater pulley if installed the other way. It is easy to install it wrong! You don't know it is wrong until you start the truck and it makes an awful racket! I actually made this mistake twice! (I'm a slow learner!)

 

[hjdca]

On the FJ62, the air conditioning belt is the toughest one to get on because it has the least amount of slack. Only a tensioner to get it tight. Use liquid wrench to get the bolts loose. You must loosen the bolts holding the tensioner pulleys in addition to the tensioner pulley adjustment bolt. Otherwise the tensioner pulley will not move...