Whilst off-roading on Sunday, my alternator Fan Belt snapped - getting a new Fan Belt fitted is relatively easy, by undoing the two bolts on the cross-bar between alternator and the engine and move alternator upwards (cupping hands underneath it) ... sadly on my 54'plate Jimny you have to remove the Power Steering (P/.S) Belt FIRST!!
Getting the P/S Belt of was bad enough - undoing the centre bolt-head on the tension pulley, and using a crow-bar we nudged the tensioner enough to get the P/S Belt removed to allow the new Fan Belt to go back on!
Now we had loads of hassle (dont forget we're off-road here) getting the P/S Belt back on .. we did but it wasnt on properly and i needed to get it back correctly so here's what I've done this morning!
Note i started this at 8am and I'd finished at 9am (even after working out how the tensioner works, cleaning parts up, and even taking a few photo's ) ...
a) The Haynes Manual always says take of the Battery leads - but i dont, especially you'll be needing the battery later - see step (m)
b) On Sunday we didnt want to remove the radiator, but believe me it SO MUCH easier to remove it, so remove radiator
c) Drain Radiator, my plug is seen from the top to be at the bottom right. When all water out, start to remove radiator by removing the Simon (the Radiator Cowell), then remove the 4 or 5 (i only have 4 - lost one?) little 10mm bolts, then remove the top two 10mm bolts from Radiator Stays (straight bars from bottom to top left and right of radiator) no need to remove the bottom ones!! Release the Top and Bottom Hoses Clips (releasing the bottom one can be an arse - aka skin loss)... Take out radiator.
d) I started working on things but quickly realised that things will be so much easier without the viscous fan there - so undo the 4 10mm bolts and remove the plastic fan.
e) The tensioner sits on the engine block between the pulleys, its removed (i wanted to clean mine up as it should move on the top right bolt i undone. Mine was stuck tight (I'll explain later why!)
f) Using a crow-bar to release tension (would have been nice to have an assistant here, but she was still at work ... Lynne is a Nursing Sister - still on Nights) so with a tough of luck ad a strong bicep i managed to release the tensioner enough to get the P/S belt removed.
g) Now i took my tensioner off (undoing the nylock nut), gave it a good clean
h) I had a couple of failed attempt in putting the belt on and then putting the tensioner on .. it just wasnt right, until i realised how clever Mr. Suzuki was ...
i) Remove the P/S Belt and put the Tensioner on FIRST - put on the Nylock nut and ensure its tight enough to stay on (its a nylock) but still allows the tensioner to move - move under pressure, not sloppy
j) Now put the Tensioner BOLT on do it up, but all that way (so maybe 3 -4 before locked up)
k) Now put the P/S belt on .. .you'll notice that no-way-Jose is this belt going on ...
l) BIG NOTE here ... the pulley's rotate CLOCK-WISE
m) Get the P/S Belt onto the top right pulley as far as you can, i got mine on to about 2 o'clock..... then go and click start the engine, dont start the engine, just turn it over once or twice -- go back to pulley, and MAGIC has happened - the belt is on!!
n) Now do up that Tensioner Bolt, and start engine and watch carefully to ensure that belt is staying on!
o) Stop engine - and re-assemble everything.
p) Put on Viscous Fan - be careful tightening up the little 10mm bolts
q) Align the Simon (the radiator cowell)
r) Slide in radiator, slide on the top and bottom hoses - dont put on Hose clips yet as getting the radiator onto the bottom LUGS can be an arse ... be good to have an assistant here (she's still at work - probably doing some retail therapy) to shove down as you're underneath aligning the lugs on the radiator bottom .. i lost a bit more skin and a few words doing it alone.
s) Put in the two top 10mm bolts into the radiator stays
t) Put the 4 or 5 10mm bolts into the Simon
u) When you're happy that Radiator sits correct, using strong pliers slide on the top and bottom hose clips - again doing the lower hose can be an arse!
v) now the slow progress of filling up the radiator ... personally i add some Anti-Freeze first (as i used to forget about it afterwards ... so a little at first) then maybe half fill radiator and start engine, then using a small cup/container slowly drip feed water into radiator ... whilst the engine is running ... be careful as fast and moving parts (that viscous fan) will hurt you!
w) I fill up radiator slowly leaving the radiator cap OFF ... when no more water goes in, put on radiator cap and let engine get hot (if you're in the garage, like i am, open garage door - we dont you killing yourself with exhaust fumes do we) ...
x) When engine hot, testing by hot air coming out of heater --- leave engine running for a good 5-10mins .. carefully pressing top and bottom hoses to get circluation going.
y) Now stop engine, let it cool, remove radiator cap, and if more water needed add it ... and repeating steps (v) (w) and (x) until no more goes in ...
z) Go and have breakfast and welcome home the Nurse with her shopping bags!!
Go and get yourself replacement Belts (Fan and Power Steering) ...
I hope all this helps!!
Oh, the reason we had so much problem putting the P/S belt on when we were off-road was that someone had tightened-up the nylock nut on the tensioner, so it wouldnt move/slide ... now when i undo the bolt on the tensioner it moves ... it wont drop off as the nylock nut is keeping it on!!
Martin - I can create WORD Document from this if you want, inserting pictures as and when needed, so you can add it to the How To section?
JalapeƱo, IISY?
