Serpentine belt help

[ACSPONY]

I replaced the fan clutch yesterday and when I tightened the assembly to the waterpump, I noticed that the pulley was crooked. I moved the fan shroud to get the fan out, but I did not remove the serpentine belt. I think that when I was pulling the fan off I may have caused the water pump pulley to turn out of alignment?

So today I was going to take the belt off and try to re-align the pulley without the tension of the belt pulling on it. But I can't figure out how to release the tension on the belt. Do I need to put a wrench on the part of the tensioner with the spring in the housing or on the part that the belt rides on? I couldn't do the latter because I don't have room to get a socket in there with the fan installed

 

[2000xp8]

I usually just stick the tire iron inbetween the pulley and the tensioner and fold it upward.
Next problem, there is no aligning the water pump pulley. If it's crooked, either all the bolts aren't in all the way, or the shaft on the water pump is bent.
To tighten the bolts, leave the belt on, it's easier.

And you need the correct wrench, releasing the belt isn't going to get you any more room for a socket.
Those bolts can be a little time consuming, turning them little by litttle.

 

[ACSPONY]

Could I have bent the shaft while pulling the fan off? I didn't see if it was off kilter before I removed the fan, and I didn't think starting the car up with the pulley like that was a good idea.

 

[2000xp8]

Not sure if you bend it or not, but i have seen them bent before.
I'd take all the bolts out most of the way, then remove the belt, finish taking out the bolts, and drop the fan into the shrould and see if the shaft is bent on the water pump.
If it's not, check to see if all the bolts thread into the pump easily.
If they do, and the shaft is not bent, put it back together putting each bolt in evenly, don't put any in all at once.

And in my above post, i meant to upward, not downward.

 

[ACSPONY]

Are you just putting the tire iron in where I have circled - between the pulley and the tensioner arm?

And then rotate the iron upward?

I was putting tightening the bolts in a star pattern so as not to get it crooked, but I'll try again and see what's what. Part of me thinks it wasn't perfectly aligned to begin with. Thanks for the help.

 

[2000xp8]

Ya, that's where i put the tire iron. Not sure if that's is truely the correct way to do it, but i've been doing it that way for over 15 years so...

If you were having fan clutch trouble, it very well could of been bent before you ever touched it.
The water pump pulley being poorly aligned doesn't always toss the belt.

When you get it apart, lay the pulley on the a perfectly flat surface to make sure the pulley itself isn't bent up.

 

[LarsD]

I use a breaker bar and an 18MM socket to get my belt on and off.