How do you change a serpentine belt on a 1989 Jeep Cherokee?

Answer 1

HI, I JUST CHANGED MY SERPENTINE BELT ON A 1996 JEPP CHEROKEE CLASSIC 4.0 WITH AIR COND. AND WITH Power Steering.ON MY MODEL, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE AIR BOX, AS THE 7 INCH ADJUSTMENT SCREW IS ADJACENT TO THE THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING, NOT UNDER THE POWER STEERING PUMP ACROSS FROM THE AIR BOX AS SOME DIAGRAMS SHOW.ON MY MODEL, YOU HAVE TO LOOSEN THE THREE BOLTS ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP ITSELF FIRST USING A 13MM BOX WRENCH. NEXT, YOU HAVE TO LOOSEN THE LOCK NUT ON THE BELT TENSIONER IDLER PULLY BELOW THE POWER STEERING PUMP USING A 15MM BOX WRENCH. THIS PULLEY IS NOT SPRING LOADED, AND DOES NOTHING BUT SERVE AS A LOCK NUT AND BELT AROUND AS MENTIONED ELSEWHERE IN THIS PAGE. LAST, YOU HAVE TO LOOSEN THE BELT TENSIONER SCREW ITSELF USING A 13MM SOCKET AND RATCHET OR A BOX WRENCH. LOOSEN UNTILL ALL THE TENSION IS OFF THE BELT. YOU MAY HAVE TO TAP ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP ITSELF TO MOVE THE BELT OFF. THE DAMN FAN SHROUDS ARE IN THE WAY ON MY MODEL, BUT IF YOU HAVE PATIENCE, YOU CAN UNROUTE THE BELT AND REMOVE IT WITHOUT LOOSING YOU TEMPER. NEXT, CATCH A BREATH, GET YOUR NEW BELT. AND STUDY THE DIAGRAM ON THE FAN SHROUD OR IN THE REPAIR MANUEL YOU ARE USING.(NOTE), IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A DIAGRAM BEFORE HAND, MAKE ONE ON YOUR OWN AND KEEP IT HANDY. INSTALL AND ROUTE YOUR NEW BELT PER DIAGRAM AND TAKE YOUR TIME. YOU CAN INSTALL THIS BELT IN DIFFERENT WAYS AS TO TURN THE WATER PUMP BACKWARDS AS DESCRIBED ELSEWHERE IN THS PAGE. A NO, NO!!! AFTER YOU INSTALL BELT, TIGHTEN THE TENSIONER SCREW TO WHERE YOU HAVE 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH OF PLAY WHEN YOU PRESS IN ON THE BELT. NEXT, TIGHTEN YOUR LOCKNUT ON THE IDLER PULLEY, THEN TIGHTEN YOUR THREE BOLTS ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP HOUSING. ALL DONE!!! START THE ENGINE AND LET IT RUN FOR 3-5 MINUTES. IT SHOULD SEAT ITSELF. CHECK FOR NOISE AND THAT 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH OF PLAY AGAIN AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. I HOPE THIS MAY HELP SOMEONE OUT. HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!

first, find the tensioner pulley, hook a ratchet onto it. You might need a cheater bar or pipe on the end of the ratchet handle, depending on your arm strength. Pull the tensioner pulley up and slip the belt off the pulley. All vehicles usually have a belt diagram for installation on the engine shroud or hood, depending on your particular model and year. Simply follow the diagram given and slip the belt around the pulleys, hook the ratchet on the tensioner pulley, pull up on it and slip it on the last pulley. It is usually easier to make the alternator the last pulley to wrap the belt around, because you will have the most room to manuever withy your hands.

I don't know which engine the above answer refers to, but that's not it works for the inline 6 cylinder engine, which is one of the most popular. Unfortunately the I6 doesn't have one of those nifty spring belt tensioners. Instead you have to loosen a number of bolts on the power steering pump brackets. Then loosen the locknut on the belt tension adjuster, which is also part of the power steering pump bracket. Oh, before you start this, open the airbox, remove the air filter, and remove the three bolts that hold down the air box. Now remove the air box so you have some room to work.

I like to use several ratchet extension together, along with a universal joint and a speed wrench, to screw the ajusting bolt in and out. To remove the belt, screw the adjusting bolt in until the belt is loose enough to slip off all of the pulleys. There should be a belt routing diagram decal under the hood, but if not, draw a simple diagram. Put the new belt on. Installation is the reverse of removal. Use the extension/universal/speedwrench assembly to tension the belt. Then tighten the locknut on the adjuster, tighten all the bolts on the power steering pump bracket, and install the airbox and filter.

The Haynes repair manual for the 1984-2000 Jeep Cherokee shows the power-steering pump being the tension device, and suggests that you pry on it to tension the belt.

On my 1989 Cherokee inline 6 cyl, that's not the case ! As mentioned above, there is a long (about 6-7 inch) adjuster screw underneath the power steering pump that is adjusted to change the serpentine belt tension.

Loosen the nuts holding the power-steering pump, then also the slider/nut that travels in the slot along the tension adjuster screw.

Taking out the airbox will help you keep from dinging up the radiator with your wrench or ratchet; my radiator was already badly scraped up in that area, which led me to properly locate the tensioner screw.

Yes - I spent about ten minutes looking for a tensioner on my 89 Cherokee's I6. The sucker kinda looked like my Suburban with the shiny pully up top. Unfortunately, that pulley does nothing (accept for looking pretty). Anyway, I'm off to play games with the power steering pump. BTW, what engineer made this belt change so dog-gone hard? I mean, the methodology is circa like 1955. This is one place where the good folks at Chrysler totally dropped the ball.

I just changed the serpentine belt on my '97 Cherokee 4.0. first you need to loosen the two top power steering pump mount bolts. then loosen the nut in the center of the idler pulley.(below the power steering pump) then wind the tensioning bolt at the lower left side of the power steering pump bracket counterclockwise ( lower left side looking at engine from the front)belt should slide right off. installation is the reverse. Caution! be sure to route the new belt per diagram. ( decal under hood or one that you drew before starting this job) or you might run the water pump backwards NOT GOOD ! tension belt to 1/4" to 1/2" with the lower tension bolt (clockwise) run engine for 3 to 5 minutes to seat new belt then recheck belt tension. You're looking for 1/4" to 1/2" belt deflection when you push in on belt between pulleys. Don't forget to tighten the nut at the center of the idler pulley. I used ba haynes manual. You can get it most auto parts store for about $18 chilton is also a good source as far as tools 13mm 15mm and wrenches. I don't remember wrench size for the adjusting