REMOVE PS TENSIONER WHILE RETAINING PS AND AC

Seems to be a little confusion on something that seems so simple. So I thought I would do a write up on it.

Tools needed;
17mm
14mm
12mm
Ratchet (depending on how you want to remove bolts)
Wrench (depending on how you want to remove bolts)
Large screwdriver
490K5 belt (may have other part numbers that work)
Jack (optional)

This is for deleting the power steering tensioner (that gets noisy and annoying) while retaining your power steering and air conditioning. You will have to get a new belt for this;

Part number 490K5 (though other part numbers may work)

First thing you want to get out of the way is the coolant overflow bottle. It just slides right up a bracket that holds it in place. Here’s a pic of the bottle off the bracket (hard to see the bracket in pic but you’ll understand when you go to do it);

Pop the top off and place it off to the side. Now you need to loosen up the power steering pump. There are two screws to access on one side of the pump (pulley side) and one screw on the other side (exhaust mani side). You need to line up the pulley, so you can access the bolts. Use a 17mm wrench on the pulley bolt (you’ll want the car to be out of gear when you do this. In case you turn the engine over) to turn the pulley until you line up the holes with the bolts;

This pic shows you where the bolts are;

Loosen the two bolts on the pulley side (14mm) and then go to the mani side, to loosen up the other bolt. Here is a pic of that bolt’s (14mm) location;

When you have loosened up the three bolts now you can push the power steering pump forward. Like this;

Remove the old belt. I like pulling it out from the bottom. There is a splashguard down there that you need to work around. If you so desire you can take that off for a little easier access.

Now you can attack your source of pain; the tensioner. Start by removing the 14mm nut that holds the center of the tensioner on. Here is a pic of that;

Then you can hopefully remove the bolt that adjusts the tensioner (14mm);

If you can back that bolt all the way out you can remove the tensioner and associated parts (using a screwdriver to pry them out. It’s a little tight, but they will come) and skip to the reinstall. But if (like most) the bolt is seized, then you will want to take off the bracket that is holding the tensioner and adjuster on.

For this you will have to remove the power steering pump from its bracket (for access). Remember the bolts that you loosened to get the pulley to move?;

and here

You will now have to remove those bolts so that you can pull the pump away from its bracket. When you pull those bolts out, you will also need to unplug a sensor that is located on the power steering pump. Just pull the plug off;

Now you can push the power steering pump out of the way, to access the two bolts that hold the bracket for the tensioner. Here’s a pic with a wrench on the lower bolt (tough angle but you should be able to see the wrench);

When you take off these two bolts, the piece will fall right out of the bottom of the bay. Here is a pic of the offending pulley and bracket;

Now reinstall the power steering pump. Leave the three bolts that hold it on loose (and don’t forget to plug the sensor back in).

Now put the belt on (its best to get the belt on the bottom two pulleys first. Then you can wrap the belt around the power steering pump, like this;

Because the bracket that holds the power steering on has a slot, you can then use that for adjusting the belt. Simply put a screwdriver between the pump and the bracket and leverage it away from the engine until you have the correct tension on the belt (be sure you have the pulley in the correct position so that you can tighten down the bolts behind the pulley).

Now tighten the top bolt and then the other two lower bolts of the power steering pump. Check to be sure tension is correct Reinstall overflow bottle, fire her up and viola’ all done.

written by bullettdsm

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Document statistics: Last modified on 2011-02-13 17:32:05 by 420agreenvilleSC