How to Adjust the Belt Tensioner on a Toyota Corolla

A single serpentine drive belt in the Toyota Corolla engine is looped around the alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor and water pump. The tension on the belt is controlled by a single belt tensioner. You'll need to adjust the belt tensioner in order to remove and replace a stretched or otherwise damaged belt. If the tensioner is not delivering proper tension to the belt, it needs to be replaced.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Wrench
• Breaker bar and socket

1. • 1

     Locate the tensioner pulley on the engine. It is located on the left side of the engine where the drivebelt wraps around the pulleys in between the power steering pump and the crankshaft pulley.

   • 2

     Place a breaker bar and socket or a long wrench onto the tensioner's hex-shaped boss.

   • 3

     Rotate the tensioner clockwise with the wrench or breaker bar to release the tension on the pulley. This will allow you to slip the drive belt off of its pulleys if needed.

   • 4

     Release the wrench's hold on the tensioner slowly once the belt is removed or has been routed back in place. Use caution or the tensioner could snap back violently.

   • 5

     Unscrew the mounting bolt and mounting nut for the tensioner with the wrench, if the tensioner needs replacing, and remove the tensioner. You should only remove the tensioner once you have removed the drive belt.

   • 6

     Install the replacement tensioner, tighten the fastener to the engine block to 51 foot-pounds and the one to the cylinder head to 21 foot-pounds. Insert the drive belt onto the tensioner and pulleys, loosening and tightening the tensioner as described above.