QCComanche Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 So, i was driving to get groceries, and i think i hear a sound like a spring... and notice i don't have power steering. I get to the store and pop the hood, and see that the serpentine belt has come loose, and the pulley on the Alternator is spinning freely, like a bolt has come loose. I manage to get it back home without power steering, or any of the other accessories that run off the belt (kinda scary!) I get looking into it, thinking maybe something slipped to cause the belt to come loose - but the Power Steering pulley hadn't moved a bit - i had to loosen all the bolts around to get it to move at all. I even fully extended the bolt to adjust the tightness, and cannot get the belt tight. I considered the belt may have stretched at some point, so i ordered a replacement belt, and alternator just to be sure. that pulley didn't seem right. they arrived today - the belt is exactly the same as the one on there, so that ruled out the belt stretch theory. I'm stumped. Something must have moved somewhere to make it so the belt can't tighten up? this is on a 1990 2.5L MJ ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdog Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Have you lost a pulley somewhere? Picture of the front of your engine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddFoot Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Pictures really would help in this matterSent from my Z982 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCComanche Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 hard to get it all in one shot - I don't think i'm missing anyone - - i have the power steering fully extended, and you see the slack in the belt. Thanks for looking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdog Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Ac bypass?@eaglescout526 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Ok, so that is the typical AC-less set up for the 2.5L. Now you have three bolts for the PS pump loosened right? Two right behind the pulley and the other on the back? Then there should be the two down below the pump. One secures the adjuster in place and the other tighten or loosens the belt. If that bolt that secures the tensioner is still secured the pump won't move with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddFoot Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Isn't there supposed to be another idler pulley underneath the power steering pumpSent from my Z982 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 No, later models might have that but the Renix era does not. The only idler pulley is the one right by the Alt. I remember going through something like this once, except I wasn't driving I was at home still. But my issue ended up being that nut at the bottom. If the whole pump assembly isn't free moving right now, then something still isn't loose. In order to tension the belt, all the bolts have to be loose and then the tensioner(the long bolt underneath the pump closest to the air box) can be tightened to increase tension on the belt. If still no movement you can always give the pump a love tap with a mallet(rubber). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeeptec1 Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Check you vibration dampener . Make sure it didn’t slip apart Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87MJTIM Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Are all of the 1,000,000 fasteners for the PS pump tight? It looks like it isn't pushed far enough to the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokermjcomanche Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 My guess is that the collar broke on the long bolt for the tensioner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCComanche Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 Confirmed that all the bolts on the PS are loose, and i have the tensioner bolt fully extended to what should be the tightest point. The PS Pump is swinging freely now. The thing that is bugging me - when i first started checking everything, the PS Pump was locked down tight, and i've been driving without issue since i bought it a year or so ago... so what changed suddenly.. are there any sort of gaskets or liners or something that should be around one of the pulleys that maybe came off? maybe around the Fan Pulley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 There are not any gaskets. Perhaps the pump wiggled free just enough to cause such an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCComanche Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 So to follow up... I ended up getting a shorter Belt (70" vs 72") - and it fit great. From what i can tell the Power Steering adjustment is roughly where it was in the first place. There is still the question of Why - but "Ours is not to question 'Why'" thanks for everyone's input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) It's been awhile since I had my old 2.5, but from looking at your pics I'm thinking you had the first belt routed wrong. It should come off the right side of the PS pump pulley like you had it, but then it should go down and wrap clockwise around the HB instead of around the water pump like you show it. Then it would wrap about 75% around the HB, back up and over the water pump pulley counter-clockwise then over to the alternator. I see a new alternator there.....did you replace it or have a shop do it? I'd wager that the belt got re-installed wrong. It's not a hard thing to do to route a belt wrong......every time I take the belt off/on my Focus, I have to concentrate to get it back on the right way. To the point where I draw a diagram of it before I take it off. edit: I found a pic. The red trace is how I think your old belt was routed (I think).....the highlighted trace is how it should be routed. Edited April 17, 2020 by mjeff87 add pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCComanche Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 You are absolutely correct! I even looked at the diagram and was certain I had it right... this is such a relief! I'll be back home tomorrow and will put the right belt on the right way. Thanks to all!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ωhm Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Taken from the 88 Electrical Manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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