Greetings.

have an 84 SR5 4x4 with a bastardized japanese exchange motor in it. just replaced the water pump, and I cant get the belt over the stinking alternator! I have adjusted the pivot bolt, but it wont move. I know there is another bolt to loosen, but where the heck is it? I see about an 8 inch long bolt at the base of the alternator, with a nut at the far end. Apparently the torque on this is around 11000 foot pounds. before I break my arm or the alternator, is this what i need to loosen? Im ready to get this thing wrapped up and this last two inches of belt adjustment has me done for. please advise this wanna be do it yourselfer who wishes right now he had paid to have the thing towed somewhere else.

thanks so much.

 

Yes that sounds like the main pivot. Look at it and you should be able to see if it is inline with the pivot you should be able to see on another bracket. (a curved slot)

Try getting at it from underneath. You might have more room or a better angle to get leverage. Just throwing that out there. It'll come loose. Keep trying. Got some spray penetrant?

 

If you loosen the idler pulley it should be very easy to get the belt on.

 

I've got the belts off my 86 runner. I got the alternator belt on by loosening the top bolt you've already done and the lower main shaft bolt like you mentioned. It took a while to get it to let me rotate the damn thing but that's what I had to do to get the alternator to swing. Once I got it to swing the belt slid on easy.

My problem is that damn middle belt. I'm about to loose my mind trying to get the new belt on. There's just no damn way I can see to get this thing on. I've completely loosed the idler pulley. All the way to the point where the bolt that tightens it isn't even in. That's not my problem. The 2 main pulley's are just too damn far apart. If it weren't so dark I'd take a picture to show you guys how I've got it right now.