I had a guy replace all my belts a year and a half ago. I guess one has stretched and have a squeal on startup. Pushing on the belts, seems like the alt belt (the longest stretch of it) has the most slack in it... More than the others belts. If I had to guess, maybe an inch. It was dark and I just checked quickly. So there is not a lot of room for a bar, is there a trick to moving the alternator a bit to tighten the belt. Never done this before but I bet it's not rocket surgery. Walk me through which bolts are involved and how I do this. Thanks up front.

 

I use a pry bar for mine. Have to loosen the top bolt and bottom pivot bolt.

 

So the bolts: are they both nut and bolt? Meaning I need two wrenches. Sounds like a stupid question but the bolt does not just seat in the body of the alternator right?

 

Long one on bottom is nut and bolt. One on top is short bolt into tapped hole in alternator.

 

It's tight in there. The long bolt and nut on the bottom... is it best accessed from underneath the truck or can you usually get to it with some minor gymnastics? I gots these baseball gloves normal people call "hands."

 

You should only need to gain access to the upper bolt, the bottom is only the pivot point.

Insert a pry bar between the alternator and block, from above. Put a 6" extension on a wratchet and feed it past the fan, thing its a 13mm socket. Loosen the bolt a half turn or so, press on the pry bar ( think it's press might be pull, depends on how you get it in maybe) then cinch up the bolt..

Worth noting there is a belt tension spec, think it's 80 lbs from memory..

 

I tension belts by the twist method. Pinch it in your fingers at the middle of the longest side and twist. With a moderate amount of twisting force it should turn about 90 degrees. More than 90 and it's too loose, If it's all you can twist and it's not going 90 is to tight.

 

Wow! 80lbs. That HAS to be tighter than mine. I pressed on all of the belts. The one to the compressor is firm, some deflection but not much over a quarter inch... half inch at the most. The one for the alternator and the PS both flex 3/4 to an inch and I'm not pressing with all my strength. Also, on the PS belt, I'm pressing on the the top so it's a short run of six inches max.

 

I used a pry bar and held it tight with my foot then tightened the bottom bolt then the top which hinges the alternator.

 

80lbs, +/- 20lbs for a USED belt. http://web.archive.org/web/201210210...nce/2maint.pdf
Here's how to measure it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Belt-Tensio...38.m2548.l4275