How to Repair a Serpentine on a Ford 3.0

Ford used the 3.0-liter V6 engine on many vehicles such as the Ford Mondeo, Ford Ranger and the Ford Taurus. They equipped the 3.0-liter engine with a serpentine belt. The serpentine belt self-adjusts using an idler pulley. As the belt stretches, the idler pulley applies more pressure on the belt and keeps it tight. Once the idler pulley runs out of room to adjust, the belt starts to slip. This indicates it is time to replace the belt. However, if the belt shows no other signs of wearing, you can get additional life out of the belt by adjusting the alternator to supply more room for the idler pulley to keep tension on the belt.

• 1

  Loosen the alternator through bolt and the alternator pivot bolt using a socket and ratchet. The through bolt attaches to the top of the alternator and the pivot bolt attaches to the bottom of the alternator. Do not remove them; just loosen them.

• 2

  Wedge a pry bar between the alternator mounting bracket and the bottom of the alternator.

• 3

  Push down on the handle of the pry bar until you raise the level of the alternator between one and two inches. This will pull the idler pulley and retain proper tension on the serpentine belt.

• 4

  Tighten the through bolt and the pivot bolt on the alternator using the socket and ratchet while you maintain downward pressure on the pry bar with your other hand.

• 5

  If the belt shows any signs of cracking or dry rot, replace the belt with a new one. A cracked or dry-rotted belt could break at any time. This could leave you stranded and could cause engine damage.