Lift Up The Motor Part

HOTLNC

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Well, I replaced the first part in my wife's car that necessitated the motor to be lifted up to remove the part. This part was the belt tensioner pulley.

According to the service manual, they have a special lifting device that spans the engine compartment. There is a lifting plate that that bolts onto the motor at the bottom bolts of the alternator. The alternator must be removed.

Lacking the special, lifting tool, I went after the lift motor problem from the bottom. There are two 20MM nuts that hold the starboard side of the motor to the motor mounts. I removed these two nuts and made a lifting block using a piece of 1 by 2 wood and a 1/16 inch thick metal plate. I positioned the wood and metal sandwich onto the oil pan, as close to the pulley edge of the motor as possible. A small bottle jack was used to jack up the motor. The metal plate was used to prevent the jack head from puncturing the wood and allowing the oil pad to fall back down onto the jack head. That would not be good for the oil pan.

Pumping on the jack, the car lifted almost two inches before the motor started moving away from the frame. All I had to do was lift the motor up 1.5 inches, according to the SM.

To get at the pulley, I had to drain a little over a gallon of coolant. This allowed me to remove the overflow (Degas) bottle hoses and remove the bottle. The power steering reservoir is bolted to the Degas Bootle so that had to to be unbolted and moved over before the bottle was unbolted. PITA. Now you got access to the tensioner center bolt (spline headed screw) that holds the tensioner to the engine. Actually, you have access to the spline screw, but you don't have the room to use a spline socket on a 3/8 inch wretch. So you gotta lift the motor

The tensioner pulley and the idler pulley is the same part. 20 bucks each from O'reilly's. At least you don't have to drain the coolant and lift the motor for the idler pulley. You can also remove the coolant pump without lifting the motor.

They must have changed the coolant flow between 2002 and 1994, as i was able to put all the coolant back into the motor without burping. But maybe it was just because I didn't fully drain the motor.
 
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Yes, labor intensive and a PITA.

The other lift the motor to replace the part is the oil filter adapter. Unlike ours, it is a long narrow plate that spans the side of the motor. It is between the motor and the radiator.
 
Well, I replaced the first part in my wife's car that necessitated the motor to be lifted up to remove the part. This part was the belt tensioner pulley.

According to the service manual, they have a special lifting device that spans the engine compartment. There is a lifting plate that that bolts onto the motor at the bottom bolts of the alternator. The alternator must be removed.

Lacking the special, lifting tool, I went after the lift motor problem from the bottom. There are two 20MM nuts that hold the starboard side of the motor to the motor mounts. I removed these two nuts and made a lifting block using a piece of 1 by 2 wood and a 1/16 inch thick metal plate. I positioned the wood and metal sandwich onto the oil pan, as close to the pulley edge of the motor as possible. A small bottle jack was used to jack up the motor. The metal plate was used to prevent the jack head from puncturing the wood and allowing the oil pad to fall back down onto the jack head. That would not be good for the oil pan.

Pumping on the jack, the car lifted almost two inches before the motor started moving away from the frame. All I had to do was lift the motor up 1.5 inches, according to the SM.

To get at the pulley, I had to drain a little over a gallon of coolant. This allowed me to remove the overflow (Degas) bottle hoses and remove the bottle. The power steering reservoir is bolted to the Degas Bootle so that had to to be unbolted and moved over before the bottle was unbolted. PITA. Now you got access to the tensioner center bolt (spline headed screw) that holds the tensioner to the engine. Actually, you have access to the spline screw, but you don't have the room to use a spline socket on a 3/8 inch wretch. So you gotta lift the motor

I have a 95 and I know exactly where this bolt is. I believe there are low profile wrenches that could get that bolt out without going thru all this trouble. I never tried it, but I have right angle ratchting screwdriver where you can insert torx bits and it takes up almost no room. The only issue would be the screw clearing the frame.
 
The screw has a "washer" type head that is quite large in diameter. Under the washer headed screw is a plastic spacer that takes up the inside of the pulley. With my luck, I would end up breaking something trying to force the head past the frame member.

FYI -- the idler pulleys are the same part number as the ones the Marks uses
 
The screw has a "washer" type head that is quite large in diameter. Under the washer headed screw is a plastic spacer that takes up the inside of the pulley. With my luck, I would end up breaking something trying to force the head past the frame member.

FYI -- the idler pulleys are the same part number as the ones the Marks uses

Did you just take out the pulley or you took out the whole tensioner? Seems it would be easier to pull the tensioner.... Yeah, that pulley fits hundreds of car models on the road made in the last 40 years :)
 
Yes, I pulled out the tensioner; then replaced the pulley. There is no way you can remove the pulley without removing the tensioner. The bolt for the pulley faces the block.
 
I replaced my screaming chicken (tensioner/pulley) last spring on my '99. The tensioner bolt barely cleared and I was able to get it done without lifting the engine. I did have to purchase a set of very low profile Torx wrenches for the tensioner bolt. Took about 4 hours and my hands looked like hamburger. A real PITA either way!
 
I did both tensioner and idler pullies on my 95 and I dont remember having any problems with it.. not any that would require moving the motor.

strange
 
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