I found what may be the definitive way to change a PS belt, without having to try to get to the tensioner. It's a variation of the "walk it on by hand" method someone suggested. I couldn't get that to work, and it made me nervous to stick my fingers in there while someone turned the starter, so I improvised. Once I figured it out, the actual belt installation took all of about 3 minutes. You'll need an Assistant, but it's clean work so it can be a spouse, or a well-behaved child.

1. Take off the wheel, wheel well skirt, and alternator/AC belt.

2. Cut off the PS belt. It took me a couple of snips with a pair of diagonals.

3. Put the new PS belt in the general area of the pulleys.

4. Cut a 6 or 8 foot length of strong string. From the engine compartment, drop one end down towards the belt. Run it through the belt and back up into the engine compartment. This will let you pull up on the belt. Work the two ends of the string back towards the firewall.

5. Wrap the belt around the crank pulley, and get it as far onto the PS pulley as you can. Put it on from the bottom, since the pulley turns clockwise. You should be able to get it to to about the 9 o'clock position. While you're doing this, have Assistant pull up on the string. Keep the string ahead of (above) the point where the belt contacts the PS pulley. You're going to use the string to pull up on the belt.

6. While Assistant keeps pulling up on the ends of the string, take the strings from Assistant and keep pulling up. The point of all this is to keep the belt in its place partway on the pulley while you get ready to start the car.

7. Pull the string firmly up and back, towards the drivers seat, while Assistant blips the starter. The belt should seat onto the pulley with only a blip or two. Another blip or two should move the string out from between the belt and the pulley, so you can just pull it out of the way.

8. Put alt/AC belt back on (or put new one on), and tension it.

9. Put back wheel well skirt and wheel. You're done.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8c1ezfX4jo

 

Well, if you want to do it the way The Man tells you to. Guerrilla Wrench don't play dat.

Actually, if I had seen this, I probably would have done it the right way. I couldn't find the mounting bolt that needs to be loosened, and I got tired of looking for it. Nice job.