Replacing Alternator Issues...

[Beastolizer]

I need my car back up and running ASAP, so I am now willing to pay anyone who wants to come help me finish this!

Alright so I've got most the work done. The alternator is pretty much in, but I need to replace the belt. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get this belt around the other 2. I've combed through every damn page I can find on e30 alternators and belts and still have yet to find what I need. I know I need to loosen the 2 belts so I can slip on the new alternator belt but nothing seems to be working... I've included a picture of my engine bay currently. It would be super awesome if someone could point out the tensioner or bolts I need to loosen in order to get the first 2 belts out of the way.

Thanks for your help r3v!

[AndrewBird]

Is the pulley on the new alternator a different size? If it is, you should be able to swap your old one back on.

[Beastolizer]

No I'm just a doofus and forgot the belt goes around 3 pulleys, not 2

[Beastolizer]

Am I going to need to take these other belts off in order to install the new alternator belt? I'm not seeing how I can get the belt onto the third (bottom) pulley track

[Beastolizer]

Feeling so dumb right now...

[Beastolizer]

Someone please help this amateur wrencher, I am lost on this.

[iansane]

I just google imaged searched m20 belt diagram and if that's correct, you'd at least need to take off the a/c belt to get the alt belt on.

[e30austin]

How the hell did you get it off without removing those other belts?

[Beastolizer]

How the hell did you get it off without removing those other belts?

Razor blade. For whatever reason, once I got the alternator loosened up there wasn't enough play for the belt to slip off. So I got under the car and used a flash light to inspect the teeth of the belt and saw it needed replacing anyway so I cut it right off.

Now I'm stalled and am fearing I'll need to remove the radiator and the fan just to get these other 2 belts off. Looks like I'll be out of commission the next few days haha

[Beastolizer]

I just google imaged searched m20 belt diagram and if that's correct, you'd at least need to take off the a/c belt to get the alt belt on.

Correct, but I cannot get either of these 2 belts off I've tried a ton of different things and nothing seems to loosen them up so I can slip them off..

[Savagefurai]

Cut the rest of em and start anew.

All new belts cant be a bad option. How expensive could they be...

[Beastolizer]

Cut the rest of em and start anew.

All new belts cant be a bad option. How expensive could they be...

The issue doesn't go away if I cut the 2 other belts off. I still have the issue of getting those 2 belts back on (which is theoretically the same problem I am already dealing with - getting those 2 belts off).

[BraveUlysses]

you have to pull off the other two belts (prob a good time to replace them) http://ethirty.site90.net/article/1/...20-timing-belt

this site has good pics so you can see how you'll need to loosen and re-tighten the belts.