simple belt changing advice needed...I am stuck

[DamnedButDetermined]

I have bought three new belts for my 90 fastback, and i see that two of the belts have idler pulleys for tightening them, but the alternator belt does not. so here are my questions...

Is there a certain order i should remove and reinstall them?

How would i remove the alternator belt?

How do i tighten the alternator belt?

I have a custom CAI made out of pvc, and it is very hard to remove and reinstall, so is there a way i can leave it in place and still be able to get to everything?

Is there any type of addative that i should add to the belts before installing them (like belt dressing or some kind of preservative)?

I have read two different things from many people so what is the correct way to tell the belts are tight? 1/4" movement over a 7" span or an 1/8" ?

thanks

[speeddreamz]

I believe you do them in the order they are in. DO NOT CUT BELTS...I REPEAT DO NOT CUT BELTS, any of them. I made the mistake of doing that before. basically, if you can get the belt off, most likely u can get it back on, so figre out how to get it off first. So anyways, I believe the order is... powersteering on the outside, next inside is the AC compressor, then the alternator. Each should have what they call an idler or a pulley. Those tension the belt giving it more or less give. Located it, then located the bolt that holds the tensioner bolt. So you have to loosen the bolt that holds the tensioner and then tension depending on how loose/tight u want it. It looks like a long ass bolt with a round rod with a hole in it that the bolt screws into. Its kinda hard to describe xactly but Its usually on the third pulley (one pulley is the power steering, one is the fan/waterpump, other is the tensioner pulley). Sometimes that pulley itself will be the way to take the belt off vs the idler that i described earlier. Well good luck !

[adey]

Yours are probably different from mine, sinec I have a '93, but in the '91+ the belts are (from closest to engine to closest to radiator) AC compressor, Alternator, then Power steering/Fan.

The alternator tensioner should be under the radiator inlet hose, and the PS tensioner is diagonally behind and below the airbox, in front of the dip stick if I remember correctly.

Again, though, that's on my '93. Good luck! Make sure you get the PS/Fan belt on properly, because if you don't, you're going to overheat (like I did... and possibly even blow the radiator... like I did) :)

[DamnedButDetermined]

ok thanks, but i looked and couldn't find an alternator idler pulley/tensioner. The powersteering and a/c belts have them but i couldn't find one on the alternator.

Can anyone who has a 89-90 help me out with this?

thanks again for the replies, they were helpful but maybe the 91+ ka's have three tensioners and the sohc ka's don't?