Just replaced mine today on a 02 with about 73000 miles...it had a long crack.
Very important note: you have to get the OEM belt because the back of the belt has a hatched texture to make contact with the water pump pulley; using the aftermarket (Davco, gates, etc) which has a smooth back will cause belt slippage in a year or two. I have not put a part number here as you should give your vin number to your jeep dealer's parts guy to make you get the right belt.
Other tools include a serpentine belt tool (a long flat bar and some sockets, including the 15mm for the idler tensioner pulley)(at sears for 30 dollars), and a 13mm 1/2 socket and handle(if you want to replace the belt tensioner which I'd recommend if you need to replace the belt). I tried getting away without the serpentine tool and it didn't work; withe the tool it is much easier!
Be very careful about getting a aftermarket tensioner; I bought one at napa and the bearings had some play in them so make you check them at the counter before you pay for them! I ended up buying the oem part(insert part number here, made by davco) for about $100.
1. Remove key from ignition and remove negative terminal from battery (your hands will be between the fan blades
2. put 15mm socket in serpentine tool and put socket on the idler pulley on the left hand side. The tool should be pointing at about 1'o colock. (facing the rear) turn the tool clockwise to relieve tension on the belt so it can be slipped off the pulley.
3. remove belt. The way I did it was to take off the end near the a/c compressor and pass it towards the right.
*4. Compare the old belt with the new one to make sure it is identical in length, number of grooves, etc. Stop if they don't match exactly! Keep the old belt as a spare.
5. Remove belt tensioner. You will need a breaker bar (I doubt there is room) or the serpentine belt tool to break the bolt loose (13mm). Then there is just enough room for a 3/8 or 1/2 handle to undo the bolt.
6.Inspect old belt tensioner. make sure there is no bearing play, the pulleys spin smoothly, and it is quiet.
7. Inspect new tensioner. no point putting one in with bearing play!
8. pass new belt from left to right. make sure the back side is around the water pump (center) .
9.install new tensioner. Manual says 40nm but i just tightened her good.
10. with all the other pulleys correctly installed, use the serpentine tool to retract the tensioner pulley to give room to install the idler pulley.
11. final check to make sure all pulleys are on as on the diagram, and all tools removed. reinstall negative terminal.
12. start car to check everything is okay.
13. put away old belt in back of car as a spare.
14. pour yourself a cold one!
Very important note: you have to get the OEM belt because the back of the belt has a hatched texture to make contact with the water pump pulley; using the aftermarket (Davco, gates, etc) which has a smooth back will cause belt slippage in a year or two. I have not put a part number here as you should give your vin number to your jeep dealer's parts guy to make you get the right belt.
Other tools include a serpentine belt tool (a long flat bar and some sockets, including the 15mm for the idler tensioner pulley)(at sears for 30 dollars), and a 13mm 1/2 socket and handle(if you want to replace the belt tensioner which I'd recommend if you need to replace the belt). I tried getting away without the serpentine tool and it didn't work; withe the tool it is much easier!
Be very careful about getting a aftermarket tensioner; I bought one at napa and the bearings had some play in them so make you check them at the counter before you pay for them! I ended up buying the oem part(insert part number here, made by davco) for about $100.
1. Remove key from ignition and remove negative terminal from battery (your hands will be between the fan blades
2. put 15mm socket in serpentine tool and put socket on the idler pulley on the left hand side. The tool should be pointing at about 1'o colock. (facing the rear) turn the tool clockwise to relieve tension on the belt so it can be slipped off the pulley.
3. remove belt. The way I did it was to take off the end near the a/c compressor and pass it towards the right.
*4. Compare the old belt with the new one to make sure it is identical in length, number of grooves, etc. Stop if they don't match exactly! Keep the old belt as a spare.
5. Remove belt tensioner. You will need a breaker bar (I doubt there is room) or the serpentine belt tool to break the bolt loose (13mm). Then there is just enough room for a 3/8 or 1/2 handle to undo the bolt.
6.Inspect old belt tensioner. make sure there is no bearing play, the pulleys spin smoothly, and it is quiet.
7. Inspect new tensioner. no point putting one in with bearing play!
8. pass new belt from left to right. make sure the back side is around the water pump (center) .
9.install new tensioner. Manual says 40nm but i just tightened her good.
10. with all the other pulleys correctly installed, use the serpentine tool to retract the tensioner pulley to give room to install the idler pulley.
11. final check to make sure all pulleys are on as on the diagram, and all tools removed. reinstall negative terminal.
12. start car to check everything is okay.
13. put away old belt in back of car as a spare.
14. pour yourself a cold one!
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Finally got the new tensioner on this afternoon, had my son help me for a minute to hold the tensioner so I could get the belt onto all the pulleys. It is definitely a bear with the HD cooling setup, but it's on now. Hopefully go another 100k before I need to do that again.
