The alternator went out on my wifes 1995 850 turbo.
How in the hell do you replace it? I found this write up but I cannot get the serp. belt off to save my life.
What tool do you need to loosen the belt?
Here is thew write up I found but all it says is to remove the belt.

Alternator Replacement - Volvospeed Forums

 

Try reading this write-up. Link to page 3 attached. There is a tool required, but hand-made for this job. Hope that helps...

http://www.tracystruesoaps.com/tutorials/850hg/p3.html

 

DUDE!!! Awesome!!! Thank you SO very much!!!

 

Go to step 6 here to see what I used.
Timing belt replacement instructions on a 1997 Volvo 960

 

What is that? edit: oil drain plug threaded into nut?

I saw a serpentine belt kit that said it had a 3/4" square adapter, at Sears I think. It was like 60 bucks....I didn't buy it. I've always found something or other to rig it when I pull the belt off, and it's always a PITA.

 

Thanks guys, I will let you know how it goes.
I'm going to the hardware tomorrow morning to buy something square to fit so I can loosen the belt.

 

I was digging through my bag of junk and found that plumbing plug. Just find something that fits in the hole and put a pipe wrench on it. You only have to turn it long enough to put a pin/nail in it.

 

Went to Home Depot, bought a 4ft long piece of aluminum square stock.
Cut it to length,to long.
Cut a shorter piece, filed the corners alittle so it fit.
Dropped it, cant pick it up with the magnet because it is aluminum, fight for 15 min trying to get it out, laying in a puddle of engine coolant and melted snow.
Finally got the stock dug out and in the hole, not a easy job because there is no space.
Put a crescent wrench on it and bent the stock.

I am done, it is parked until next Sat. when I can take it in to have the used alt put on the car.
It should not be this hard to replace a alternator, I've replaced lots of them, on my Land Rover I can change it in 15 min in the parking lot of the parts store.

I've rebuilt engines, I grew up on a farm as we did all of our own work but for the life of me I cannot replace this stupid alternator!!
WHY????
Ok, I've vented.
Thank you for all of the help guys.

 

In case anyone is interested I found this.
VOLVO SERPENTINE BELT TOOL 4708 | eBay
It is the special tool for removing the belt tension.

 

Normally I resist buying specialty tools...but I've fought with that thing enough. I want something I can use quickly on the side of the road when it's cold and raining. :P

Bought it.

 

If we were keeping the car for the long haul I too would buy the tool, but we are not.
We hope to have this huge POS gone by the end of the year.
We bought a bad car, we had no idea and we regret its purchase.
Its not the cars fault, it is the half dozen or so owners who had it before us and did not take care of her.
It is just more time and money than we want to put into her and we need something bigger with the addition of our baby last fall anyway.
The list of needed repairs is as long as my arm and will cost more than the car is worth.

 

Or replace the tensioner with one that uses a 1/2" drive breaker bar to release tension. That would be around 75 bucks on rockauto but you'd have a new spring, bearing and you could deduct the cost of the new tool.

I've managed with a pry bar on the pulley but it's not very safe. That 20 dollar tool is looking better and better.

 

That would be nice but I'd be farther ahead if I just bought the tool you know?
The belt was new when we bought the car so I never even thought about taking the belt off. lol

 

Well got the alt and the bad hub assembly replaced last night.
Only took 5 hours, 1 18" pizza and a case of beer.
The hub was done in about 30min, the rest of the time was doing the stupid alternator.
We used a big pry bar to push the tensioner back to loosen the belt and a nail to hold it in place with the lock hole thingy that is in the tensioner.
One mistake we made was not writing down the way the belt was routed, we spent over a hour trying to get the belt back on.

The car still veers to the right if you let go of the steering wheel, but the noise of the bad hub is gone.

Thank you for all of the help guys.

 

Good to hear you got your parts replaced. You'll have to go get an algnment done. They'll tell you if you have something else replaced.

 

We already had a alignment, did struts and a tie rod this summer, then a alignment a few weeks later.
They said the car was not that far out of spec in the front but the back is way out but there is no adjustment for it because it is a solid axle.
If you let go of the steering wheel the car will be in the ditch in less than 100ft.
It is almost undrivable in the snow, it was not this way before the struts so I have no idea what happened, the shop didnt even touch the back.
We assumed it was the tie rod being replaced and that it was just our of adjustment and a alignment would cure it, just like any other car I had tie rods replaced on.
I've rotated the tires, checked tire PSI...nothing helps.
We wont even drive this thing out of the city anymore.

 

Take it to a different shop, maybe something local and not a chain.

 

I have all of my work that I cant do done by a small indie shop, I never use chain shops as all they are out for is your money, the small guy wants your repeat business.

Are there adjustments for the rear axle?

 

What is the size of the square on the end of your tool ??

 

If your car is pulling to either direction you have an alignment issue or you have a bad part somewhere. Maybe your guy is not compident in that matter. Large shops and chains have work integrity and DO want repeat and referral business. So they do have a desire to do you and the job right.