The 1992 Acura Integras accessory drive system comprises three serpentine belts, each driving a different component. The Integras AC belt is the third belt in progression, closest to the timing belt cover on the crankshaft pulley. You will need to remove the power steering and alternator belts to replace the AC belt. Examine all accessory drive belts periodically for cracks in the grooved area and unusual wear. The 1992 Integra was available in two engine sizes, the 1.8-liter and the 1.7-liter VTEC. The VTEC is one of the first engines with variable camshaft timing. The procedure remains the same for either engine, however, since they share the same engine block.
Instructions
- 1
Loosen the lug nuts one turn on the drivers side front wheel using a lug wrench. Raise the drivers side of the car with a floor jack and place a jack stand under the sub frame directly behind the front tire. Lower the car so it rests on the stand. Continue the removal of the lug nuts on the drivers side wheel and ultimately the wheel.
2Remove the inner splash shield using a 10 mm socket. Remove the power steering belt. Each of these belts has a different tensioning procedure. For the power steering pump, look at the left side of the pump. Notice that on the backside of the pump, there are two slotted brackets mounted on the engine. The bolts pass through the slotted brackets and into the rear of the pump. This is how the pump is adjusted; it swings in and arcs up and down to increase or decrease tension. Loosen these two bolts with a socket and push the power steering pump down to loosen its tension on the belt. Lift the belt off the pump and crankshaft pulley.
3Remove the alternator belt. The alternator is a little different. It has one slotted bracket on the top rear of the alternator and a long swivel bolt on the bottom. Both bolts are installed from the rear of the alternator forward. Loosen the nut on the bottom bolt as seen from the front of the alternator using a socket.
4Loosen the top tensioner bolt from the backside of the alternator enough to allow the alternator to swivel downward in the slotted bracket to release the tension. Lift the belt off.
5Remove the air-conditioning belt. This belts tension comes from an adjustable tensioner bracket. Notice the round wheel on the end of an arm, the arm attached to the top of the AC compressor-mounting bracket with a bolt. The bolt goes straight in from the front. Look just to the left and slightly higher than the bolt and see a bolt in a slightly less than vertical position running down right behind the bracket. This is the tensioner bolt. As the bolt is turned down clockwise, the bottom of the bolt pushes on an arm of the tensioner, which results in the tensioner wheel lifting upward and applying tension to the belt. Turning the bolt counterclockwise loosens the tension. In order to adjust the tension, the front-tensioner arm bolt must be loosened first. Loosen the front-tensioner arm bolt with a socket. Turn the tensioner bolt counterclockwise to loosen the tension and lift off the belt.
6Install the serpentine belt for the AC, making sure that the grooves in the belt mesh with those in the crankshaft and AC pulleys. All belts, when installed, must be in the grooves properly or they will wear rapidly. It is easy to see when aware of this. They must fit flat in the grooves.
7Turn the adjuster bolt clockwise until the belt begins to tighten. Keep checking the tension on the belt by pressing your thumb in the center of the belt between pulleys until it takes considerable pressure to deflect the belt three-eighths of an inch. Another check for tension is to attempt to twist the belt midway between pulleys. It should twist no more than 45 degrees. Keep tightening the tension a little at a time until the proper tension has been applied.
8Tighten the tensioner arm bolt -- the one securing the arm to the block -- to 30 foot-pounds of torque. Tension the remaining belts to the same amount of final tension.
9Install the alternator belt. Swing the alternator up to apply tension to the belt. It is easier to pry the alternator up slightly than to lift it by hand. Place the small pry bar under the alternator with the tip on the inside of the bracket. Pull up sparingly while pressing on the belt to feel the tension. When the tension is close, snug the top adjuster bolt down with a socket.
10Test the tension on the belt. Add or subtract tension by holding the alternator in position while loosening the adjuster bolt enough to allow the alternator to swivel. Pull up or allow it to move downward to adjust the tension. Tighten the alternator adjuster bolt to 18 foot-pounds of torque. Recheck the tension. Twist the belt. It should twist no more than 45 degrees. Tighten the lower nut on the alternator bracket to 30 foot-pounds of torque.
11Install the power steering belt. Turn the tensioner bolt clockwise until the tension is correct. Tighten the two rear bolts in the slotted bracket to 18 foot-pounds of torque.
12Install the inner splash shield. Install the wheel and lug nuts. Tighten the lug nuts as much as possible with the lug wrench so the car can be lowered, where the lug nuts will get a final torque. Lower the Integra and tighten the lug nuts to 80 foot-pounds of torque.
