The 1997 was the first year of a new era for the F-150. Gone was the old-style boxy F-150 of old and in came an all new rounded body style. Also new on the 1997 F-150 was a base level 4.2-liter V-6 engine that cranked out 202 horsepower. The Idler pulley on the 4.2-liter engine helps keep the serpentine belt in-line with the generator and air-conditioning compressor and prevents the belt from wildly bouncing up and down as the engine runs. Removing the idler pulley from the 1997 F-150 is a snap, once you get the serpentine belt off.
Instructions
Removal
- 1
Park the F-150 on a level surface and open the hood. Draw a diagram of the serpentine belts routing, using a pen and paper.
2Find the serpentine belt tensioner just below the alternator pulley. Place a breaker bar and socket on the bolt in the center of the tensioner pulley and rotate the breaker bar counterclockwise to relieve tension from the belt. Pull the serpentine belt off of all the pulleys.
3Allow the breaker bar to slowly rotate clockwise until the tensioner reaches its resting position.
4Inspect the serpentine belt for any defects, including: missing chunks of rubber, fraying, splitting or breakage. If any defects exist, replace the serpentine belt with a new one.
5Remove the bolt in the center of the idler pulley, using a ratchet and socket. Pull the idler pulley from the truck.
Installation
- 6
Line up the idler pulleys bolt hole with its mounting hole on the engine. Hand-tighten the idler pulleys mounting bolt, then torque it to between 35 and 46 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.
7Route the serpentine belt around all of the pulleys except the tensioner pulley, using your diagram as a reference.
8Rotate the tensioner counterclockwise with a breaker bar and socket, then align the serpentine belt with the tensioner pulley. Allow the tensioner pulley to rotate clockwise until it holds tension on the serpentine belt.
