How to Change the Belt on a 2007 F-150 XL 4.2 V6

Iskandar Blogger 9:27 AM

The Ford F-150 arrived in 1975, as a 'tweener pickup truck. It was larger and more rugged than the base-level F-100, but not quite as large and heavy-duty as the F-250. The F-150's sales took off at a rate so impressive that Ford eliminated the F-100 just nine years later. At the time of publication, the F-150 has held the title as America's best-selling pickup truck for three decades. The 2007 F-150 -- three years removed from a much-needed redesign -- came standard with a 202-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-6. This engine used a single belt to drive all of the trucks accessories. Replacing this serpentine belt is straightforward, but use care to route it correctly.

Instructions

    1

    Open the F-150's hood and find the drive belt routing diagram on the cooling fan shroud. If there is no diagram, use a paper and pen to draw your own drive belt routing diagram -- draw all of the pulleys, and how the belt routes around each pulley.

    2

    Find the belt tensioner pulley assembly -- the pulley-and-arm assembly between the alternator and lower idler pulley. Place a ratchet and socket on the bolt in the center of the tensioner pulley, and rotate the pulley counterclockwise to relieve the tension on the serpentine belt.

    3

    Pull the serpentine belt off all of the pulleys on the front of the engine, around the cooling fan and out of the engine compartment. Allow the tensioner pulley to rotate slowly clockwise until it stops moving -- never allow the pulley to snap back into place, as this may cause damage to the tensioner pulley assembly.

    4

    Guide a new serpentine belt around the cooling fan and onto all of the accessory pulleys on the front of the engine -- except the tensioner pulley -- following the belt routing diagram.

    5

    Hold the slack in the belt near the tensioner tight with one hand, as you rotate the tensioner pulley counterclockwise with a ratchet and socket with your other hand. Line the belt up with the tensioner pulley and allow the pulley to rotate slowly toward the belt until it contacts the belt and applies tension to the belt. Remove the ratchet and socket from the pulley.