replacing an alternator belt

could anyone explain the steps neccessary to replace an alternator belt.
lord knows i cant afford to take it anywhere, so any help is greatly appreciated - thank u in advance

ps - diagrams or schematics would be helpful.:biggrin:

The best thing for you to do is go to your local parts store and buy a repair manual for your car. Chiltons makes good ones so does Haynes. They can tell you how to make a lot of repairs yourself with diagrams and clear instructions.

There should be a serpentine belt routing decal on the rad support or on the strut tower. If it is missing, make a note of the routing on a piece of paper and keep it handy. There is a special tool that goes on the tensioner and with that you can release the tension on the belt and slip it off one of the pulleys. Installation is the reverse. You can release the tensioner by using a 5/8 wrench and "double wrenching". It is a little harder but cheaper. Good Luck.

Thanks for the help guys.
There was no decal or diagram.
I drew down how it looked and found it in one of the haynes guides up at the store (they actually had one open).
Put the belt on and i'm good to go.

Good stuff. Don't hessitate to call on us.