Questions and Answers

Mercury Sable Serpentine Belt Q. I have a 1997 Mercury Sable 3.0 liter over head valves,"not dual overhead cam". It also has air-conditioning. I have replaced several serpentine belts and haven't seen anything like this one before. The belt route looks about identical to you 1996 Taurus model. The tensioner on the 1997 Ford Ranger article looks like the one on my Mercury Sable.

How do I release the tension on this model to replace the belt? I see a 15mm nut and an allen wrench of some metric size also. The 15mm nut is in the middle of the pulley. Is this the one I turn clockwise? Does this loosen the pulley? Or do I have to hold the wrench and remove the belt with free hand?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

A. The book says "Using a 15 mm socket or wrench on bolt attaching drive belt tensioner pulley, rotate drive belt tensioner clockwise. Make sure spring keeper engages into slot." I would put a socket on the 15 mm pulley bolt and a long handle for leverage. Thats one tight spring.