hey all, does anyone know how many bolts are on the power steering and ac compressor bracket? ive already got the ac removed and am trying to get the ps pump off at the moment. i only see 2 bolts so far and am curious if thats it.

Thanks

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1998, 2WD, 5sp, 2.5L, 135k as of 12/29/2012

I found this post while searching....It helped me. The following is the procedure that I used to swap out the timing belt,
timing belt tensioner, serpentine belt, and water pump on my 1997 Ranger with a 2.3L 4-cylinder engine. All fasteners on the truck are metric, so have your metric tools ready! It took me about 4 hours to do this job,
a pro mechanic can do it in about two. I had more time than money,
so I did it myself! The A/C compressor and power steering pump DO NOT need to be removed! They just need to unbolted and scooted over a bit.

Things you will need:

Gates timing belt kit. (belt and tensioner) $60.00
Gates serpente belt. $20.00
Water pump. $50.00
2 gallons of 50/50 mix anti-freeze 10-15.00 per gallon.
Tube of light grease for o-rings. (I had this on hand)

Metric tools.
Long 3/8" rachet extension.
1/2" breaker bar.
1/2" impact wrench.
Large 24mm socket.
Various visegrips and screwdrivers for hose clamps.

Procedure:

Remove 3 of the fan bolts. (a 10mm long wrench works good for this)
Remove the two fan shroud bolts above.
Remove the last fan bolt.
Remove the fan and fan shroud.
Remove the fan pulley.
Remove the serpente belt.
Drain the radiator.
Remove the top radiator hose.
Remove the bottom radiator hose.
Remove the top two bolts and pull the radiator.
Remove the 4 bolts holding the A/C compressor, but DO NOT disconect any of the hoses.

Remove the bolts for the A/C and power steering pump bracket. It is not necessary to remove the A/C and power steering pump, you just need to be able to move them out of the way a bit. There are three 13mm bolts and one 10mm bolt holding the brackets on. One of the 13mm bolts is directly under the A/C compressor. The 10mm bolt is down and
to the right of the one under the A/C compressor. The last two bolts are down by the power steering pump.

Remove the harmonic balancer. An impact wrench and 24mm socket is required. The bolt may be too tight for the impact wrench. If it does not come out, try heating it with a torch. If that does not work, use the 24mm socket with a large breaker bar. Brace the breaker bar against the frame, and quickly bump the starter. This should break the bolt loose. (this trick worked for me) The balancer is not pressed on, and can
be removed at this time. You may need to tap it a few times with a rubber mallet.

Remove the two bolts holding the timing belt cover.
Un-do the snaps holding the timing belt cover.
Remove the timing belt cover.

Now the engine needs to be aligned BEFORE the timing belt is taken off! There are timing marks to use to align the engine. Screw the harmonic balancer bolt back in the crank and use it to crank the engine over by hand. Turn the engine over until the keyway on the crank is straight up, and diamonds are aligned on the other two pulleys.

Remove the two bolts holding the timing belt tensioner, and remove the belt tensioner.
Remove the old timing belt.

Put the new timing belt tensioner on. Screw in the bolt and spring all the way tight, then back off one turn. Use a long 3/8" socket extension to use as a lever to push the tensioner over. Then put the other tensioner bolt in while holding the lever. Use the lever to push the tensioner to the end of it's adjustment slot, then tighten
the bolt.

Now put the new timing belt on. Start at the crank, and work up and clockwise, keeping the belt tight as not to screw up the alignment of the pulleys. Now loosen the bolts on the belt tensioner a bit and let the tensioner take up the slack in the belt.

Crank the engine over a few revolutions to let the belt and tensioner settle in. Recheck the alighnment of timing marks. If it's off, fix it now!

Now replace the water pump. You may think that if it's not leaking to leave it alone. WRONG! The tension of the new sertentne belt on the OLD water pump bearing will wear it out and it will be leaking within a week. If you don't want to tear it down again in a week, the spend 50 bucks and put a new water pump on!

Remove the two small 8mm bolts under the alternator that hold the bottom raditor hose tube on. This will be hard to remove. Twist it back and forth and pull it out.

Remove the three bolts holding the water pump on.
Remove the water pump.
Lightly grease the o-rings for the new water pump.
Install the o-rings in the new water pump.
Put some teflon tape on the three water pump bolts.
Install the water pump and tighten the bolts.
Lightly grease the bottom radiator hose tube, the end that will be inserted in the water pump.
Install bottom raditor hose tube.

Now put her back together!

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Red 1994 Mazda B2300 Base Model With A/C--2.3L--140cid-100hp--4Cyl--D.I.S. Engine Code [A]--Bosch (4505) Fusion Iradium Spark Plugs-- "Cheap" 8mm Silicone Plug Wires--Gatorback Belt--Blocked Off/Disabled EGR Valve--Coil Mod--Throttle Cable Mod--Magnaflow Muffler/No CAT--5 Speed M5R1-RWD--3.45 Non Limited Slip Rear End---Lowered 5" Rear 3 1/2" Front---269,000 Miles as of 11/1/2013---If its a Ford you will need to keep a lot of tools and a good fire extinguisher handy.

Damn, thanks man that pretty much covers it all. Ive already removed the timing belt cover but have not removed the harmonic balancer yet, or the radiator. I'm curious if i can do this with the radiator still in, or if i should just pull it out. Also, ive been cranking over the engine by hand and when the cam triangles are lined up, the diamonds on the aux shaft are slightly offset. They are pretty close, but not spot on. I'm curious if this is an issue. I would like to note that im not replacing this belt as a maintenance because it is due, but because my truck stalled and wouldnt start back up on me while on the road. After pulling back the timing belt cover a bit, i found that the belt was pretty loose.

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1998, 2WD, 5sp, 2.5L, 135k as of 12/29/2012

If the belt is "pretty" loose right now that is bad...thats BAD! and you want to do the tensioner while your doing the belt. It just makes good sense. Both pulleys AND your crankshaft keyway should be spot on!! A tooth off one way or the other the motor will usually idle. But motor has no power and will run like crap/backfire ect. OH a correction! The above says to install the belt in a clockwise fashion. THATS a TYPO Start at the crank and go counter clockwise so all the teeth and cogs line up tight before you release the tension on the idelr pully. I used a wooden hammer handle against the wheel on the new tensioner pulley and pushed to the left with all my might and my girlfriend tightend the bolt that holds it out of the way. THEN I started threading the new belt on snuggly held the slck tight and loosend that bolt to let the tensioner release and put pressure on the belt. With the pulley still off the crank put the bolt back in and turn the crank clockwise a few times and make sure all your marks line up still. Without removing the radiator you wont be able to get that big cheap harbor freight impact gun in there. Thats for sure! I didnt use my impact gun. I used a big breaker bar to bust it loose and a long tourque wrench AND lock tite to reinstall. The radiator is so easy to take out I just did it so I could clean the inside AND the fins....shroud....timing belt cover and inspected both hoses. I used new clamps is all. All my stuff looked OK. Please dont dump coolant on the ground. What drips/spills towel it up! It is sweet and atracts animals...and it will kill them in a slow painful cruel way.

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Red 1994 Mazda B2300 Base Model With A/C--2.3L--140cid-100hp--4Cyl--D.I.S. Engine Code [A]--Bosch (4505) Fusion Iradium Spark Plugs-- "Cheap" 8mm Silicone Plug Wires--Gatorback Belt--Blocked Off/Disabled EGR Valve--Coil Mod--Throttle Cable Mod--Magnaflow Muffler/No CAT--5 Speed M5R1-RWD--3.45 Non Limited Slip Rear End---Lowered 5" Rear 3 1/2" Front---269,000 Miles as of 11/1/2013---If its a Ford you will need to keep a lot of tools and a good fire extinguisher handy.

hmm, now i wonder if i should take off this old belt, and manually align each of the sprockets independently of each other, then put on the new belt in a clockwise fashion starting with the crank? Do you think this could be the reason why it stalled and wouldnt start back up?

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1998, 2WD, 5sp, 2.5L, 135k as of 12/29/2012

Yes take old one off then make sure cam and oil pump is align. And make sure the crank is align and is TDC top dead center. Then put new belt on. This part is tricky what i did is move cam back two teeth notch then put belt on then it should line up hopefully double check all align marked is point right at it.

Using DROID BIONIC. 1998 Ford Ranger 2.5

__________________
1998 Ford Ranger 2.5
How To: Dual ignition Plug mod (Dual plug 2.3/2.5L only)
http://www.fordrangerforum.com/how-s...2-5l-only.html

Loosen the bolt (big one first turn it a 1/4 turn or so) then loosen the smaller bolt on the tensioner a full turn or so.. push your tensioner pulley back to the left to release pressure on the belt and retighten it to hold it in that position. Take off the old belt and finish backing off the bolts to change out the tesioner. Put the new tensioner in and do the same (pushing it to the left then tighten the bolt to hold it out of the way until you thread your new belt on)... COUNTER CLOCKWISE! Starting with the crank....then the oil pump pulley....then the cam pulley... LAST release the tensioner bolt to put pressure on the belt. I didnt have to go forward or back any teeth to line mine up. But do what ever works for you. When you are doing it this way (with the belt off) and lining up reference marks on both the other pulleys. 1. Make SURE your crank is positioned TDC with the key pointing straight up at 12 Oclock!. CHECK to make sure all the pulley points are DEAD ON. Then screw in the crank bolt. Take your rachet with big socket and go ONE FULL revolution of the crank so it is in the 12 O clock position again. (Taking out the passenger plugs will release compression and make this part 10 times easier. And you can check compression at this point if you have a tester) Are the points on the other 2 pulleys still DEAD ON when the crank returns to TDC? Remember the crank turns once for every time the cam turns twice so you could be 180 degrees wrong without checking it. Do this a couple of times. (Turning the crank ONE full revolution) and looking at the other 2 pulleys. As a matter of fact once I checked and was satisfied I fired my motor up for 20 seconds or so with no water pump ,hoses or accessories attached. To make sure it was right and was gonna start and run before I put it all back together. SEE! I told you how easy this was! Its a FORD get used to working on it! Lol

__________________
Red 1994 Mazda B2300 Base Model With A/C--2.3L--140cid-100hp--4Cyl--D.I.S. Engine Code [A]--Bosch (4505) Fusion Iradium Spark Plugs-- "Cheap" 8mm Silicone Plug Wires--Gatorback Belt--Blocked Off/Disabled EGR Valve--Coil Mod--Throttle Cable Mod--Magnaflow Muffler/No CAT--5 Speed M5R1-RWD--3.45 Non Limited Slip Rear End---Lowered 5" Rear 3 1/2" Front---269,000 Miles as of 11/1/2013---If its a Ford you will need to keep a lot of tools and a good fire extinguisher handy.

Ya this sounded alot scarier than what it turned out to be. I'm curious about something though. My timing belt is pretty loose and the truck will only start up for a brief moment and then die. I take it back about the timing marks being slightly off, i think the angle i was viewing them at made them look offset. Everything seems to line up. Im wondering why my engine would fail to stay running, even with a loose timing belt, if all of the marks are still lined up? unless of course it slipped exactly enough teeth to fall back into alignment.

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1998, 2WD, 5sp, 2.5L, 135k as of 12/29/2012

Sounds like needs new timing belt. And make sure all marks are line up and belt is tight.

Using DROID BIONIC. 1998 Ford Ranger 2.5

__________________
1998 Ford Ranger 2.5
How To: Dual ignition Plug mod (Dual plug 2.3/2.5L only)
http://www.fordrangerforum.com/how-s...2-5l-only.html

Hmmm.... Dont know why your truck started and only ran a few seconds. But your belt needs to be TIGHT! If its not something is up. Sure you got the correct NEW belt? You got a NEW tensioner and installed correctly so the spring is shoving it against the belt like it should be? It should have been hard as crap to push that new tensioner over to the left far enough to be out of your way....I had to use BOTH hands and have someone else tighten the bolt! Even if your old tensioner seemed OK, a NEW belt might wear out the bearing prematurely. And you dont want to pull this apart again. Be sure your marks... ALL of them are SPOT ON....and your timing belt is TIGHT! You dont want to run the motor very long. Remember your not running coolant through the block or heads with all the componants off.

Ill be installing the new belt tomorrow (hopefully). its pretty damn cold up here.

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1998, 2WD, 5sp, 2.5L, 135k as of 12/29/2012

Cool. Yep i know its pretty dam cold here too. Love to work on my truck

Using DROID BIONIC. 1998 Ford Ranger 2.5

__________________
1998 Ford Ranger 2.5
How To: Dual ignition Plug mod (Dual plug 2.3/2.5L only)
http://www.fordrangerforum.com/how-s...2-5l-only.html