Okay, i'm a little new to the ford truck world. Just ordered a Gatorback Serpentine belt to replace the worn stock belt. Read that the gatorback was a decent belt, not to mention cheaper than the one at my local parts store. But looking under the hood, it seems the tensioner faces backwards toward the motor and then the fan and shroud seem to make it more of a project. Now i know i can work around all this if need be, but is there a convenient trick to making the belt swap any easier when the new belt gets in?

 

gatorback belt is a great belt, i had one on my old truck, it never squeaked or anything from the day i put it on till the day i sold it

 

For another $21.00, get yourself a Haynes repair manual at your local Autozone or Pep Boys. It walks you through changing this belt, plus all the other possible repairs you'll want to do.

Pictures too!

 

The belt comes right out once you relieve the pressure on the tensioner. If you turn the the pulley nut counter clockwise (v8) or clockwise (v6) the belt will loosen and your radiator shroud should have a diagram for routing the belt