I've replaced the serpentine belt before on a 1988 S-10 with a 4.3 V6, but the belt on this 98 Tahoe with a 5.7 V8 has me stumped. On the 4.3, all I had to do was put a breaker bar on the tensioner, rotate it CCW, and the belt would loosen and come right off. On this truck, however, when I try to do that, all I wind up doing is loosening the bolt holding the tensioner on. The Haynes manual for this truck tells me to do exactly what I just did.

Is there a special procedure for changing the belt on this engine?

 

pull the other way on the tensioner

 

There should be a square hole on the tensioner arm. Insert a 3/8" wrench or breaker bar into the hole and then turn it CCW.

 

ah i had 5.3 on the mind...thats the 15mm you turn clockwise my bad