How to Replace the Water Pump Belt on a 95 Camry

The 1995 Toyota Camry came equipped with three different drive belts to operate the engine accessories. The first belt operates the alternator and the water pump. The second belt operates the air conditioner compressor and the third belt operates the power steering pump. The alternator belt and the air conditioner belt are both routed around the water pump pulley, but the water pump is powered by the crankshaft via the alternator belt only. The alternator-water pump belt can be removed and replaced by adjusting the slide bracket on the front of the alternator.

Instructions

1

Park the 1995 Toyota Camry on a level surface and shut the engine off. Wait for the engine to cool down.

2

Raise the hood and locate the alternator on the left side of the engine near the passenger-side windshield. Locate the slide bracket on the top front of the alternator and the alternator pivot bolt on the bottom front of the alternator. The alternator slide bracket has a locking bolt in the center of the bracket.

3

Loosen the pivot bolt a couple of turns with a ratchet and a socket -- just loose enough for the alternator to pivot when it is moved with the pry bar.

4

Loosen the alternator slide bracket locking bolt with the ratchet and socket. Push the alternator toward the water pump with your hands. The water pump is the component on the upper right-hand side of the alternator. Pushing the alternator over with your hands will release the tension from the belt.

5

Pull the belt off of the alternator pulley, water pump pulley and the bottom crankshaft pulley. Pull the belt straight out of the engine compartment and compare the old belt to the new belt to ensure the proper size.

6

Route the new water pump belt around the bottom crankshaft pulley first, then around the water pump pulley and the alternator pulley. Slide the end of a crowbar under the right-hand side of the alternator, between it and the engine block. Pry the alternator over with one hand until the belt is tight. Tighten the alternator slide bracket lock bolt with the other hand and a ratchet and a socket.

7

Slowly release the pry bar from the alternator. Check the tension of the water pump belt by pushing inward on the belt with your hand. The belt should have no more than a half-inch of slack in it. If the belt has more than a half-inch of slack, readjust as needed. Tighten the locking bolt and the alternator pivot bolt with the ratchet and socket.

8

Inspect the belt to ensure that it is properly seated inside of all three pulleys. Crank the engine and watch the belt for about 30 seconds to ensure that the belt remains seated with the engine running. Turn the engine off and close the hood.