The GRAND CONSPIRACY to keep me from changing my WATER PUMP
 

Hey All,
I got an 87 S10 Blazer peeing out the weep hole, so I figgered I'd do the water pump myself.

No big deal, right? I go down to Autozone, pick up a Haynes, a water pump and gasket, come back and get started.

I thumb through to the water pump removal page, and there is NO MENTION of the serpentine belt. No big deal, right? I go to the GLOSSARY. No serpentine OR belt reference there. No big deal, right? I go to google, and EVERY reference, picture or set of instructions is for EVERY OTHER TRUCK, BUT mine. No big deal, right?

I go to YOUTUBE, and EVERY reference, picture, video or set of instructions is for EVERY OTHER TRUCK, BUT mine. No big deal... right.

I come HERE, search every conceivable combination of S10, Blazer, 1987, and STUPID OWNER, and EVERY reference, picture or set of instructions is for EVERY OTHER TRUCK, BUT mine.

This is BEGINNING to be a big deal.

I SEE the serpentine belt tensioner on the bottom left of the face of the block (as I stand in front, scratching my head). It has a TORQ star fitting in the center that I have tried to turn, but it seems to LOOSEN the tensioner, as in UNBOLT FROM THE BLOCK, COME FLYING OFF ALL WILLY NILLY AND SEND ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM loosen.

Somebody jump in and save me a trip.:icon_wheel: :icon_errrr:

Look for a square hole on the tensioner.

Your 3/8 ratchet will fit in the square hole to pull the tension off the tensioner.no need to loosen the bolt.

LOL ok so i wasnt the only one in that boat... couple years ago i tried taking the belt off for the first time and had the same problem. but yes like presti said there is a square hole on the pulley part of the tensioner, stick socket wrench in, then pull towards the passenger side of the car.

On my 87 and 91 you just put a wrench on the bolt holding the pulley on and pull that to the pass side to get the belt off. I've never seen a square hole on any of the 1st gens i've owned. I wanna say its a 18mm but i'm often wrong.

I second this!

make sure you even have a tensioner. my 85 with the 2.8 had a serpentine belt but it was tightened by swiveling the alternator like the older vehicles used to do it

also when you take those bolts out of the waterpump. make sure you set them aside how you take them out. i believe the 2.8 is all different sized bolts

87 was the first year of a true serpt belts. 2.8 has 3 different sixed bolts. Mine factory had torx bolts and i don't remember those (long been swapped out) later models has metric hex heads (8, 13, 15 again by memory so count me wrong). I suggest if you have torx bolts go ahead and get the hex heads they are easier to get out after they rust up.