1996 Geo Prizm, Three Belts. How do I?

**Icy** · 08-21-2011, 02:13 PM

Ok, So i'm going crazy here. (Edited for Progress)

I grew up working on boats. Never had to really work on cars. Every belt I have ever changed was a single serpentine belt with one pulley, easy changes.

My G/F has a 1996 Geo Prizm (Toyota Corolla), 1.8L. I'm trying to change the belts out. I got the alternator belt and compressor belt off.

I'm still stuck trying to get the power steering belt off.

I can see where the slot bracket and have it loose for the power steering belt, but I don't know which is the pivot bolt. Anyone know where this is?

Anyone ever work on this type of car? Everything online seems to not help me at all.

**Icy** · 08-21-2011, 05:13 PM

Just stuck on the power steering pivot bolt now. Anyone before it gets dark?

Thanks

**Gfinch** · 08-21-2011, 06:30 PM

I just pull on the reservoir to pivot the pump. Or you could pull on the belt. Then push it back to tension it.

**Icy** · 08-21-2011, 08:15 PM

It wouldn't budge for anything even with the slot bolt loosened. The pivot bolt needed to be loosened, I deformed the nut on one side and the other side I tried everything in me to get it to break loose but I couldn't do it. Need some impact wrenches. Went 2/3 on the belt service. Only one needed it but still. I feel like I failed

.

What I would give for a serpentine belt...

Like a 7 hour job for this crap. EVERYTHING was frozen and no room at all, felt like I was picking the damn car up sometimes.

____

Are you saying all I needed to do was loosen the slot bolt and man handle it towards the engine? Maybe that's why I couldn't budge the bolt? I dunno...

Cars were never my thing unfortunately didn't get exposed to a lot of this. Everything is Serpentine belts now.

**Gfinch** · 08-21-2011, 09:20 PM

The piviot bolt is on the bottom under the pump. Goes in from the belt side, I belive the nut is welded to the bracket. Might be why you couldn't move it.

**Icy** · 08-21-2011, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Gfinch

The piviot bolt is on the bottom under the pump. Goes in from the belt side, I belive the nut is welded to the bracket. Might be why you couldn't move it.

Ok... So the ONLY nut I need to loosen is the one in the sliding bracket and it should slide? My overpriced book I bought says there is two, and I didn't try extremely hard but it wasn't budging when I was pulling it towards the block. I did notice the bolts didn't fit any sockets, no wonder...

If that's the case, I'll try again next weekend.

**Gfinch** · 08-21-2011, 10:31 PM

It's been a while so.... There is the bolt in the slotted arm on top. And a bolt down under the pulley, piviot bolt. It might have been tighted by some Sumu Wrestler but normally I just bump the pump in at the top to slacken the belt. Now IT IS A Prizm so it might have a different arrangement that I don't remember. I've slept since then!

**Icy** · 08-21-2011, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Gfinch

It's been a while so.... There is the bolt in the slotted arm on top. And a bolt down under the pulley, piviot bolt. It might have been tighted by some Sumu Wrestler but normally I just bump the pump in at the top to slacken the belt. Now IT IS A Prizm so it might have a different arrangement that I don't remember. I've slept since then!

That sounds exactly it. The back nut may be welded, which is why I may have damaged it. The front one (the bolt), I just couldn't get to budge. It was pretty tight in degrees of freedom and with a long socket the wrench assembly wouldn't fit because of the frame. I need an impact wrench because king kong tightened it and then it probably corrosion welded itself in place. All the other bolts were extremely difficult to loosen.

Oh well, sometime down the road when I have money for a compressor and stuff. The belt was in OK condition so I'll probably just keep an eye on it. I'll give it a shot next weekend since that slider bolt is easy to get to and just pulling on it a little.

Thanks for the clarity.

**hellnback** · 08-22-2011, 02:03 AM

I'm amazed there is still a GEO on the road

**Icy** · 08-22-2011, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by hellnback

I'm amazed there is still a GEO on the road

175k miles lol.

I agree man...

We're replacing it as soon as we're able.

**jorndy** · 12-04-2011, 06:42 AM

It may be to late for this but years back I remember some power steering pumps having two slider adjusting bolts and one pivot bolt, one slider that you could see on the top and another that screwed in from the back that you couldn't see. I've never done a Geo tho so I'm not sure about yours.

**Icy** · 02-01-2012, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by jorndy

It may be to late for this but years back I remember some power steering pumps having two slider adjusting bolts and one pivot bolt, one slider that you could see on the top and another that screwed in from the back that you couldn't see. I've never done a Geo tho so I'm not sure about yours.

Yeah, I was supposed to pivot it, but I didn't have a pry bar and after being in Wisconsin and Florida everything is frozen. I felt like i was about to pick up the car before some of the bolts let loose with the rust dust explosion included. I got 2/3 belts changed. I'll probably just keep an eye on the other as it was in good condition.

**jorndy** · 02-19-2012, 07:54 AM

Probably the best way to fix it is to remove the raidiatior cap, hold it up about three feet, and put another car under it!!

**Uncle Dave** · 03-29-2012, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by hellnback

I'm amazed there is still a GEO on the road

As Icy said- a Prizm is actually a Toyota Corolla.

UD

Thread:
1996 Geo Prizm, Three Belts. How do I?

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display