Unlike many of today's vehicles, which feature a single serpentine belt, the 1973 Ford 302 was equipped with a V-belt that wraps around a pulley at the front of the alternator, a pulley on the end of the water pump and a pulley on the end of the crankshaft. A worn belt can usually be identified by small cracks. Eventually those cracks will increase in length and the belt will break. Fortunately the 1973 302's design is fairly simple, making installation of a replacement V-belt a straightforward task.
Tools Used: Wrench, Metal pry bar
Install V-Belt
Loosen the single retaining bolt on the top of the front of the alternator with a wrench. Loosen the single tension adjustment bolt on the bottom of the front of the alternator with a wrench. Push the alternator towards the engine until the V-belt slackens.
Lift the V-belt off the alternator's pulley. Lower the bottom of the V-belt off the crankshaft pulley. Lift the V-belt off the water pump pulley, then pull the belt over the fan blades. Guide the new V-belt over the fan blades and onto the water pump pulley.
Insert the bottom of the belt into the crankshaft pulley. Insert the top of the belt into the alternator's pulley. Insert a metal pry bar between the front of the side of the alternator and the engine.
Lift the bottom of the alternator away from the engine with the pry bar to tighten the belt. Tighten the upper and lower alternator bolts with a wrench while maintaining pressure on the V-belt with the pry bar.
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