Chrysler Repair: Alternator/serpentine belt installation or diagram for van, crankshaft pulley, crank pulley

Question
Hi,

In trying to install the serpentine belt on a '97 Chrysler Town & Country van...I need a diagram or directions on installing this belt. Could you please help me!?!?

Thank you,  

Answer
Hi Tony,
Two difficulties I have: which engine do you have? There are two different possibilities for the serpentine, 3.0, and 3.3/3.8L engines. Second, the best I can do are written descriptions because I can't post pictures.
Take a look at the site Autozone.com where if you state your engine there is a good chance they will show you a drawing.
Here is a description for the 3.0L:
The path of pulleys around which the belt goes (beginning with the crankshaft pulley, and moving clockwise around the array of pulleys) is in this order:
tensioner pulley (belt goes around the pulley counter-clockwise)
power steering pulley (belt goes...clockwise)
alternator (belt...clockwise)
idler pulley (belt going under the pulley)
and back to the crank pulley (belt...clockwise).
Sorry I don't have a scanner but this should serve the purpose, I hope. To get enough slack to install the belt rotate the arm that holds the tensioner pully clockwise against the spring tension.
Here is a description for the 3.3/3.8L:
The manual suggest that you first lift the vehicle  to remove the splash shield.
To remove the belt you find the tensioner pulley and put a wrench on the nut that is centered on its shaft (this is the pulley that is located about 11:00 o'clock relative to the crankshaft pulley and when you put a clockwise tension on that nut the spring-loaded pulley arm will rotate toward the front of the van and thus if the belt were still on would relieve the tension. Because the belt is off you won't need to do this now, but later once you have the belt around nearly all the other pulleys you will do this to allow you to slip the belt over the last pulley, then release the wrench to allow the tensioner to take up all the slack, automatically.
The path of the belt is (starting at the crankshaft and going clockwise from the lower side of that pulley), up and over the tensioner pulley counterclockwise, down and clockwise  around the pulley that is the lowest-rearmost pulley (power steering?), up and clockwise around the alternator pulley, down and forward at a 45 degree angle and under a small pulley (counterclockwise) that looks like an idler pulley, up and over the a/c compressor pulley clockwise), over the top of the water pump pulley (counterclockwise) and you are back under the crank pulley where you began (clockwise). The "wises" are not based on the actual rotation of the pulleys when the engine is running (but rather just the static 'path' of the belt; there is an arrow in the drawing that appears to show the crankshaft turns counterclockwise when the engine is running but I can't be sure of that, you can, and so if that is the case all the "wises" are actually reversed when the belt is moving if that is correct).
I hope this helps you out.
Roland