Chrysler Repair: serpentine belt 99 chrysler sebring convertible, chrysler sebring convertible, crankshaft pulley

Question
Hi roland i have a question,my serpentine belt just snapped on my 99 chrysler sebring convertible.I was wanting to do the repair myself and have 2 questions,first,when the belt snapped is it normal for it to have streched a few inches?Because it just seems when i try to reloop it to see which pullys it sits on i end up w/about an extra 4-6 inches.The second question is where is the bolt located to loosen the pulley to slide the new belt on?Any help would be greatly appreciated because at the moment i am w/out vehicle PLEASE HELP!thanx a ton ZACK

Answer
Hi Zack,
Four to six inches seems like too much stretch. Are you sure that you are going around the idler pulley located between the generator and the ac unit (and slightly to the rear)? There may be a belt routing diagram on the underside of the hood of the car. I wouldn't expect that much length increase due to wear, but the question really is can you get the correct replacement belt and put it on to the correct tension?
To loosen the pulley, unscrew the bolt which is the shaft of the idler pulley which then allows it to be moved forward or back by means of the adjusting bolt that is horizontal on its housing. Tighten the adjusting bolt until when you put a straight edge between the crankshaft pulley and the generator pulley you can cause only about a 1/4" deflection of the belt when you use about 10 lbs of force to push down on it. Tighten the idler pulley bolt to 40 foot-lbs.
You will also have to remove the power steering belt to get to replace the other belt. It will help to remove the splash shield that surrounds the right front wheel inner housing. Just jack up the right wheel, remove it, then disconnect the screw-in and push-in fasteners to remove it from the fender and frame rail. That will give you better access. There is a top pivot bolt on the pump and two adjustment bolts on the bottom of the pump that need to be loosened (front and rear). There is a 1/2" square hole in the housing (just above the front lower bolt) into which you insert a ratchet to get the leverage to tighten the belt tension. The pivot bolt is tightened to 40 foot pounds, and the smaller of the adjustment bolts (rear) to 20 foot pounds and the larger (front) one to 40 foot pounds. The belt should deflect about 1/4" when pushed with 10 lbs of force midway between the pulleys.
Please let me know if I haven't answered your questions.
Roland