My friend brought his 2000 Protege over for us to change the alternator belt. I made the correct bolts loose and the alternator was moved towards the front to remove the belt BUT it will NOT move forward enough to get the belt off. It hits the engine before the belt is loose enough to be removed. Just a little more and I could get the belt off. The belt on the alternator is the correct belt according to the numbers printed on it. I know it is the original alternator. Anyone else have this problem and what is the solution? I could take the bottom bolt off and wiggle the alternator to get the belt off but who in their right mind would design a car that requires you to do that to change a belt?

 

Why does it not move forward enough? is it at the end of the long hole in the bracket?
I know you need to loosen the lower mounting bolt on the '98 protege. You have probably done that. I got there from below the car.

Also: cut the belt off, then measure the length in mm. That should match the number on the belt. If it does not match and your measurement is shorter, then you know the factory screwed up.

 

That's the crazy part. The belts are the same size (we used a piece of string to measure both) There is about an inch in the slot that the bolt rides in, but the engine blocks the alternator from going forward enough to take off the belt. Since no one said they had a similar problem, we have come to the conclusion that the engine is not the original engine and was replaced with another type Mazda engine. That Protege is so fast it is insane. It will get a wheelie from a standing start and has outrun high powered cars in short distances. We have decided to drop the alternator and replace the belt that way rather than try to find out the type of engine, etc. etc. etc.. It's a lot of trouble, but it should not have to be done again any time soon.

 

Take a picture of that engine and look for the engine number somewhere on the block.