Belt tensioner.... help?

[guæag]

I have a 96 grand am, V6 and the belt tensioner came loose..
It came almost off, but the insede of the tensioner is still attached to the engine, so now I cant get the tensioner on agin, and it sits wedged between the engine and the inner fender..

How do you remove the tensioner without pulling the engine out of the car?

thanks in advance...

[rixGAphx]

I don't know how tightly it's wedged.

On my '96, to change the undamaged tensioner I came at it from the passenger wheel well.
Jack up the car and support on jackstand. Remove wheel, then fiddle around and remove the plastic 'underbody' splash shield.

There's a hole, about 1" diameter, *near* the tensioner bolt. It didn't align for me, might for you.

You should buy a complete replacement tensioner, not just the pulley.
Therefore, everything existing but the bolt is trash, and you may have to take it out in pieces.

-Rick