Squeaky belt help!?

[great white]

So, it squeals on the back side (IE: the flat side) only from your description.

Look closely at all the running surfaces that ride on the back of the belt (IE: non grooved pulleys).

If one of those components is going south on you, it will have increased turning resistance. This means it will slip on the belt. When it slips on the belt, it glazes the belt surface. a glazed belt surface will slip much easier. IOW, this all leads to the "squeal".

The water pump is one of those surfaces IIRC.

Your tensioner should also be running right about the middle of the indicator range for proper tension.

 

[Amp24 7]

So, it squeals on the back side (IE: the flat side) only from your description.

Look closely at all the running surfaces that ride on the back of the belt (IE: non grooved pulleys).

If one of those components is going south on you, it will have increased turning resistance. This means it will slip on the belt. When it slips on the belt, it glazes the belt surface. a glazed belt surface will slip much easier. IOW, this all leads to the "squeal".

The water pump is one of those surfaces IIRC.

Your tensioner should also be running right about the middle of the indicator range for proper tension.

Thank you much for the great reply. I've done all these things and even had a trusted mechanic take a look and I'm starting to realize my truck will probably always squeal to high heaven.. Literally nothing fixes it...


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[TylerZ281500]

idler is good? ac compressor disengaged and free spinning? put some belt dressing on it see if it goes away?

 

[Amp24 7]

idler is good? ac compressor disengaged and free spinning? put some belt dressing on it see if it goes away?

Belt dressing made belt louder. But wd40 suppresses it?!?


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[TylerZ281500]

thats odd. i remember you can douse a certain pulley in wd40 to see if it stops to check for a bad bearing. belt dressing sometimes takes a bit to work its way through.

 

[great white]

Thank you much for the great reply. I've done all these things and even had a trusted mechanic take a look and I'm starting to realize my truck will probably always squeal to high heaven.. Literally nothing fixes it...


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Looking at what you've posted here so far, here are the only remaining options:

Water pump - bearings are going out, will make the belt squeal due to increased resistance

Water pump pulley - pulley is misaligned. Entirely possible if the pulley has been off and on. Rust, dirt, paint, cocked on the shaft, etc.

PS pump - pulley or bearing issue.


There's also the possibility of it being something like the clutch fan going bad.

Try listening on either side of the engine bay and see which side is louder. That will at least give you a chance to isolate it to left or right side....

 

[lkfldredneck]

When you try to steer my plow truck, it squeals like a ***** when her husbands home early. Annoying as ****, and hardly standable. When my moms Trailblazer is running, it has an annoying whine. Everyone thinks its a fan belt, or power steering pump, someone even asked it it was electric. Lol but its the AC clutch bearing. When the AC is on it gets quieter but its still there. For your problem im sayin its probably a WP bearing

Sent from my finally running z71

 

[Amp24 7]

Alright guys.. We'll see if it's the water pump... Getting tired of dumping money in this!


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[TylerZ281500]

i didnt think you mentioned the idler. i remember when my tensioner and idler bearings were shot it howled like a wolf.

 

[lkfldredneck]

Like someone said, remove the belt and see if anything drags or is rough

Sent from my finally running z71