Finally installed my mechman, belt squeal

[mebcop 10+ year member]

If you can't get belt dressing, just put a few drops of water on the inside of the belt while it's squeeling.... all you need to do is see if it changes the sound of the squeel.... it'll narrow down you're problem

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

ive used wd40 to find a squeak before...had nothing else to use and it was pissing me off. If the belt is that hot i would assume it would be to loose and is just spinning over the pulley of the alternator...

 

[mebcop 10+ year member]

Also, if the pully is getting really hot really fast it could be the bearings transferring heat through the pully

 

[Boomintempo 10+ year member]

Yeah, the pulley is getting hot really fast. Is that bad for the bearings to be transfering heat through the pulley, or is that normal? Not too much knowledge on my end about these things.

Broke down and ordered a belt online, probably will be here in a week. Also bought some metal brushes to brush off the pulleys, in case they glazed over, and will also take a look at the belt.

It's interesting, plugitin, that you mentioned using WD40 to find a squeal...someone at work told my wife that if ANY WD40 had gotten on the belt, that it'd have to be replaced. He told her that it would always squeal. I did use a WD40-like substance to help get some of the older bolts off, didn't think any of it got on the belt.

Thanks again for your help everyone, you're giving me extremely valuable information. Will try the water thing right now.

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

i dont know if its good for a belt (wd40) but i used it on my old car when i put a 2nd alt on it. It was squealing and i wanted to make sure it was a belt and not a bearing in one of the pulleys. Sprayed some wd40 on her, stopped squealing for a bit. I had to re align the alternator. That belt was fine, i've also used it on other cars and they have been fine...

 

[Boomintempo 10+ year member]

i dont know if its good for a belt (wd40) but i used it on my old car when i put a 2nd alt on it. It was squealing and i wanted to make sure it was a belt and not a bearing in one of the pulleys. Sprayed some wd40 on her, stopped squealing for a bit. I had to re align the alternator. That belt was fine, i've also used it on other cars and they have been fine...

Well, sprayed water on the belt and the squealing went away...so it's obviously the belt.

You mentioned about re-aligning the alternator, which I thought about earlier. There's so little room in there, not really any re-aligning that I could do.

In your opinion, do you think a new belt would solve the problem? Because I've had this current belt on from REALLY tight to REALLY loose, all the while had squeal, obviously way worse when the belt was tighter. At all tightness's (?) the squeal has been constant.

It feels good to be making some progress, and this is a great learning experience.

One thing I noted, the pulley on the alternator wobbles just a HAIR when running...is there a tolerance for that, or is that normal?

--Edit--

Also an interesting point, just ran it again, but this time only sprayed the lower pulley (have no idea what the other two pulley's are for) and the squealing went away again for a bit. Could maybe those be causing it? Or do you think the water just circulates around the belt quickly enough for it to keep it lubricated? AND (wow, sorry) the belts all seem to be aligned properly...all ribs are in their grooves...

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

make sure the belt is perfectly aligned on all the grooves (if you can). If on one pulley it looks straight, but on another its a bit cocked (ie. you can see one groove a little more, or the belt is riding the wall of the pulley) The play shouldn't be a problem, specially considering this is a new alt.

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

re-aligning would just be using thin washers to move the alt fore/aft of the crank pulley, so it lines up better.

pulley is getting hot because the belt is slipping and creating friction. Check the belt for uneven wear on one of the edges and it sounds like it's not hitting the pulley correctly. That will help to determine which way it needs to be moved...

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

re-aligning would just be using thin washers to move the alt fore/aft of the crank pulley, so it lines up better.
pulley is getting hot because the belt is slipping and creating friction. Check the belt for uneven wear on one of the edges and it sounds like it's not hitting the pulley correctly. That will help to determine which way it needs to be moved...

x2

belt has to be tight to "grab" the alt. pulley, if its loose it will just slip over it and cause heat and glaze over your belt...

 

[Boomintempo 10+ year member]

Alright, will hook it all up again. The alt is in pretty tight space, and at one point the lower left side of the alt does hit a metal piece that isn't on the lower right side. Guess I'll just have to make sure it isn't hitting that.

The times I've had it at its tightest, it definitely wasn't touching anything on the bottom. Wonder if I will ever hit the "sweet spot" this thing seems to need.

In my noobness of trying to look at the belt, I can't figure out how to get it back on...LOL...there's another belt next to it, which prevents me from completely pulling the belt out, but now it's in a way that I can't get it out and can't figure out how to get it back the way it was...LOL:emb:

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

good luck man...if that belt is off just a wee bit, itll make that sound. basically has to be dead nuts with serpentine belts (i think thats the kind belt you have)

 

[NhustlaR 10+ year member]

gunna sound crazy but you need to tighten it..

x100

 

[NhustlaR 10+ year member]

you shouldnt have to align anything especially if its the stock alt. tighten it up, it should have approx 1/4 inch to move- should be pretty tight. as you ran it for as long as you did loose, the belt moves left and right, causing those little grooves in the belt to get cut or "gum" up. if that happened you will never get rid of the squeek. buy a new belt, and next time tighten it up.

next time Look at it and make sure you know how everything goes back!

 

[Boomintempo 10+ year member]

Cool, thanks everyone...once I figure out how to get the belt back on, will try it all again...lol...

It's really crazy about the belt, don't know how I did it. But can't figure it out, I'm sure I will in a little bit here...There are two belts, with one belt being in front of the belt that goes to the alternator. So some how now I have the belt loose, but can't figure out how to get it back around the furthest pulley. It's almost like one of those mind tricks you see at a museum, where you try to get two strings that are intertwined apart...Man... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif

--edit--

NhustlaR--The first time I did hook up the new alt, it was VERY tight as I wanted to make sure my old belt wouldn't slip (in case it was old and stretched). There wasn't any real play at all in the belt, I could barely move it a little bit with my hand (at its longest, in the center of the belt)...Once I figure it out, will tighten like crazy again

 

[plugitin 5,000+ posts]

is there a diagram under your hood somewhere?