bad bearing squeak in serpentine setup 02 Ranger 4.0

[dmac0923]

2002 ford ranger 4.0 SOHC auto, 4wd AC PS
145,000 miles

ive been chasing this annoying constant squeak/chirp coming from the accessory pulleys

ive replaced the idler pulley, belt tensioner assembly, and alternator.

i found a TSB for a bearing squeak when the fan clutch disengages...

any help?

if it is the fan/water pump pulley....is that a pretty straight forward repair???

 

[Red FX4]

If it is a bearing that makes the noise when the fan clutch disengages, you will need to replace the the fan clutch. It is fairly straight forward if you have the right tools and know how to do it. It is kind of difficult to explain. A repair manual with diagrams is the best source of help.

 

[dmac0923]

the squeaking is pretty steady, i cant limit it to just when something is disengaging...

 

[Wrench]

If you pull the sepintine belt off when the squeaking starts does it disappear?
What's the serpintine belt like? Glazed! Within in tension range?

 

[dmac0923]

i found another post about the cam sensor possible squeaking so i did the test prescribed by removing the belt and briefly running the engine.

no squeak which is a good sign i guess.

the belt is new only 2-3 months old. plenty of room for the tensioner to "expand" so everything is kept tight.


i tried spraying some tire dressing on the belt and the squeak went away.

so i guess its the belt. i dunno i guess every 5,000 miles (mobil 1 synthetic) when i change the oil ill change the belt. haha

 

[manaen]

You know I had a similar problem when I changed out my alternator. I found that the new alternator made the belt ride just slightly front farther than it used to. I ended up drilling out the bolt holes in the alternator to give me enough play to line the pulleys up properly. The way I found this is because my belt was not riding on the same place it used to on the fan pulley.

I tried the same stuff you did with changing things out until I finally found the culprit. So you may want to check and make sure your belt is aligned properly

 

[dmac0923]

thanks, ill have to glance down on the fan pulley to see if the belt is running in the same wear spot

 

[manaen]

yeah my belt was actually ever so slightly off the front of the fan pully. I think I just took a 1/2" bit and opened the holes up a little in the alternator, just enough to get everything aligned better.


If it is the bearing in the water pump they are not that difficult to change, but you can tell if the bearing is bad by removing the belt and checking for end play and smoothness in the water pump pully. If it rolls smooth and there is little to no end play then it is not the problem.