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Another startup squeal thread

kruegerk

Member
Joined
July 10, 2012
Messages
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City, State
Portland, OR
Year, Model & Trim Level
2004 Explorer
I've spent hours digging through the prior threads and anywhere else I could find info. The wife's explorer started squealing the past couple weeks at first startup. It is usually gone in about 2 minutes. I replaced the belt with no change. I then tried a gates belt that was a little shorter and still squealing. Tonight I installed a motorcraft OEM replacement idler tensioner and unfortunately no change. I've spun the various pulleys and nothing seems to be tight and looking at the vibration dampner while the engine is running I don't see any strange movement. I've also tried spraying lithium grease on various pulleys while the engine is running and no change.. I'm trying to figure out what I should look at next before I take it in..
 



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I've spent hours digging through the prior threads and anywhere else I could find info. The wife's explorer started squealing the past couple weeks at first startup. It is usually gone in about 2 minutes. I replaced the belt with no change. I then tried a gates belt that was a little shorter and still squealing. Tonight I installed a motorcraft OEM replacement idler tensioner and unfortunately no change. I've spun the various pulleys and nothing seems to be tight and looking at the vibration dampner while the engine is running I don't see any strange movement. I've also tried spraying lithium grease on various pulleys while the engine is running and no change.. I'm trying to figure out what I should look at next before I take it in..
Take a look at your harmonic balancer, the old style was a metal, rubber, metal setup. The rubber would weaken and sometimes disassemble itself entirely. I have never had the issue, but I think I remember one of the symptoms closing on failure was a squeal on startup, not caused by the belt or tensioner itself.
 






Take a look at your harmonic balancer, the old style was a metal, rubber, metal setup. The rubber would weaken and sometimes disassemble itself entirely. I have never had the issue, but I think I remember one of the symptoms closing on failure was a squeal on startup, not caused by the belt or tensioner itself.
Put a mechanic's stethescope on the waterpump today on first startup and it is definitely the waterpump bearing that is going out. That tool was perfect for dialing in exactly where the problem was. Now to replace the water pump after 165,000 miles..
 






I have a 2004. The only thing that keeps mine quiet is using Dayco belts. I struggled with this for a while, doing all the typical things (checking components for bearing issues, replacing tensioner and belt, and making sure that there were no oil or coolant leaks), the only thing that keeps mine quiet is using a Dayco belt. I ran one for a while with no issues, but when I had the timing set installed, the mechanic screwed up my belt and replaced it with a cheaper one. It started squealing again, so I bought another Dayco belt for it, and it has remained quiet since and that was 1.5 years ago.
(I realize this may not be helpful since you identified the water pump issue, but throwing out there just I case).
 






Tell her it is a 6-71 supercharger making the noise and turn up the radio.

All kidding aside, I have a bar of old dried up Yellow Dial soap. One would not believe
the belt marks,years of use, quietened belts but, most importantly a HAPPY CUSTOMERs!
No charge!
 






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