Belt squeel i cant get rid of

[mbelcher0014]

i have a 92 4.0 explorer and i cant get rid of a belt squeel.... its getting extremly loud and annoying.. i replaced the belt with a new one and tried about every belt conditioner and lube i can find to get it to shut up and when i spray it it will go away for about 10 minutes then come back extreamly loud...
any ideas

 

[Anime]

Belt conditioner and lube just makes squeal worse. Best bet is to toss any wet or conditioned belt, wipe down every pulley with cleaner/degreaser, lineral spirits, acetone, alchohol, and let it dry, then repeat until all the belt conditioner junk is off, and all pulleys are clean and dry. Install either a Motorcraft, Gates, or Goodyear belt...the good top end ones.

If it squeaks during rain, which is what usually causes it, the belt or pulley just got wet and you'll have to live with it for a few days until it dries out. Open the hood when it's parked when the weather is nice and it will dry a little faster.


If you have a squeak that won't go away no matter what, it might not be the belt. A squeaking pulley means the bearing is going out. Replace the pulley or the bearing assembly inside it before it comes apart when driving and tears up the cooling fan or worse.

 

[RedneckRambo]

maybe your belt tensioner pulley needs adjusted

 

[mbelcher0014]

i cant figure it out guys... i have installed a new belt and tensioner and check all other pullys for squeeking and there is nothing but yet it still squeeks like crazy.. its gettin extremly annoying.. you can hear it easy from 500 ft away at idle

 

[Anime]

Usually if it's the belt, the belt will develop a slick or smooth spot or spots from where it's slipping to make the squeak. If the belt is still rough and grippy all over, it's usually a pulley.

What about the water pump? They can get really noisy and make quite a racket when their bearing starts to go. You might also check the water pump bolts for tightness, it can come loose, and maybe make enough movement that the belt can't get a solid grip on the pulley.

If you can't hear where the exact location of the squeak is (it's usually loudest when you're looking straight at it, since the source of the sound will be equal distances from both ears), you can use a piece of hose, put one end up to your ear, and move the other around to the possible sources, (being extremely careful not to get the hose or your hand in the way of the belt, of course).

 

[Spdrcer34]

My money is on the Tensioner or Idler Pulley Bearings....

Take the belt off and spin the pulleys. Are they easy to spin? or is there ANY resistance?

I have re-greased a noisy/dry pulley and it lasted another 20k miles before the transmission went out and I sold the motor.

Ryan

 

[BLOODBANE]

Sometimes on the old V-belts the pulley themselves would get wore out. The belt would slip on the pulley(new or old belt) and make the squeal. Check the grooves in your pulleys and make sure everything is lining up.

 

[mbelcher0014]

Usually if it's the belt, the belt will develop a slick or smooth spot or spots from where it's slipping to make the squeak. If the belt is still rough and grippy all over, it's usually a pulley.

What about the water pump? They can get really noisy and make quite a racket when their bearing starts to go. You might also check the water pump bolts for tightness, it can come loose, and maybe make enough movement that the belt can't get a solid grip on the pulley.

If you can't hear where the exact location of the squeak is (it's usually loudest when you're looking straight at it, since the source of the sound will be equal distances from both ears), you can use a piece of hose, put one end up to your ear, and move the other around to the possible sources, (being extremely careful not to get the hose or your hand in the way of the belt, of course).

ill try that in the morning... i bought a new tensioner for it today and it went away for the most part at frist and them 5 or so hours later it was back doing the same thing... am i doing somthing wrong on the tensioner.. after i put the belt on should i loosen the pulley bolt a little bit to make sure its not to tight or???

 

[Spdrcer34]

There are 2 pulleys that have bearings that will squeel. The Tensioner Pulley is the one with the big heavy spring, bolted in with 2 bolts. The Idler Pulley is bolted in using just 1 bolt. I would replace it if you can. But re-greasing the bearing MIGHT be good enough.

Ryan

 

[99offroad]

maybe your belt tensioner pulley needs adjusted

or replaced!

 

[Anime]

If the tensioner pulley is bolted in right, you should just use the pulley bolt in the center to move it for removing/replacing the belt, but not need to loosen/tighten anything. Checking the bolts on the tensioner pulley brackets (or checking the torque with a wrench if you're not sure they're tight enough) might be a good idea.

As mentioned, though, noise is usually from the bearings.

That's pretty weird you put a new tensioner on, and it stopped but then went back to squeaking. Did the new tensioner come as an assembly with a new pulley and bearings already in it or did you reuse the old pulley/bearing on the new tensioner bracket?

If you know what you're doing, pop off the pulley again and pop off the bearing cover to re-grease it and seal it. If it makes noise still, try the same thing on the idler pulley.

 

[mbelcher0014]

If the tensioner pulley is bolted in right, you should just use the pulley bolt in the center to move it for removing/replacing the belt, but not need to loosen/tighten anything. Checking the bolts on the tensioner pulley brackets (or checking the torque with a wrench if you're not sure they're tight enough) might be a good idea.

As mentioned, though, noise is usually from the bearings.

That's pretty weird you put a new tensioner on, and it stopped but then went back to squeaking. Did the new tensioner come as an assembly with a new pulley and bearings already in it or did you reuse the old pulley/bearing on the new tensioner bracket?

If you know what you're doing, pop off the pulley again and pop off the bearing cover to re-grease it and seal it. If it makes noise still, try the same thing on the idler pulley.

yes it came with everything... today i bought a new belt for it and took apart the tensioner and idler and re greased it and when the motors hot it doesnt squeel any more but when its cold like on start up it will squeel until it gets warm

 

[Spdrcer34]

You are getting there.

What type of grease are you using? I used Wheel Bearing Grease in mine. And I also packed the bearings like I re-pack wheel bearings. Keep pressing the grease into the bearing, and spin it.

Ryan

 

[mbelcher0014]

You are getting there.

What type of grease are you using? I used Wheel Bearing Grease in mine. And I also packed the bearings like I re-pack wheel bearings. Keep pressing the grease into the bearing, and spin it.

Ryan

thats the same grease i used.. and i packed the heck out of them... the tensioner and idler turn now with out making any noise. and yet it still squeels like crazy.. lol i just dont get it ive spun every pully but the crank b/c it wont spin lol and they make no noise what so ever but when i put a belt on and start it up its a loud squeel then it goes away when the truck gets hot... the water pump seems to be working fine though it keeps my truck extemly cool..

 

[Anime]

I'd suggest using the hose trick or just staring at it until you've pinpointed the location of the squeal, which will tell you alot.

Have you cleaned the surface of the pulleys? I had an annoying chirp that didn't go away until I cleaned the smooth belt contact surface on the idler/tensioner with alcohol/acetone. Used the same belt, hasn't chirped since, just recently replaced the belt.

 

[coppe]

something that will help you locate the squeal but won´t fix the problem is a bit of wd40, go ahead and spray the hell out of every moving part one at the time, and wait for the oil to penetrate, give every spray a minute, (watch it not to get oil on the pulley surfaces and belt.) and when the squeal stops, there´s your spot.

Of course the wd40 will wear out quickly and most likely for what you´ve said it´s not just a lube problem, but you can locate the problematic part like this. be careful, watch your fingers, apply with engine off, i´m not liable, etc etc...

hope this helps.

 

[mbelcher0014]

okay so today my new belt was torn to shreads and i only have 3 ribs left on the belt but now it doesnt squeek at all... ive been through 3 belts since i had the truck and when i got it it had a short ribbed belt then what it needed... so im guessing if you put a normal belt on in which is made for an explorer it squeeks.. so im guessing i got somthing out of alignment or somthing??? how do i fix that... i tightned all pullys to the max and they are all how they are supose to be.. i bought a new belt again today and as soon as you put it on i gave it 5 min and it was back squeeking again

 

[rhauf]

if you're tensioner pulley has enough tension, then there must be a problem with one of the pulleys being hard to turn. first off, make sure you're water pump bypass hose is there and that somebody did not remove it (or that it is not kinked) if it is kinked (or plugged off) the water pump will be very hard to turn when the thermostat is not fully open. (same goes with heater core hose in some cases) secondly, take the belt off and turn all of the pulleys by hand, pulling/pushing on them hard as you turn them (as the belt would do) see if any feel grindy, wiggly/loose, or hard to turn in any way. this is a strange problem but i'm sure it has a very simple logical explanation.

 

[mbelcher0014]

fixed... took every single pully off... sand blasted, power coated and re greased everything that needed to be and installed it all back to factory tq specs... then replaced the belt once again and there is no squeeking what so every

 

[burgundy1994xlt]

fixed... took every single pully off... sand blasted, power coated and re greased everything that needed to be and installed it all back to factory tq specs... then replaced the belt once again and there is no squeeking what so every

Glad you got it fixed. Did you by chance, take the alternator pulley off?