squeeky belts

[jeffseal]

my belt is squeeking, I recently put a new tensioner and a new belt on it. It usually squeeks right when you start it up but dies out after a few minutes. Any ideas?
thanks
Jeff Seal

 

[Kontrol-Trak]

There's a timing belt dressing available at any auto accessory store. It'll probably stop the squeak.

 

[rjc]

Don't put on belt dressing. It just craps up the engine compartment. What I have noticed on several fords is that the O2 pump on the 5.0s sqeek sometimes and the belts squeek if they are moist (morning start up) or when they are dirty (sand). If it goes away and doesn't come back till the next morning it's probably no big deal. rc

 

[yob_yeknom]

Originally posted by jeffseal
I recently put a new tensioner and a new belt on it. It usually squeeks right when you start it up but dies out after a few minutes.

That is exactly what mine has started doing. Squeeks when I first crank it, but goes away after a few minutes. I also just changed my belt and tensioner a few months ago.

Though I haven't taken the time to look for myself, can anyone tell me if there is an idler pulley on the 4.0? The sound almost sounds like a pulley isn't turning well and the belt is sliding across it. If I were to spray some WD-40 on the pulleys while it's squeaking, wouldn't the one that the squeaking goes away when I spray it be the problem?

 

[rjc]

Don't use WD as it will eat up your belts. You can spray water back there onto the pulley and it will probably quiet things down. Yes, there is an idler on the 4.0. rc

 

[Sanch]

Mine is doing the same thing. I too thought it was the idler and that the problem didn't show up until the new tensioner placed too much load on the old idler. well, that was the wrong guess, as a new one didn't help the cold start squeeks. I had my wife start the truck for me and it sounded like it was coming from the A/C pump. Now I understand there is a certain percentage of faulty parts, so on the assumption that the tensioner is not applying enough pressure, how do I tell if the belt is actually tight enough? In the old days, you measured the deflection of the belt at a certain point. What about on today's serpentine belts? Before my tensioner fell apart I didn't have any problems at all with the belt.

 

[yob_yeknom]

There is no way to check for the correct tension on a serpentine belt that I know of. The tensioner (if not faulty) always applies the correct amount of tension.

 

[Sanch]

Can you use a torque wrench to move the tensioner and remove the belt? This would tell you how much pressure it takes to move it. If I could get a few others to do the same, we could take an average and then possible know if the spring in the tensioner is applying the correct amount of pressure. Any volunteers?

 

[Rydin Dirtay]

same here

got a 94 v6 and it makes a really load mettalic wine when i first start it up, ive tried everything! there are new belts on it, im giong to try and clean them or something but for the first 2 minutes in the cold mornings of the desert its really really really friggin anoying :fire: :frustrate

 

[LowdPypes]

anyone fixed this problem yet???? mine is terrible.

 

[jgilbs]

bad h2o pump

my dad had the same prob on his infiniti. it turns out the water pump was bad, and it was leaking water onto the belt, causing it to occasionally slip. dont know if the water pump is in the same location on an explorer, but its something worth checking out

 

[Sanch]

Well it turned out that the new tensioner wasn't any good. It applied "some" pressure for a while, but it eventually got to where the belt was loose. I was watching it and saw that there was a little wobble in the belt. When I touched the handle of a screwdriver to it the noise went away. I got another tensioner and so far so good...

 

[jeffseal]

mine went away havnt have a problem with it

 

[xfreak]

Mine just started the morning noise about 2 weeks ago. I was gonna change the belt and pulley, but that sounds like that might not be the answer. Let us know if you figure it out

 

[Jon_Herr]

Belt size

Suggestion -
When replacing a belt get the same size as previously used.

Often a truck is equipped with a belt that is slightly smaller in length that called for by a parts shop application chart.

I went through this exersize on two different occasions where the belt we replaced was smaller than the new belt and the new belt squeaked - getting the same size belt fixed the problem.

Jon