Can't get rif of my belt squeel!

[drdave]

It's the alternator/AC belt. Here is a little history.

When I first purchased the car, a long time ago, I took it to ford and had the belts replaced. But that belt would squeal. So I took it to Scott and he adjusted it, but it still squealed. No more adjustment left.

So we just did the front 60K. Belt started squealing after the third day. I adjusted it, and it was OK. But it was at the end of the adjustment, and the belt is not very tight.

Something has to worn, but I cannot see what it is. I know that my tensioner has about the same OD as my 90 does.

So, what belt can I get that would be 1/2 > 1 inch shorter that the OEM belt?

 

[Rob94]

You just answered your own question. Go to the parts store, ask for the part number of the belt for your car, then ask them for one an inch shorter.

 

[pete c]

sounds like you got something else goofed up. Could the belts be improperly routed? That hack, scott probably put it on wrong.

 

[drdave]

I've has it on and off a dozen times doing my AC. It is on correctly. Maybe the extra drag of r-134a is too much for the poor little belt.

Still doesn't explain why I'm at the end of adjustment and the belt is still not very tight.

 

[projectSHO89]

The belt is too long either from being stretched or was too long in the first place from the Ford dealer.

Just go get a shorter belt.

Try a Gates K060445.

Steve

 

[sdpatt]

Could there be some A/C lubricant on the belt causing it to have too low a coefficient of friction? You would need to clean the pulleys and replace the belt. The belt shouldn't stretch since the fiber elements don't let that happen to a great extent. If oil got on the belt, it may have stretched out of the tensioner's adjustment range.

<small>[ May 13, 2003, 10:39 AM: Message edited by: sdpatt ]</small>

 

[rendyx]

I agree with Steve on picking up a good belt (like a Gates). I prefer a Goodyear Gatorback. personally. I had a cheap belt on before it, and it would constantly slip. As when I did it, it was my first time messing with an accessory belt, and I had some difficulty as you are, I kept an allen wrench and box end wrench handy in case it needed adjustement.

 

[rangerj]

drdave,

I have heard R-134a blamed for all sorts of A/C woes, but never have I ever heard it blamed for belt squeel!!!

Take the offending belt to the parts store and compare it to the specified new belt. If the old belt has stretched it should show up in the comparison. If the belt was the wrong size to begin with, that should also show up.

A shop will use whatever they have if it will work, so they can push the job out the door! They only have to adjust the belt once, after that it is your problem. rant rangerj

 

[sdpatt]

I don't think that he "was pushed out the door." He had the correct belt.

 

[drdave]

My post was written to establish a history of this problem. The first belt 5 or 6 years ago was a Motorcraft, and was correct. This belt is a Gates, and is also correct. It strikes me that one of my pulleys has to be worn.

After this belt was put on, it squealed within two days. I didn't do my AC until a month after that. This is not an oil issue.

I guarantee the belt was done right. sdpatt did my 60K, it doesn't get more right than that. And taking the belt off and putting it back on is child’s play. But I did notice that my adjuster was almost bottomed out after the 60K and the belt was not very tight. Scott does not like the belts any tighter than they have to be.

So I can get a shorter belt, or try to figure out what is worn down. I don't think the alternator pulley or the crank pulley are worn, so that would leave the adjuster. But the lip on that is about the same as on my 90.

And now the belt mainly slips in the evening. After the cars been driver during the day and parked for a couple of hours, it will slip. After it warms up for a few minutes, it won't slip any more.

 

[rangerj]

drdave, Scott,

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. I was under the impression that the "belt" had been installed by a dealer and that the "belt" was re-installed when the front engine work was done by you two.

No disrespect was intendeed, nor would I ever think that Scott would ever "push anyone out the door" if he was involved in the service.

Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part.


Doc, the adjustment range, (the slot on the adjusting bracket) is about 2 inches. I do not think your pulley could wear that much. Are your alternator and A/C pulleys the correct sizes? Where they ever replaced? Just a thought.

Again, I am sorry for implying that Scott would do anything other than the best possible job. I most certainly do not think that would ever be the case. Scott I did not mean to "dis" you. hail rangerj

 

[rangerj]

drdave, Scott,

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. I was under the impression that the "belt" had been installed by a dealer and that the "belt" was re-installed when the front engine work was done by you two.

No disrespect was intendeed, nor would I ever think that Scott would ever "push anyone out the door" if he was involved in the service.

Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part.


Doc, the adjustment range, (the slot on the adjusting bracket) is about 2 to 3 inches. I do not think your pulley could wear that much. Are your alternator and A/C pulleys the correct sizes? Where they ever replaced? Just a thought.

Again, I am sorry for implying that Scott would do anything other than the best possible job. I most certainly do not think that would ever be the case. Scott I did not mean to "dis" you. hail rangerj

 

[93EmeraldMTX]

mm, i have a belt squeal as well, but only every once in a while when i start it up, about 10 seconds later it will squeal, and i can just rev the engine a little bit and it goes away. However, if the A/C is on when this happens, sometimes it wont go away right away when i rev it. It is a new belt as well.

 

[speedfreek95]

I had the same problem on my old Fiero. Every week or so, it would start squealing and every week or so i'd tighten it back up. I'd be able to tighten it maybe 2 times and it was at the end of the adjustment range. I went through 5 belts this way when the whole time, the belt wasn't the problem at all. It turns out that the rotating shaft in the alternator had become bent over the years and and although it wasnt bent much, it was enough to really stretch out the belt once you get up in high RPMs. I didnt believe it until i replaced the alternator and took the old one apart, but that was the problem all along. Something to check

 

[drdave]

Jack,

Maybe I'm not bottomed out. Maybe the lower portions of my threads are crusty which is making it so hard to turn now. I'll take it apart this weekend and make sure everything is anti-seized.

And as everyone already knows, you won't find a more detail-oriented person than Scott. He is like a machine! And as a bonus, he has about the sweetest wife and daughter that you would ever meet.

The alternator post is interesting. I'm sure mine is OEM. I wouldn't be opposed to replacing it. But I can say for sure that if there is a problem with the rotation of it, it is certainly not visible to the ***** eye.

What's up with the sudden rash of double posts in many threads? There must be a problem with the server.

 

[rangerj]

drdave,

The threads on the "jack-screw" do indeed get crusted with rust. It would be a god idea to remove the adjusting screw mount, remove the screw, and clean it up with a wire brush.

Use a wire brush on a bench grinder if you have one. Then coat the screw with anti-sieze compound, or silicone grease.

I have seen jack-screws so crusted that they would not move, but that's up here in the rust-belt. There is an "E" clip just under the head of the allen head of the screw. Remove that and the screw just threads out.

Even if this is not your problem, you will like the ease with which an adjustment can be made when the jack-screw is well lubricated and not rusty. Consider using a "lock-nut" when you put the idler pulley on. rangerj

 

[sdpatt]

rangerj:
drdave, Scott,
No disrespect was intendeed, nor would I ever think that Scott would ever "push anyone out the door" if he was involved in the service.

Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part.


Again, I am sorry for implying that Scott would do anything other than the best possible job. I most certainly do not think that would ever be the case. Scott I did not mean to "dis" you. hail rangerj

Shoot, I thought you were just pulling my leg. Dave watched me work. He knows how I get the job done. The right way.

Dave, you have been loosening the 14mm nut on the idler pulley shaft before you try to adjust the Allen screw, haven't you?

<small>[ May 16, 2003, 09:26 AM: Message edited by: sdpatt ]</small>

 

[drdave]

Scott,

I have removed the belt 5 or 6 times already when I was doing the AC. Couldn't do that without loosening the nut. But I do understand your question. When I troubleshoot something, I always start with the basics too.

 

[speedfreek95]

again with the alternator, i wasn't able to see it being a problem until I had it off and apart. This all happened to me when I was working in a shop and one day the owner said "replace the alternator" , i asked why and all he kept saying was "replace the alternator." Surely enough, I did and that was the problem. After I took it off he showed me why. Like I said I had never heard about it either.

 

[rangerj]

drdave,

The possibility of a bent alternator shaft is minimal, but it does happen.

If the alternator is not original, but a replacement, the possibility of the pulley being inncorrect goes up exponentially.

I never let go of an alternator core until I have checked the pulley size and the electrical connections configuration. There have been far to many times that the new (rebuilt) alternator had the wrong pulley or had the electrical connections configured for another model or model year.

I have also frequently gotten the wrong alternator in the "right" box.

All that having been said, maybe you are right and your adjusting "jack-screw" is hanging up and not giving you a full adjustment.

Now that we know for sure that the mechanic used the correct belt we can look for some other reason for the loose adjustment! (tongue in cheek)

Let us know what you find. There seems to be a few other folks having the same problem. rangerj