belts or pulley?

[mastadogg2]

Been having this 15-20 seconds squeel on startup for a long time now. After 20 seconds it goes away and doesnt come back. Only happens when the car is cold. So I figured ok, its the belt so I bought a new belt.. tightened it up, started car.. and no squeel at all. As soon as I rev'ed the car it started to squeel. Soon as I let off it stopped squeeling. So I went and loosened the belt and that just made the squeeling worse.. So I get pissed and take off the new belt, and put back on the old belt.. tighten it up.. IT SQUEELS.. instantly.. so I loosen it ALOT then it stops squeeling period. What do you guys think this could be?

 

[aadperformance]

what belt is it? alternator or ps?

 

[mastadogg2]

alternator belt

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

While you're in there, you better take a close look at the crank pulley. They have a nasty habit of causing this kind of problem.

Good Luck

 

[VelocitàPaola]

Sounds like it may be a problem with the power steering. Does the squeal appear/get worse when you turn the wheel all the way to one side or another? If its not the pulley or belt, it's very possible you have a leak somewhere in the PS system. If that turns out to be the case, some PS Stop Leak might help temporarily.

Also, when you tightened the belt, how much is "alot"? Do some more research and look for the factory recommended tension. These belts go on pretty tightly, and alot of times people tighten them up and don't realize that they actually need to be tighter. In other cases, it's possible that the belt is overtightened, in which case the squeaking can occur as well. It's really a fine line, so make sure the tension is at the proper level.

I recommend doing some more diagnostics first though. Look for correlations between what you do and when the squeaking starts/stops. The fact that it used to squeal when it was cold, and that you loosened the old belt, suggests perhaps the belts were overtightened. Once they warmed up, they expanded, thus creating looser conditions, and no squeals.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

ahem... not to undermine your authority Old Mitsu Tech - I was writing my reply as you were writing yours.

Also, I just wanted to add that most cars I've worked on with this exact problem turned out to have under-tightened belts - including mine (it was the PS belt).

 

[mastadogg2]

Few pictures of the crank pulley.. Looks sorta beat.. What you think?.. Has no in and out play tho, and it doesnt feel loose..

 

[mastadogg2]

Sounds like it may be a problem with the power steering. Does the squeal appear/get worse when you turn the wheel all the way to one side or another? If its not the pulley or belt, it's very possible you have a leak somewhere in the PS system. If that turns out to be the case, some PS Stop Leak might help temporarily.

Also, when you tightened the belt, how much is "alot"? Do some more research and look for the factory recommended tension. These belts go on pretty tightly, and alot of times people tighten them up and don't realize that they actually need to be tighter. In other cases, it's possible that the belt is overtightened, in which case the squeaking can occur as well. It's really a fine line, so make sure the tension is at the proper level.

I recommend doing some more diagnostics first though. Look for correlations between what you do and when the squeaking starts/stops. The fact that it used to squeal when it was cold, and that you loosened the old belt, suggests perhaps the belts were overtightened. Once they warmed up, they expanded, thus creating looser conditions, and no squeals.

I was messing with the alternator belt only tho..

 

[VelocitàPaola]

I was messing with the alternator belt only tho..

I see...

Well this part still stands:

Also, when you tightened the belt, how much is "alot"? Do some more research and look for the factory recommended tension. These belts go on pretty tightly, and alot of times people tighten them up and don't realize that they actually need to be tighter. In other cases, it's possible that the belt is overtightened, in which case the squeaking can occur as well. It's really a fine line, so make sure the tension is at the proper level.

I recommend doing some more diagnostics first though. Look for correlations between what you do and when the squeaking starts/stops. The fact that it used to squeal when it was cold, and that you loosened the old belt, suggests perhaps the belts were overtightened. Once they warmed up, they expanded, thus creating looser conditions, and no squeals.

 

[mastadogg2]

Something is definitly wrong.. since what I said above, how it didnt squeel with the new belt tensioned until i reved it.. which is the complete opposite from what was happening with the old belt.. and the new belt was a gatorback, so it had more grooves in the belt for grip, and the old has just straight lines..... im thinking its slipping and since the design of the belt its not gonna squeel unlike the other one.. when i turn the headlights on the rpm drop a bit... with the gatorback even when it was squeeling i turned the headlights on and rpm did not drop.. i was thinking maybe it was the alternator pulley itself but how does my crank pulley look?

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

ahem... not to undermine your authority Old Mitsu Tech - I was writing my reply as you were writing yours.

Also, I just wanted to add that most cars I've worked on with this exact problem turned out to have under-tightened belts - including mine (it was the PS belt).

No problem. I refer to this ailment as everyone seems to keep on tightening the belts and when they are so tight they ring when you tap them, they are then over tight.

I damn near got stranded in Kansas City last summer because of a crank pulley coming apart.

However, do check every thing as there's a cause and effect. You know the effect, now it's incumbent upon you to locate and repair the cause.

Good Job of posting guys.

 

[mastadogg2]

Thanks for the help, I will update the thread once I figure out the problem.

 

[mastadogg2]

Took off alternator belt started up the car reved for a few seconds, and no squeel at all.. that means most likely its the alternator pulley or one of the pulleys it uses right? Did I just rule out the harmonic balancer?

 

[wret]

Is your balancer welded together? It looks strange.

Is the gatorback belt the one with the /////// pattern on the back instead of the deep grooves? A belt like that cost me a head gasket. I tightened and tightened until it eventually failed. As chance would have it my wife was driving and overheated it.

Defiant has suggested in the past, marking the balancer pulley so that you would see if the outer part slips. Sounded like a good idea to me.

 

[mastadogg2]

yup, It had the grooves, so I put the other one back on that has the straight lines like the pulley does. tightened it up, now it seems fine.. no squeeling at all, not even at startup.. I think problem is fixed..

But.. my alternator is still in question I think.. When I turned my headlights on the idle will drop around 80-100rpm.. and lights will slightly dim on dash.. Possibly alternator taking a dump?

 

[mastadogg2]

Now squeeling is all gone, and I grounded my diag, and adjusted biss so when i turned headlights on the rpm's dont drop.. but the gauge lights etc still dim.. think the alternator is just alittle worn out or maybe battery? i gave the alt belt 1/2 inch of play when you push down on the area between the pulleys

Atleast squeeking is gone tho

 

[UNDER_PRESSURE]

Put some belt dressing on there and see what it does.