Help me fix this annoying sqeek!

[ILLiCliPSE]

Hey guys...

My alternator/ power steering belt has been sqeeking lately. Im a newb to DSMs and was wondering how to tighten this belt. I sprayed WD40 on the pulley and it went away (comes back after a little) but I dont want to keep doing that...let alone its probably not the best thing to do. Where is the belt tensioner on this thing? Should I try to tighten the bolt that holds the pulley on? Im confused WTF

I searched but couldnt find an exact answer

 

[brute]

Are the alternator and power steering pump on the same pulley on 2g's?? I know on 1g they're different belts. I can't imagine 2g's being that much different. If you look from the front of the car down by the driver's side of the radiator, towards the bottom of the alternator, there'll be a long bolt. It's head is pointed at the front of the car. You just need to tighten that until your belt doesn't squeal anymore.

With the power steering pump, you'll need to loosen a bolt on the exhaust manifold side at the bottom. That's the pivot bolt. Once it's moderately loose (do not take it all the way out. You just need to make it so it isn't tight), get a screwdriver or crowbar or something and pry from behind the pump towards the front of the car. While there's pressure on it and it's nice and tight, tighten that pivot bolt back up.

 

[weith1111]

Sqeaking belts are often a sign of a failing harmonic balancer. Check it out before it trashes all your belts or worse.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

Hey is this the bolt I tighten? I just tried to and it still squeeks...

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How much is it to replace a harmonic balancer? How can I test to see if its bad?

 

[brute]

That is the correct bolt. How many turns did you tighten? Generally, it takes quite a few turns to get the belt to its proper tension.

 

[weith1111]

There are over 200 threads on this; actually 215 threads alone in which Defiant has called this out. He will close this thread in a pinch if he sees this becoming thread #216.

http://dsmtuners.com/forums/search.php?searchid=2076101

This is a SUPER common problem.

A visual inspection of the pulley may not do the trick, but it is usually beginning to fall apart/seperate when it's headed towards its last days.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

I tightened that bolt to the point where it was getting tight, and loosened it to the point where it took no force to back it out anymore. Should I try to tighten it pretty tight?

 

[oldman]

Tighten it to spec according to service manul, make sure the water pump pulley isn't on backwards, then check the crank pulley for signs of seperation like the guy you completely ignored purposely said.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

Tighten it to spec according to service manul, make sure the water pump pulley isn't on backwards, then check the crank pulley for signs of seperation like the guy you completely ignored purposely said.

I didnt ignore him Im just trying to figure out one thing at a time
Is this harmonic balancer under the car? As in would it be easier to check with the car jacked up? Also, the pulley that seems to be squeeking (which is the pulley that I sprayed with wd40) is the pulley closest to the front of the car and ontop...cant miss it.

 

[weith1111]

^^^ I'll give it another shot. Most of the time, belts just don't start squeaking because they need to be tightened. I can see if you just replaced them and they are squeaking, or you just changed your alternator and the belt you put back on isn't tensioned properly, but if you've been driving 20,000 miles with the belts just fine, and they started making noise out of nowhere, i'd be checking for failing pulleys (crank, water pump).

Good luck.

Oh, and crankin' down on the tensioner until the belt is so damn tight it could rip your arm off may make the noise go away, but it won't necessarily solve the root problem.

 

[weith1111]

Harmonic balancer, AKA crank pulley = pulley on the end of the crank. It's a double pulley where the two main belts get their drive from.

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

^^^ I'll give it another shot. Most of the time, belts just don't start squeaking because they need to be tightened. I can see if you just replaced them and they are squeaking, or you just changed your alternator and the belt you put back on isn't tensioned properly, but if you've been driving 20,000 miles with the belts just fine, and they started making noise out of nowhere, i'd be checking for failing pulleys (crank, water pump).

Good luck.

Oh, and crankin' down on the tensioner until the belt is so damn tight it could rip your arm off may make the noise go away, but it won't necessarily solve the root problem.

I hear ya...makes perfect sense.

I just made this pic to show you what pulley/ belt is squeeking....
Think it could still be the harmonic balancer?

Thanks for your help guys...Im sorry Im so uneducated when it comes to this stuff

 

[blackbyrd]

I believe that would be your power steering pulley. Dont know 2g's too well. From the pulley and the housing that the pulley goes on, it has two hard/soft pipes hooked into? that could be traced back to the power steering resivoir? Also, have you tried looking at the bottom of the belt to see if maybe its just worn and cracked?
Press down on the belt in the middle of the the two pulleys, how far down can your depress it? about half an inch? or more..

 

[ILLiCliPSE]

Thanks again for all of the help guys...

blackbyrd, Not much at all...about a half inch. It doesnt seem loose to any degree. Tomorrow Ill throw a jack under her and check the harmonic balancer for kicks. But I dont think its that pulley....like I said its the one on top that squeeks.

 

[blackbyrd]

Yeah check the rubber inbetween the crank pulley for cracks or deterioration. If its not more then half inch you have good tension. Are you sure its comming from that specific pulley? what about the other pulley on that belt, isn't that your waterpump? More then likely its a pulley/bearing, but you could always go ahead and replace your belts and retension them, they're only a few bucks.

 

[weith1111]

Thanks again for all of the help guys...

blackbyrd, Not much at all...about a half inch. It doesnt seem loose to any degree. Tomorrow Ill throw a jack under her and check the harmonic balancer for kicks. But I dont think its that pulley....like I said its the one on top that squeeks.

The crank pulley doesn't necessarily MAKE the noise, but when it's falling apart it wobbles (even the slightest amount) and pulls and pushes the belts all over, causing them to rub, squeak, break, etc etc. Not to mention it puts wear and tear on all the accessories' pulleys because the crank pulley is no longer harmonic, nor balanced. Things turning at hundreds of rpm's don't like to be imbalanced.

 

[Defiant]

Things turning at hundreds of rpm's don't like to be imbalanced.

Which is why I seldom exceed 70.

 

[twack]

replace your belts, then maybe your pulleys and see if that makes it go away. if your looking for a cheap fix but not solution then i would try putting belt dressing on the belt and seeing if that works