Shackleton Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 What makes a serpentine belt squeal? Banjo playing yokel on a veranda? (Diesel Jim?) I thought it was a bad bearing on a pulley but I've had them all off and the races are running smooth and I greased the hell out of the shafts for good measure. Then I realised it's the belt on the tensioner pulley, it seems to be running unevenly on the pulley, kinda going in and out slightly if you get me. I put a little dab of 3in1 on the belt and it went silent. Comes back though. Wondering whether there should be a washer between the bolt and the big flangy washer thing that bears on the bearing on the outside of the pulley? The Alt isn't adjustable but is it possible that it's just a hairs breath out of line and causing the wobble in the belt, cause the only other pulley near the tensioner is the crank, and that can't be out The RR looks bad enough, I can't have any dodgy sounds making it a bona fide junker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_d Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Have you tried a belt treatment? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=220211231424 Not had reason to use it myself but am told they work. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 My Tdi used to squeel (like a pig......), i used that chalk you get in builders merchants for "re chalking" the plumn lines. just a little "puff" of the dust on the belt would shut it up for a while. in the end, it turned out to be one of the alternator bearings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Makes sense, a pal said he'd heard a bit of talc... Will check more closely for play later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 The best thing to shut up an errant belt is the very fine graphite powder that you buy in little bottles from hardware stores for lubricating padlocks etc. I have tried just about everything over the last ten years including a number of belt treatment sprays etc and nothing else works as well. Forget anything which starts out "wet" as once it dries out the squeal comes back worse than ever - usually about 5 minutes! I usually have to do the drive belt on my Milemarker pump about once a month, it is quicker than changing the belt which I should have done ages ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 this guys serpentine belt came off on the freeway in america - caused a lot of mess, and he was late for work too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 the other thing that can make the belt squeel is if the tensioner bearing is not running in line or worn out i belive you may need to place a 1p at about 7 oclock between tensioner and block mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 ^^^What Mike said. I got fed up with the penny falling out, so got one of those eBay bearing kits. Was about a tenner...sorted ever since. Edit: Here's what I bought It's actually only 4.50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 First thing have a very close look at the tensioner, between the part that is fixed and the part that turns to adjust there is a nylon washer that is usually black in colour, this is what wears and causes the tensioner to go out of line. This results in the squeak yoiu get from the belt, chalck, graphite wd 40 stop it for a short time only. If you get a wiper blade and remove the stainless reinforcing strip from one side of the blade, cut off approx 25mm and bend the last 6mm of end into 90 degrees, Then get slim screwdriver and slide into gap where the previously mentioned black nylon washer is towrads the top of the tensioner, The short end of the wiper erinforcing strip can then be inserted, untill the longer arm is flat against the fixed part of the tensioner. This can then be secured by a large jubilee type hose clip. This will then stop the noise, just check that the belt is tracking centrally on the the other pulleys . This will work for quite a mileage and allow you to purchase a new tensioner asssy. Which will be the permanent fix HTSH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 The proper Fix: Clicky Only took me about an hour all in all. I found the squeling was still there a little bit but changing the belt for a new one cured that. Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 mmm watching and reading this with interest as my 90 has a new pully tensioner but is squealing like a stuffed pig. Bit of oil gets rid of it but then comes back (as said before on here already) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Wow, cool thread. I can actually see the belt move forward and back on the tensioner pully, as in nearer and farther from the edge of the drum. It's only fractional but I guess thats all it takes. I'm assuming that A. the pulley itself isn't available seperatly from the whole tensioner unit and that B. you need to pay and then bend over the counter to actually obtain one from LR? I'm not being lazy it's just the whole kit and caboodle goes on the ferry to Europe tomorrow night for a few months of a road trip. I need the current setup to last as far as Greece? EDIT: Lovin' the snake *look's in his pants* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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