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Squeaking belt - here's my plan - tips welcome


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Hi all (again!),

The old syaing "when it don't rain, it pours" seems certainly true. Anyway......

My belt has started squeaking. I examined when running and figured it was coming from the tensioner bearing....sprayed in a little WD40 and it went for a couple of minutes and then returned thuis surely the tensioner bearing.....so I did what I always do now and logged onto the forums and figured that the bearing is the likely cause. I was just going to change the bearing (great details on this forum :)) but because of circumstance and time I ended up just buying a new Dayco tensioner. Fitted it and of course the squealing is still there!!! Damnit. Even worse prior to fitting it I've noticed that the outer edge (radiator side) of the belt is shredding slightly. Furthermore I notice in the grooves of the water pump and alternater pulleys there looks like lines of (melted and reset???) rubber.:( My next thought was possibly the water pump, but this was replaced 4000 miles ago and I dont want to start replacing everything and find the squeak still there.....

So time to really search the forums! Some folks have suggested just dropping a small bit of water on the belt, so I did so and the squeal stopped for 1 min so I'm thinking its not water pump but belt related. Surely a drop of water on the belt wouldn't shut up the water pump? So here's my plan:

  1. Tomorrow after work I am going to try the infamous "Penny Trick" which according to many IS the cure (I really hope so). Quick and easy.
  2. If this doesn't work I guess I have to move to the water pump. Do I have to replace the whole thing???
  3. Why is my belt shreading on one edge?
  4. If this doesn't work then what the hell is it????

I'll update on the penny trick tomorrow eve. My final concern is the cr*p Sh*tpart alternator that I fitted 3 months ago (which never fitted on well inthe first place) and broke after 800 miles has warped the whole belt system somehow. I'm praying the penny trick works!

Cheers once again,

Ziggy

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300TDi engines are a bit prone to alternator bearing siezure, so I would check that first. If the belt gets hot enough it'll put molten rubber on the various pulleys. Water pump pulley can be removed seperately from the pump itself and cleaned up.

Les.

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Thanks.

I am highly certain it's not the alternator bearing, as I just changed the alternator and it was squeaking before and after.

I can't say I know much (in fact nothing) about the crankshaft damper, however when looking at the whole assembly while idling I dod seem to think there was a very slight wobble with the crankshaft pulley. What is the actual damper? And if my other options don't solve how easy is that job? I certainly don't have the special tool to hold it.

I'll report back this eve to see if the "Penny Trick" makes any difference.

I have noticed that after a few minutes of driving it tends to go so maybe its just the belt. Fingers crossed.

Ziggy

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Thanks.

I can't say I know much (in fact nothing) about the crankshaft damper, however when looking at the whole assembly while idling I dod seem to think there was a very slight wobble with the crankshaft pulley. What is the actual damper? And if my other options don't solve how easy is that job? I certainly don't have the special tool to hold it.

Ziggy

Hei Zig

Linky was one of my motivators when I head this "marble rubble" and at times a little squeak. Follow the steps carefully and you will save loads of quids. I built a looooong bar . Picture below and managed to hold the crankshaft pulley or damper as you named it. Remember we are cracking about 460NM so be prepared to wrench til you drop. I did it alone ( A pumper actually ;) ) After the replacement that noise is gone. Remember to change the seal...

post-7610-0-52924000-1310376204_thumb.jpg

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Update....

The Penny trick has NOT worked unfortunately. I have noticed that the squeak goes away after about 15mins typically (sometimes longer though) and normally only happens on first start of the day so it makes me think damp as its been very dewy.

I'm getting a genuine belt today. I figured I'd try and use maybe a small wire brush and try and clean the pulley wheels as well (thought perhaps with the engine running and by (safely) holding the brush on the pulleys may be effective. Hopefully this will work.

However I still cant help feeling its coming from the water pump (that said I was originally certain it was the tensioner!!). It seems odd that the noise goes a few seconds if a drop of water is placed on the belt. My other theory that three very different alternators (original Lucas, the cra*part 100A - which blew and was horrificly made and now an ATX 100A which seems of good build) may have just over abused the water pump with slightly different alighnments and maybe that triggered something.

Dantd5 - thanks for your input here. I'm too far from my workshop/tools to do that job where I am now but should I not solve this by other means I'll follow your route. When I take the belt off to replace I'll make sure to have a good feel of the TV damper.

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I hope you sort it out. It is always best to solve the easiest problems first. The TV damper operation can be a pita but still doable.. i am watching the thread so don't do any mistake...dry.gif Good luck..

Thanks! Its amazing how many posts there are on all the forums all relating to the infamous 300tdi belt squeak!

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Thanks.

I am highly certain it's not the alternator bearing, as I just changed the alternator and it was squeaking before and after.

I can't say I know much (in fact nothing) about the crankshaft damper, however when looking at the whole assembly while idling I dod seem to think there was a very slight wobble with the crankshaft pulley. What is the actual damper? And if my other options don't solve how easy is that job? I certainly don't have the special tool to hold it.

I'll report back this eve to see if the "Penny Trick" makes any difference.

I have noticed that after a few minutes of driving it tends to go so maybe its just the belt. Fingers crossed.

Ziggy

I had the same problem, and replaced the belt, cleaned all the pulleys immaculately, replaced the tensioner bearing (twice) and ultimately the whole tensioner, but none of it made any difference. Just like in your case, though, it disappeared after a few minutes of starting, once the engine temperature reached about half way between its cold and normal position. I reasoned that it had to be the water pump, even though the pump turned smoothly by hand and had no leaks or weeps. Despite insistent advice to the contrary from several professionals and forum members, I fitted a new pump (using the old pulley and belt). It has not made a single squeak since.

I got my OEM pump cheaply from Dunsfold Land Rover.

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I had the same problem, and replaced the belt, cleaned all the pulleys immaculately, replaced the tensioner bearing (twice) and ultimately the whole tensioner, but none of it made any difference. Just like in your case, though, it disappeared after a few minutes of starting, once the engine temperature reached about half way between its cold and normal position. I reasoned that it had to be the water pump, even though the pump turned smoothly by hand and had no leaks or weeps. Despite insistent advice to the contrary from several professionals and forum members, I fitted a new pump (using the old pulley and belt). It has not made a single squeak since.

I got my OEM pump cheaply from Dunsfold Land Rover.

Thanks for that.......on the grounds that a drop of water on the belt temporarily stops it I've been struggling to work out how it can be the pump. However I'm convinced the sound is coming from the water pump. If the new belt doesn't work, an oem pumpwill be my next route......

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I've been through this a number of times on my Disco 300TDI... more often than not a replacement belt solves it. Tried the penny trick and it worked for a while on one belt, then the squeal came back. Took the penny out and it went away again! Now I have the joy of every time I need a replacement belt (which is about once a year now) I go through the penny or no penny trial because some squeal and some don't. :blink:

I also went to the trouble of packing the backs of those pulleys that you can reach with layers of cardboard (cereal boxes) to ensure they are true to the belt alignment. That's made the current belt last for over a year with no noise at all.

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I had this ( who hasn't) my cures

a) the belt tensioner moves up and down, (rotates against itself. if you lever it up you'll see the join), with the engine running, and a small oil can, gently pour oil on this 'friction join' allowing it to run around the join, taking care not to get any on the belt, keep doing it, and afetr a few minutes you'll see small bubles coming out of the dry joint as the oil gets in, then you'll notice the pulley bobbing up and down more, as its is now lubricated there is less friction, thus causing fewer 'tight spots'

B) secondly take off your new belt, wash it in soapy water, both sides, then dry it thoroughly!!, and with impecably clean hands apply liberal amounts of talc, belt dressing, or something called 'pounce' (an old draughtsmans talc for removing greasy finger marks from drawings, as ink wont stay on a greasy spot). also talc the pullies, put back on with no grease any where. Keep wd 40 etc MILES away from belts, it makes em worse :(

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