Belt squeak ??

GKolo · 08-16-2009, 10:12 AM

99 Ranger 4x4 with a 3.0, I have about 3000 miles on the truck since i bought it, About 500 miles ago i developed a sqeak in the serpentine belt wich i replaced with a dayco belt, The truck was quiet until this week when it started making the squealing noise again.
I find no damage to the belt or bent pullies ect., Should i upgrade to a different serpentine belt or ????

allison 12 · 08-16-2009, 01:12 PM

never had much luck with dayco belts. How was the belt tensioner did it move freely? If it didn't doe yourself a favor and replace the tensioner. If still having doubts try a different belt either motorcraft or gates.

GKolo · 08-16-2009, 01:34 PM

Tensioner seemed good and i cant see any pulley movement on anything in the motor that would cause the noise.
Would belt dressing on the pulley's cause the noise on a new belt because i used some on the old belt until i could replace it ?

Any luck with Gatorback belts ?

McCormack · 08-16-2009, 01:45 PM

First check your pulleys to make sure the bearings are good.
If they're good then check the tensioner pulley for alignment - Rangers are notorious for their tensioners going out of alignment which causes the belt to squeak. Put a straight edge on your tensioner pulley and see if it lines up with the crank pulley. If not then you can either shim the old tensioner, or else get a new tensioner assembly.

GKolo · 08-17-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McCormack

First check your pulleys to make sure the bearings are good.
If they're good then check the tensioner pulley for alignment - Rangers are notorious for their tensioners going out of alignment which causes the belt to squeak. Put a straight edge on your tensioner pulley and see if it lines up with the crank pulley. If not then you can either shim the old tensioner, or else get a new tensioner assembly.

What would you use to shim the tensioner out ?

McCormack · 08-17-2009, 06:45 PM

I bought some small pieces of thin sheet stock at the hardware store and then used a shears to cut out some small washer-like shapes (I drilled the holes before cutting). There's a locating pin behind the tensioner and I hung different thicknesses of the sheet-stock washers on the pin until I found the right one that made the tensioner properly aligned (with the belt on).

taz4x4150 · 08-17-2009, 07:09 PM

Seems to me that if the tensioner isn't lined up properly there's a reason for it. Maybe it's bent from prying on it to change belt. Maybe the bearings are shot. maybe the spring tensioner itself is bad. Maybe the bolt that holds the tensioner to the engine block is broke/worn/loose.

McCormack · 08-17-2009, 09:37 PM

Maybe the stock tensioner was poorly designed from the factory and pulls out of alignment quite easily, and maybe shimming it is a cheap and effective solution to fix the problem. I shimmed my tensioner 5 or 6 years ago and have put around 80,000 mi on the vehicle with no further problems.

HVACNICK · 10-17-2009, 09:19 AM

I have struggled with that same annoying squeak for awhile now. It seems to come and go with the cold or damp weather. I replaced the belt and tensioner one year ago (about 30,000 miles on the belt & tensioner) and I replaced the Idler Pulley yesterday since I figured the belt & tensioner would still be good.

When I took the belt off I noticed the tensioner was not a springy as a new one so I replaced the tensioner and the belt this morning. The belt was stretched a lot too. The squeak is gone now (and hopefully stays gone for awhile).

I have been using Dyco products since these are always available at the closest auto store. I am a little annoyed that the belt and tensioner only lasted one year. Has anyone else had the same problems with Dyco?

Also, when I replaced the Idler Pulley I noticed that the spacer on the bolt that holds the pulley is smaller than the hole on the pulley, so the pulley is a little sloppy. Has anyone else had the same problem?

cbxer55 · 10-17-2009, 10:07 AM

The stock tensioner uses a poorly designed spring which allows the pulley to go out of alignment. The unit available from Auto ZOne has a improved spring design so the problem should not re-occur.

I replaced mine about 20,000 miles ago after the stock unit got so bad it tossed the belt while in the middle of BFE. Not a good thing, it is surprising how fast the engine temperature goes up with the water pump immobile!