Belt Woes

[benzino]

I'm going nuts with this belt.

No matter what I try, I can't get it to stop squealing.

It really doesn't make sense, with the belt i put on after the swap (5pk1260mm) it would squeal for a couple of minutes at start up and then stop squealing.

After living with that for a few months I decided to try and fix it. I got a really cheap 4pk1255 to check length before I ordered either another 1260 or a 6pk1255. Well the 1255 fitted so I thought "Yay, shorter belt = more tension available" (with the 1260 it was on full tension at the alternator).
BUT the 4pk1255 squealed like a pig and wouldn't stop so I thought "the crank pulley must be glazed and the belt is too narrow".

SO I took the crank pulley off and sanded it down and got a heap of gunk out of the grooves and ordered the 6pk1255...
I put the wider belt on and it STILL squeals and STILL won't stop (at least the 1260 would stop) so I thought "the power steering bracket must be mis-alligned" so I spent today trying to align it nice and straight and the squeal won't stop...

I noticed that even tensioning the belt as tight as I can, I can still make it slip by hand. So I thought "I'll put the 4pk back on and mis-allign it on the ribs". By doing that I COULDN'T slip it by hand BUT it still squealed.

Now I know it's the belt because when I spray it with liquid it stops momentarily.
I'm at my wits end with this belt!!
Do you have any ideas on what I should do.

The only thing I can think of is go to electro-hydraulic and only have the crank and alternator on the belt, but I really don't want to resort to that if I can solve it another way.

Any ideas? I feel like I've tried everything

[Puddle31]

Did it get some oil on it or could some oil be dripping on it when you are running? One of mine was doing the same thing until I re-did the valve cover gasket and the crank gasket.

[benzino]

Hi Puddle.
The belt is dry as a bone.

I'm thinking it has something to do with the layout of the belts (after the swap) and the belt contact patch on the crank pulley

[TheGreatAndPowerfulOz]

I had a very similar problem that turned out to be the alternator bearings.
I changed belts and it did not fix it. Changing the tension on the belt made it stop some times because it changed the pressure on the shaft of the alternator which changed the pressure on the bearings.

I replaced the alternator and there was no more squealing.

The same thing happened to my father's 1999 Kia Sephia. The squealing turned out to be the alternator bearings, not the belt.

Maybe give that a try.

Cliff

[benzino]

Yes the bearing is noisy but it's not the problem... Hahaha.
It only makes noise at high rpm under load.
I know this because it doesn't squeal with a short belt only on the crank and alternator.
I'm currently converting to electric power steering so hopefully i'll be driving again soon

[Rust Never Sleeps]

AC belts and bearings are natorious for this type of squeal.

Say, What kind of wheels are those four spoke in the pic to the far right? 4 lug I suppose? What size? Really sharp looking at least in that pic.

[benzino]

they are lenso maglite (not like the torch ) in 17"

they're not made anymore... probably due to the weak design (or manufacturing process) and I found this out first hand...


they were a good looking wheel, I thought. (you're the only other person to positively comment on them )

at the moment i'm rolling on 14" bmw wheels. they don't look as good as the 17"s but they add to the sleeper look that goes great with the 2.0l engine

[Rust Never Sleeps]

you're the only other person to positively comment on them

Shows what they know. They're absolutely unique for a 4 lug 4 spoke wheel at least in that photograph. Very clean minimal look and in 17''. Not just another wheel. Ya know, you look and look for just the right wheel and when it hits you just right its like magic in a bottle. Any way, very cool even if I am the only one to tell you that. Too bad you messed up one. Hit a curb too hard?

[benzino]

I was behind a logging truck and it dropped a bit of wood.
I only just clipped it, another centimeter and i would have missed it. Just unlucky i guess...

They did suit the car though...

[Rust Never Sleeps]

Do you have any ideas on what I should do.

I was re-reading your post and I remembered when I have belt noise I dress it with a tire tool first before I buy a new one. That is with the car running and the belt squealing I lightly press the sharp edge of the tire tool against the belt till the squeal or high pich noise changes or goes away. Its a light touch because in effect you are removing the glazed layer of belt and exposing a new layer. This works about 50% of the time. Just a thought.

[benzino]

yeah, tried putting tension on it with a tool

only made it louder!

i think belts are and always will be a mystery to me... especially in regards to sizing and tension

in some cases 5mm of belt length =1inch of tension
but sometimes 5mm =1.5inches

and measuring with a tape measure is the length -10mm
but only sometimes!

[greg409]

Is it possible the rubber vibration isolater on the crank pulley is slipping?

(It separated on my 2.0 nubira)

[benzino]

nope because it doesn't do it when the belt is just on the crank and alternator

it doesn't matter anymore because i'm in the process of converting to electro-hydraulic PAS